US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he has chosen billionaire Tilman Fertitta – owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team – for the post of United States ambassador to Italy.

Tilman Fertitta is chairman, CEO and owner of Landry’s Group, which operates a chain of restaurants, hotels and casinos in the United States.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump praised the 67-year-old Texan as an “accomplished businessman” and philanthropist.

Earlier, Donald Trump had appointed Mark Barnett, TV producer and creator of the reality show “The Apprentice” – as his special envoy to the UK – thanks to which the tycoon restored his public image and became very popular, before he decided in 2015 to with politics.

For the post of US ambassador to the United Kingdom, Trump chose three weeks ago the billionaire banker Warren Stevens, who had financially supported his election campaign.

Unlike the selection of an ambassador, the appointment of an envoy does not require approval by the US Senate.