Anthony Scaramucci: from Wall Street to the White House and out
His appearances on television since taking the role were notable for their insights into what he says goes on in Washington DC.
Donald Trump’s now former communications director sparked controversy with his talk of backstabbing in Washington and use of colourful language when he was appointed less than two weeks ago.
Anthony Scaramucci was about a week into his new job when he made headlines around the world with his “straight talking”.
Mr Scaramucci was brought in as part of a White House shake-up which led to the resignation of press secretary Sean Spicer.
The Associated Press reported that people familiar with staff changes said Mr Spicer considered Mr Scaramucci lacked the qualifications for the top communications job and quit in protest.
Mr Scaramucci, a native of Long Island, New York, had no government experience and no experience crafting communication strategy around policy, according to AP.
He came to the job from Wall Street after making a name for himself as a hedge fund manager who appeared on television.
The 53-year-old, who has known Mr Trump for years, is the founder and managing partner of investment firm SkyBridge Capital.
The firm’s website says he was the co-host of Wall Street Week, an “iconic financial television show” revived in 2015 and airing on the Fox Business Network, and has written books called The Little Book Of Hedge Funds, Goodbye Gordon Gekko and Hopping Over The Rabbit Hole.
His appearances on television since taking on his new role have been notable for their dramatic insights into what he says goes on in Washington DC.
In an interview with BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, he said: “One of the things I cannot stand about this town is the backstabbing that goes on here, Okay? Where I grew up and the neighbourhood I’m from, we’re front-stabbers, we like to tell you exactly where we’re from and what we’re doing.”
He later added: “Because what happens here in Washington is people say one thing to your face but they don’t really mean it, and they say something else behind your back. Okay, so what I like about the president is it’s actually good leadership to say the things to people’s faces, what he actually means, and then let’s resolve it or not resolve it. We’re either going to reconcile or going to go in different directions.”
In an interview published by The New Yorker on Thursday, Mr Scaramucci accused chief of staff Reince Priebus of being a “paranoid schizophrenic” and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon of trying to burnish his own reputation.
Mr Scaramucci tweeted: “I sometimes use colorful language. I will refrain in this arena but not give up the passionate fight for @realDonaldTrump’s agenda.”
Before founding SkyBridge in 2005, Mr. Scaramucci co-founded investment partnership Oscar Capital Management, and he was also a vice president in private wealth management at Goldman Sachs & Co, according to his profile on the SkyBridge Capital website.
It says he was ranked at number 85 in Worth Magazine’s Power 100: The 100 Most Powerful People In Global Finance in 2016.
In November 2016, he was named as one of President-elect Trump’s 16-person Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee.
