Egyptian-born American Businessman Emil Michael - Photo via Emil's official website
CAIRO - 16 November 2024: The team of US President-elect Donald Trump is considering several options to appoint the Secretary of Transportation, including the 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 on September 19, 1972 in Cairo.
He is known to be one of the most prominent leaders in the field of technology and business, where he held senior positions in major companies such as Uber and Klout.
Michael was the Senior Vice President of Business and Chief Business Officer at Uber, and the Chief Operating Officer of Klout.
Michael is a Coptic Christian, who moved to the United States with his family in the early 1970s.
He obtained a bachelor's degree in government from Harvard University with distinction, where he was active in journalism and student politics.
He then completed his legal studies at Stanford Law School, where he obtained a doctorate in law with honors.
Michael started his career as a strategy consultant at Gemini Consulting's Converging Markets Laboratory in Cambridge, Massacusetts, 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, where he worked 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 executive team for nine years.
For nine years, starting from June 1999 until 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 of directors, he 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 pivotal role in raising around $15 billion in funding, helping turn Uber into 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.
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