Billionaires gathered at Donald Trump’s winter White House this week to vie for the role of Treasury secretary, presenting their cases to the president-elect within the confines of Mar-a-Lago.
Trump’s recent triumph has transformed his lavish residence into a fortress. Local police vehicles and black SUVs line the bridge to the Palm Beach resort. A Secret Service tower looms, overseeing the intersection by Mar-a-Lago’s entrance. Traffic is congested due to orange cones, and helicopters buzz overhead.
The underlying message is clear: entry is by invitation only.
For those without invitations, speculations on who was in favor became a topic of discussion at the bars and upscale eateries along the exclusive strip between the Breakers and the Four Seasons. The area is adorned with luxury vehicles like red Ferraris and black Bentleys.
Security around Mar-a-Lago was heightened early in the week after security guards heard a noise, later discovering an elderly man with a pellet gun shooting iguanas nearby.
When asked if he was responsible, 80-year-old billionaire Thomas Peterffy, who resides a few mansions away from Trump, humorously responded via email: “Ha ha.”
© Zak Bennett/FT
© Zak Bennett/FT
On Monday morning, Mitt Romney, the outgoing Republican senator and Trump critic, was spotted leaving. He clarified at the Palm Beach airport that he was only there in support of his wife’s equestrian pursuits and not for job-seeking.
As the line of hopefuls continued to lengthen, the process of selecting Trump’s Treasury secretary unfolded discreetly.
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