--- description: Tilman Fertitta, Trump’s ambassador to Italy, is promoting his latest superyacht trip as an official America 250 celebration of his Embassy title: A Billionaire Trump Ambassador’s Idea of Diplomacy: Setting Sail on His Own Yacht image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6ceea736015663c/6a31c7bc4240c6f4ae5bd46e/GettyImages-2241984351.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [The D.C. Brief](/tag/the-dc-brief/) ## The D.C. Brief Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Billionaire Trump Ambassador’s Idea of Diplomacy: Setting Sail on His Own Yacht  by [Philip Elliott](/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Updated: Jun 17, 2026 1:50 PM CUTPublished: Jun 16, 2026 10:23 PM CUT  Tilman Fertitta, seen here with Lauren Fertitta at a Vanity Fair event in Rome on October 18, 2025, was selected by President Donald Trump to be the U.S. Ambassador to Italy. Tilman Fertitta, seen here with Lauren Fertitta at a Vanity Fair event in Rome on October 18, 2025, was selected by President Donald Trump to be the U.S. Ambassador to Italy.Daniele Venturelli—WireImage via Getty IMges  by [Philip Elliott](/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Updated: Jun 17, 2026 1:50 PM CUTPublished: Jun 16, 2026 10:23 PM CUT  ### The DC Brief Twice A Week Making sense of what matters most in Washington. Sign Up By signing up you are agreeing to our [Terms of Service](https://legal.time.com/terms-of-service/) and [Privacy Policy](https://legal.time.com/us-privacy-policy/). As U.S. Embassies around the world kick off events to [commemorate](https://time.com/article/2026/06/15/trump-rally-america-250-anniversary-celebrations/ "undefined") America’s [250th birthday](https://time.com/collection/our-america-250/2026/ "undefined"), President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Italy is promoting his travels on his personal superyacht as an official celebration of his Embassy. “In celebration of 250 years of American freedom, I'll be sailing Italy's coastline—meeting incredible people, exploring the places that shaped history, and honoring my own Italian roots in Cefalù,” Tilman Fertitta [announced](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZkkskqMlEH/ "undefined") in a video posted on the U.S. Embassy to Italy’s social media. “And of course, we're stopping in Genoa, home of Christopher Columbus, the man who connected our two worlds.” Branding the trip “Coastal Diplomacy,” Fertitta set off on Sunday from Civitavecchia, about 60 miles north of Rome, for what is to be a 13-region tour around Italy aboard his [384-foot](https://www.papercitymag.com/culture/tilman-fertittas-new-superyacht-hits-water-boardwalk-billionaire-ambassador/#678751 "undefined") yacht, _Boardwalk._ A spokeswoman for the Embassy tells TIME the Ambassador is paying for the trip out of his own pocket. Fertitta’s owns Landry’s Inc., whose holdings includes Morton’s The Steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and The Palm. In 2017, he prevailed in a bid to own the Houston Rockets in a sale that attracted Beyonce’s attention. He recently announced a [$5.7 billion deal](https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/with-caesars-deal-tilman-fertitta-doubles-down-on-vegas-comeback-8bcfc549 "undefined") to buy Caesars Entertainment, and its dozens of casinos. Fertitta’s ambassadorship didn’t raise many eyebrows in Washington, where it is a tradition for deep-pocketed friends of Presidents to be rewarded with plum gigs in foreign capitals. Feritta, who gave $1 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign through various entities, drew just [14](https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll%5Fcall%5Fvotes/vote1191/vote%5F119%5F1%5F00221.htm "undefined") no votes when the Senate confirmed him last April. Since he took on the position last year, Fertitta has kept his personal yacht—which sports a wine cellar, gym, sky lounge, and full-sized pool—docked north of Rome. He lived onboard it for the first month of his service, and reportedly commuted by helicopter while the official residence of the Ambassador underwent renovations. (He [paid](https://luxurylaunches.com/transport/tilman-fertitta-uses-superyacht-as-residence-08022025.php "undefined") for the upgrades, the Embassy said at the time.) U.S. Ambassadors to wealthier nations are often expected to [pony up](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2012/12/29/why-our-ambassadors-need-to-be-rich/ "undefined") personal cash to handle major projects, as well as show a talent for soliciting cash from corporations who want to be seen as supporting U.S. diplomacy or the current Administration in particular. It’s not uncommon to see corporate branding at embassy events, including foreign embassies here in Washington. In fact, some U.S. Ambassadors have been seen in recent months actively [going](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/15/business/trump-july-fourth-singapore-japan.html "undefined") around hat-in-hand to raise, in some cases, tens of millions of dollars for the Administration’s Fourth of July-centered celebrations. Still, a superyacht tour of Italy’s coast to mark the United States’ 250th birthday is far from your typical Embassy commemoration, though it may make more sense in an Administration where bigger is almost always viewed as better. In Washington, D.C., the Administration’s July 4 spectacle is aiming to set a [world record](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/05/22/record-breaking-860000-fireworks-planned-trumps-july-fourth-show/ "undefined") for largest fireworks display, with 50 times the number of shells D.C. usually launches for the celebration. 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