Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent is an American investor and government official who has served as the 79th United States Secretary of the Treasury since January 2025, under President Donald Trump.

Bessent was born on 21 August 1962 in Conway, South Carolina, and graduated from Yale University in 1984 with a degree in political science. He joined Soros Fund Management in 1991 and was its chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015. In 2015 he founded the macro hedge fund Key Square Group. Trump announced his nomination on 22 November 2024, the Senate confirmed him on 27 January 2025 by 68 votes to 29, and he was sworn in the next day. He also served as acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service from 8 August 2025 to 6 March 2026.

Bessent is in the news because The New York Times reported on 10 November 2026 that he had moved out of his home and onto a military base after Iranian threats against his life. A Treasury spokesperson said he will not be deterred by the threats. Reuters described him as the face of Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran during the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on 28 February. The severity of the threats was not immediately clear.

Sources: Wikipedia, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Nation in Shorts report