Our real-time ranking of Trump’s new brain trust, from giants of industry, old hands and emerging outsiders, tracks who’s in the inner circle—and who’s been cast out. We’ll update with news—like the latest return visitors to Mar-A-Lago.
By Joe Walsh, Forbes Staff
Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
1. Elon Musk
The world’s richest man spent some $120 million to get Trump elected, was tapped to co-lead a still-undefined “Department Of Government Efficiency” and has become inseparable with the incoming commander in chief. How long can that last? (Net worth: More than $320 billion.)
Alex Brandon/AP
2. Susie Wiles
Incoming White House chief of staff led Trump’s 2024 campaign, and is widely credited with disciplining a chaotic operation. Still, Trump’s prior chiefs of staff have struggled to stay employed.
Hollie Adams/Bloomberg
3. Howard Lutnick
Cantor Fitzgerald CEO and a longtime Trump friend, Lutnick co-chairs his transition and was nominated Commerce Secretary—though had wanted Treasury, but Trump reportedly grew tired of his campaigning. (Net worth: Over $1.5 billion.)
Alex Brandon/AP
4. Stephen Miller
Incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, he’s a chief advocate for Trump’s mass deportation plans. His portfolio will reportedly be “vast,” and he’s begun weighing in on transition decisions.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
5. JD Vance
An attack dog during the campaign, the vice president-elect has lobbied senators to confirm Trump’s Cabinet picks and reportedly weighed in on a few key hires. Widely seen as a possible Trump’s MAGA successor. (Net worth: Around $10 million.)
Andrew Harre/Bloomberg
6. Linda McMahon
Trump’s Education secretary nominee, she co-chairs Trump’s transition, and her pro-wrestling DNA (she co-founded the company that became WWE with husband Vince) pairs well with Trump. She runs the MAGA-inspired America First Policy Institute think tank. (Net worth: About $3 billion.
Susan Walsh/AP
7. Pam Bondi
Picked for attorney general hours after Matt Gaetz dropped out. A big-time Trump ally and former Florida attorney general, Bondi represented Trump in his first impeachment, signaling he wants a loyalist to helm the Justice Department.
Vincent Alban/Bloomberg
8. Scott Bessent
The hedge fund executive was picked for Treasury secretary, after advocating for Trump in interviews and advising him. He won the job after a bitter intra-MAGA fight, with Musk criticizing him as a “business-as-usual choice,” but has Wall Street’s approval.
Anthony Behar/Sipa
9. Donald Trump Jr.
Trump’s eldest describes his role as ensuring “bad actors are not getting into the administration,” and championed JD Vance for vice president. Rather than serving in a formal capacity, he’s joining a MAGA-leaning v.c. firm. (Net worth: $50 million).
John Lamparski/Getty Images
10. Jared Kushner
Trump’s son-in-law told Forbes he may advise Trump informally. He has advised Lutnick and could assist with Middle East diplomacy. (Net worth: Just under $1 billion.)
Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
11. Steve Witkoff
Trump’s close friend and golf partner will co-chair his inaugural committee and be his envoy to the Middle East. A real estate investor, Witkoff praised him at the Republican convention and testified at his civil fraud trial. (Net worth: At least $1 billion.)
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
12. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The controversial nominee for Health and Human Services secretary is a vaccine skeptic whose views alarm a lot of experts, and some think sexual abuse claims could doom him. He’s already had to apologize for comparing Trump fans to Nazis. (Net worth: about $15 million.)
Patrick T Fallon/Getty Images
13. Marco Rubio
Trump and his expected next secretary of state were bitter rivals for the 2016 GOP nomination, but Rubio quickly positioned himself as a Trump ally in the Senate. He’s an Iran and China hawk, though has said he plans to back “whatever the president’s policies are.” (Net worth: Over $1 million.)
Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg
14. Vivek Ramaswamy
Co-leading DOGE alongside Musk, the one-time 2024 GOP primary candidate and entrepreneur (net worth: $1.1 billion) spent time at Mar-A-Lago and joined Trump on a trip to the UFC.
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images
15. Tulsi Gabbard
Trump chose the Democrat-turned-Trump backer for director of national intelligence, and she has reportedly sat in on transition meetings. But she’s controversial for her supportive comments about Russia and meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Her nomination underscores Trump’s longstanding distrust for spy agencies.
EXILED
Tom Williams/Getty Images
🔴 Boris Epshteyn
A top adviser early in the transition, his stock has plummeted after Trump’s attorneys launched an investigation for his allegedly seeking payments from jobseekers, like Bessent, which Epshteyn denies. He also urged Trump to nominate Gaetz for attorney general, which imploded, and he and Musk have reportedly become rivals.
Others to Watch:
Marc Andreessen: A vc worth $1.9 billion, Andreessen made waves as an ex-Democrat donating to pro-Trump groups—among the first key Silicon Valley turncoats—and went to Mar-A-Lago on election night. The Musk friend has pushed Trump to embrace looser tech regulations.
Jeffrey Yass: The GOP megadonor—worth $49.6 billion—could be a key figure in the fight over TikTok, as his trading firm owns a stake in parent company ByteDance. Trump is now opposed to banning TikTok on national security grounds, a reversal from 2020.
Robert Lighthizer: Trump has reportedly weighed hiring his former trade representative as “trade czar,” making him a centerpiece in Trump’s controversial tariff plans.
David Sacks: Another Silicon Valley investor and Musk associate, Sacks talks up Trump on his widely listened-to “All In” podcast and spent election night at Mar-A-Lago.
Harold Hamm: The oil tycoon—worth $18.5 billion—reportedly raised money for Trump, and has been involved in the transition, pushing to undo Biden-era electric car credits.
Steve Schwarzman: The Blackstone co-founder—worth some $55 billion—backed Trump despite earlier reservations, and has reportedly advised Lutnick on the transition.
Kevin Warsh: Trump is reportedly mulling the former Federal Reserve board member for Fed chair after Jerome Powell’s term ends in 2026—though he wasn’t picked for Treasury secretary.
Timothy Mellon: This banking heir gave some $150 million to help elect Trump, more than anyone else. It’s not clear what role the reclusive former railroad exec could play. (His family is worth $14.1 billion.)
Miriam Adelson: The widow of Sheldon Adelson—worth $34.6 billion—is Trump’s third-biggest donor, behind only Mellon and Musk.
Charlie Kirk: The bombastic pro-Trump podcaster and Turning Point USA founder played a role in Trump’s get-out-the-vote efforts, and he’s grown more prominent since the election, Politico reports. He’s known for his close relationship with Donald Trump Jr.
Tucker Carlson: The former Fox News host has linked himself to Trump, speaking at his Madison Square Garden rally and hosting a show from Mar-A-Lago on election night.
Dana White: The UFC kingpin is a longtime friend of Trump’s, and the president-elect invited him to speak at Trump’s victory party on election night.
MORE FROM FORBES
ForbesHandicapping Trump’s Brain Trust: The New TrumpiverseBy John HyattForbesInside America’s Top Private Companies: From Cargill To Chick-Fil-A To Coca-Cola BeveragesBy Andrea MurphyForbesThe Inside Story Of Scott Bessent’s Ascent To Treasury Secretary NomineeBy John HyattForbes‘The Most Hated Guy On Wall Street’: The Unspoken Story Around Howard Lutnick, Trump’s Pick For Commerce SecretaryBy Dan AlexanderForbesImmigrant Tech Workers Scrambling To Secure Visas Ahead Of Trump’s InaugurationBy Amy Feldman