Get to know Emil Michael: 1st candidate of Egyptian origin to hold the ministerial position in Trump’s administration

Egyptian-born American businessman Emil Michael – Photo via Emil’s official website

CAIRO – November 16, 2024: The team of US President Donald Trump is considering several options to appoint the Secretary of Transportation, including Egyptian-born American businessman Emil Michael, according to the New York Times.

Who is Emil Michael?

Emil Michael is an American businessman of Egyptian origin, born September 19, 1972 in Cairo.

He is known for being one of the most prominent leaders in technology and business, where he held senior positions in large companies such as Uber and Klout.

Michael was Senior Vice President of Business and Chief Business Officer at Uber and Chief Operating Officer of Klout.

Michael is a Coptic Christian who moved to the United States with his family in the early 1970s.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University, with honors, where he was active in journalism and student politics.

He then completed his legal studies at Stanford Law School, where he earned a Juris Doctorate with honors.

Michael began his career as a strategy consultant at Gemini Consulting’s Converging Markets Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he worked on developing strategies for companies.

After graduating from law school, he joined Goldman Sachs as a partner in the investment banking group, working on complex projects including mergers and acquisitions, equity financing and debt financing.

In 1999 he joined the startup Tellme Networks, where he was part of the management for nine years.

For nine years, from June 1999 to 2008, Michael was part of the executive team at Internet telephony startup Tellme Networks, which was a forerunner of speech recognition technology.

The company was later acquired by Microsoft in a deal worth $800 million.

In 2012, he joined Klout as COO and, as a member of the board, played a key role in the company’s growth until it was sold to Lithium for $200 million in 2014.

In September 2013, Michael joined Uber as Senior Vice President, serving as CEO Travis Kalanick’s right-hand man.

He played a central role in raising about $15 billion in funding and helped make Uber the world’s most valuable private company by 2018.

In 2021, Michael co-funded Checkstop, an AI-powered content moderator for digital platforms. He was also considered for the position of Secretary of Transportation in the Trump administration, reflecting his status as one of the most prominent figures in business.

During the Obama administration, Michael served as a special assistant to US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, where he was involved in sensitive assignments that included work in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In August 2019, it was revealed that the Trump administration was considering Michael for the position of Secretary of Transportation while Trump was forming his cabinet; in early 2016, Elaine Chao ended up taking the position.