**Trump Offers Treasury Secretary Role to Billionaire Scott Bessent**

President-elect Donald Trump has extended an offer to billionaire Scott Bessent to become the next Treasury secretary, according to sources familiar with the development. Bessent, who is 62, played a crucial role in advising Trump on economic policies during the campaign and is the founder of the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management. His notable financial career includes a tenure as chief investment officer at Soros Fund Management, where he gained recognition for strategic bets against the British pound and Japanese yen, securing billions in profits for the firm.

Following Trump's victory in the presidential election, the US dollar has surged, reaching a peak not seen in a year. Bessent interpreted this upward trend as an international vote of confidence in US leadership and the dollar's status as the world’s reserve currency. He articulated these views in an opinion article for The Wall Street Journal on November 10, highlighting how these financial rallies indicate investors' optimism about the anticipated economic growth under Trump’s policies.

Bessent, however, did not address the subject of tariffs in his opinion piece, despite Trump's campaign promises to impose significant tariffs on goods imported from China and other countries. Trump had proposed 60% tariffs on Chinese goods and 10% tariffs on imports from other nations. Bessent has expressed support for a more measured approach to tariffs in recent discussions with the Financial Times and CNBC, emphasizing the need to manage potential inflationary effects that such measures could trigger.

This approach signals a possible divergence from Trump’s hardline stance on tariffs, suggesting a focus on fostering sustainable economic growth without provoking inflation.