History of Howard Lutnick in Timeline

Howard Lutnick is an American businessman, philanthropist, and current United States Secretary of Commerce (since February 2025). This concise description highlights his roles in business, charity, and government, emphasizing his leadership position as Secretary of Commerce.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

July 14, 1961: Birth of Howard William Lutnick

Howard William Lutnick was born on July 14, 1961, on Long Island, New York, the second son of Solomon and Jane (née Lieberman) Lutnick.

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February 1978: Death of Jane Lutnick

In February 1978, during Lutnick's junior year, his mother, Jane, died of lymphoma.

1983: Graduation from Haverford College

In 1983, Howard Lutnick graduated from Haverford College with a degree in economics.

1983: Hired at Cantor Fitzgerald

In 1983, Howard Lutnick was hired at Cantor Fitzgerald by B. Gerald Cantor.

1989: Political Donations

A Bloomberg News and OpenSecrets analysis found that the Lutnicks have given political donations since 1989.

December 1990: Appointed Cantor's Successor

By December 1990, Lutnick was appointed Cantor's successor in the event of his death.

1990: Cantor begins kidney dialysis

In 1990, Cantor began undergoing kidney dialysis.

1990: Lutnick becomes CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald

In 1990, Lutnick became president and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald.

1991: Lutnick becomes the firm's chief executive and president

In 1991, after a failed attempt by Cantor Fitzgerald's president to oust him, Lutnick became the firm's chief executive and president.

1994: Investment in European Brokering

Since 1994, Lutnick began diversifying Cantor's investments, seeking to establish a brokering business in Europe.

December 1995: Cantor hospitalized; succession plan dispute

In December 1995, Cantor was hospitalized in New York, leading Lutnick to implement a succession plan at Cantor Fitzgerald. The lack of involvement of Cantor's family infuriated its members, including his wife, Iris Cantor.

1995: Legal dispute with Iris Cantor

In 1995, after a medical incident involving B. Gerald Cantor, Howard Lutnick entered into a legal dispute with Cantor's wife, Iris, over Cantor's succession plans.

March 1996: Lawsuit to enforce succession plan

In March 1996, Lutnick and his division, CF Group Management, filed a lawsuit in Delaware to enforce the succession plan, arguing that Cantor did not possess "sufficient mental capacity" to understand the legal documents he was signing.

1996: Appointed Chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald

In 1996, Howard Lutnick was appointed chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald after Cantor's death.

September 1998: Began electronic trading for futures contracts

In September 1998, Cantor Fitzgerald began electronic trading for futures contracts on Treasury bonds and notes, developing eSpeed, an electronic trading platform.

March 1999: eSpeed released

eSpeed, an electronic trading platform, was released in March 1999.

September 11, 2001: September 11 Attacks

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked American Airlines Flight 11, crashing the plane into 1 World Trade Center, which contained Cantor Fitzgerald's corporate headquarters. All 658 employees who were in the office on the day of the attacks died, including Howard Lutnick's brother, Gary.

September 2001: eSpeed Creates Marketplaces

By September 2001, eSpeed had created four dozen marketplaces, including TradeSpark, an exchange for natural gas and electricity.

October 2001: Relief Fund Donations

In October 2001, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund began donating US$5,000 to families of victims of the September 11 attacks with one or more children.

February 2002: Cantor Fitzgerald to divide profit to survivors

In February 2002, Cantor Fitzgerald announced it would divide US$4.9 million in profit to survivors of the September 11 attacks.

September 2002: Cantor Fitzgerald Donates to Relief Fund

In September 2002, Cantor Fitzgerald donated US$4 million to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.

December 2002: Cantor Fitzgerald employs 750 in NY

By December 2002, Cantor Fitzgerald had 750 employees in New York.

July 2003: Horace Mann School Board Member

From July 2003, Lutnick served as a board member of the Horace Mann School.

August 2004: Partnership Established

In August 2004, Cantor Fitzgerald established a partnership, BGC Partners, for its voice brokerage business.

January 2006: Appointment to World Trade Center Memorial Foundation Board

In January 2006, Lutnick was appointed to the board of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation.

September 2006: Relief Fund Donations

As of September 2006, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund has donated US$180 million to families.

October 2007: Lutnick Appointed CEO

In October 2007, Lutnick was appointed the chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald's fixed-income trading and sales business.

2008: Appears on The Celebrity Apprentice

In 2008, Lutnick appeared on "The Celebrity Apprentice", hosted by Donald Trump in a charity auction.

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2013: Donation to Victims of Moore Tornado

In 2013, Howard Lutnick gave debit cards of an equal amount to victims of the Moore tornado.

September 2014: Charity Day Raises Millions

By September 2014, Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners' annual charity day on September 11 had raised US$101 million for non-profits dedicated to the September 11 attacks.

