The US Senate has confirmed Jared Novelly, a billionaire from a Missouri oil family, as ambassador to New Zealand—16 months after President Donald Trump announced the nomination on TruthSocial.
Novelly will assume the role within two months, bringing a portfolio of business interests that spans oil, property, and sports to Wellington's diplomatic scene, The Spinoff reports.
He's also embroiled in a messy fight over Australia's National Basketball League—which tells you something about how he operates.
The Novelly family's wealth comes primarily from the Missouri-based Apex Oil company, with Forbes estimating their net worth at roughly $1.4 billion in 2024. Since 2022, Novelly has been largely based in Australia, where he owns the Illawarra Hawks basketball team through his company Crest Sports and Entertainment.
That ownership has turned contentious. Last year, Novelly reportedly tried to remove Larry Kestelman as NBL owner, leading an effort by aggrieved team owners to challenge both the league and its ownership structure. The dispute remains ongoing—and it's the kind of brass-knuckles business approach that doesn't always play well in diplomatic circles.
During Senate hearings, Novelly pledged commitment to Trump administration foreign policies, emphasizing expanded defense partnerships with New Zealand while addressing what he called "alarming, even destabilising behaviour" by China in the Pacific region.
That's the language Washington wants its envoys using right now—but whether Novelly has the diplomatic chops to navigate New Zealand's independent foreign policy is another question entirely.
Wellington has carefully balanced its relationships with both Washington and Beijing, maintaining trade ties with China while participating in Five Eyes intelligence sharing. New Zealand doesn't jump when America says jump—and a heavy-handed approach from Novelly could backfire.
Notably, Novelly will become the inaugural US ambassador to both the Cook Islands and Niue—Pacific Island nations that Washington initially forgot to include in his nomination. That oversight and subsequent correction reflects the broader American awakening to Pacific geopolitics as China expands its influence.
Mate, there's a whole continent and a thousand islands down here. America's finally remembered they exist—and they've sent a billionaire oil heir to manage the relationship.
Whether that's the right call, we'll find out soon enough.