October 2014: Largest Single Donation to Haverford College

As of October 2014, Howard Lutnick gave the largest single donation to Haverford College—valued at US$25 million, bringing his total donation to US$65 million.

2016: Donations to Clinton and Harris

In the 2016 United States elections, Howard Lutnick donated to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Senate candidate Kamala Harris, attributing them later to his wife.

January 2017: Anshu Jain Joins Cantor Fitzgerald

In January 2017, Anshu Jain, a former Deutsche Bank executive, joined Cantor Fitzgerald as its president.

2017: Donation to Hurricane Harvey relief

In 2017, The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund donated to hurricane relief, including Hurricane Harvey.

September 2018: Lutnick's Net Worth

By September 2018, Lutnick was worth US$1.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

May 2019: Fundraiser for Donald Trump

In May 2019, The New York Times disclosed that Lutnick had hosted a fundraiser for U.S. president and presidential candidate Donald Trump that raised more than US$5 million.

2019: Borrowed from Bank of America

In 2019, Lutnick borrowed more than US$100 million from Bank of America.

2020: Fundraiser for Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign

In 2020, Howard Lutnick was a fundraiser for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

2020: Investment in cryptocurrency

Since 2020, Cantor Fitzgerald has invested in cryptocurrency, particularly Tether.

2022: Death of Anshu Jain

In 2022, Anshu Jain, president of Cantor Fitzgerald, died.

2023: Borrowed from Bank of America

In 2023, Lutnick borrowed more than US$100 million from Bank of America.

June 2024: Co-hosted Fundraiser for Donald Trump in London

In June 2024, Howard Lutnick co-hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump in London that was organized by Duke Buchan.

June 2024: End of Horace Mann School Board Membership

In June 2024, Lutnick concluded his service as a board member of the Horace Mann School.

July 2024: Lutnick speaks at Bitcoin conference

In July 2024, Lutnick and presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke at a Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in which Lutnick announced Cantor Fitzgerald would open a US$2 billion lending facility with Bitcoin as collateral.

August 2024: Named co-chair of Trump's presidential transition

In August 2024, Howard Lutnick was named as the co-chair of Donald Trump's presidential transition.

November 2024: Board Memberships

As of November 2024, Lutnick is a member of the Partnership for New York City's board and Weill Cornell Medicine.

November 19, 2024: Nomination for Secretary of Commerce

On November 19, 2024, Donald Trump selected Lutnick as his nominee for secretary of commerce.

December 2024: Purchase of Bret Baier's Home in Washington, D.C.

In December 2024, Lutnick purchased Bret Baier's home in Washington, D.C., for US$25 million, setting a record for the most expensive house in the city. The New York Times noted that this purchase contributed to an increase in the city's luxury real estate market.

January 2025: Financial Disclosure

In January 2025, Lutnick's financial disclosure form revealed he had at least US$806 million in assets and declared shares in GE Aerospace, GE Healthcare, The Walt Disney Company, Nasdaq, Inc., and the musical Kimberly Akimbo.

January 2025: Senate Committee hearing for Lutnick

In January 2025, a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee hearing for Howard Lutnick was held.

January 29, 2025: Senate Committee Appearance

On January 29, 2025, Lutnick appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, promoting the second Trump tariffs and vowing action on China and AI advances, specifically DeepSeek R1.

February 2025: Allison Lambert Appointed Trustee of the Kennedy Center

In February 2025, Allison Lambert, Lutnick's wife, was appointed a trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after President Donald Trump appointed himself as the center's chairman.

February 2025: Howard Lutnick becomes 41st United States Secretary of Commerce

In February 2025, Howard Lutnick began serving as the 41st United States Secretary of Commerce.

February 2025: Lutnick names sons as chairmen

In February 2025, after being confirmed as the United States secretary of commerce, Lutnick named his sons, Brandon and Kyle, as chairman and executive vice chairman, respectively.

February 2025: Involvement in Intel-TSMC Discussions

In February 2025, it was reported that Lutnick was involved in discussions to offer Intel's manufacturing facilities to TSMC.

February 18, 2025: Senate Confirmation

On February 18, 2025, Lutnick was confirmed by the Senate in a 51–45 vote.

March 2025: Comments on Trump's Economic Policies and Tariffs

In March 2025, after Trump initiated a trade war, Lutnick stated on Meet the Press that there was "no chance" of a recession, later defending tariffs even if they led to a recession. He also encouraged Fox News viewers to purchase Tesla stock, and made controversial remarks about Social Security.

2025: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2025, Lutnick was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time.

2025: Lutnick's Views on Vaccines and The Heritage Foundation

In 2025, as co-chairman of Trump's transition team, Lutnick prioritized loyalty to Trump in hiring decisions. He also expressed his belief that vaccines cause autism, following a meeting with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and labeled The Heritage Foundation as "radioactive".