John C. Phelan
Official portrait, 2025
79th United States Secretary of the Navy
In office
March 25, 2025 – April 22, 2026
President Donald Trump
Deputy Hung Cao
Preceded by Carlos Del Toro
Succeeded by Hung Cao (acting)
Personal details
Born 1964 (age 61–62)
Party Republican
Children 1
Education Southern Methodist University (BA)
Harvard University (MBA)
Signature Cursive signature of John C. Phelan
For other people named John Phelan, see John Phelan (disambiguation).

John Cartwright Phelan[1] (born 1964) is an American businessman and political donor who served as the United States secretary of the Navy from 2025 to 2026. Phelan worked for several firms during his career in finance before co-founding MSD Capital. He then founded Rugger Management. He helped fundraising for Donald Trump's presidential campaigns before being appointed as Secretary of the Navy.

Early life and education

John Cartwright Phelan[2] was born in 1964.[3]

Phelan earned a bachelor's degree in economics and political science, with distinction from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in 1986.[4][3] While he was an undergraduate, he took economics and international relations curriculum at the London School of Economics.[5] He went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School, in 1990.[5][3]

Career

Business

Phelan worked as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs,[when?] and then in acquisitions in the Zell-Merrill Lynch Real Estate Opportunity Funds.[when?][citation needed] He was then a principal for seven years at ESL Partners responsible for Special Situation and Distressed Investments.[6][better source needed][4][better source needed]

In 1998 Phelan became the co-founding partner and chief investment officer of MSD Capital, a private investment company established to manage the capital of Michael Dell.[5][3]

In 2022,[4] Phelan resigned as CEO of MSD and founded Rugger Management LLC, a private investment company based in Palm Beach, Florida.[3][7]

Fundraising

The Phelans regularly host fundraising events at their homes in Palm Beach and Aspen. In 2022, they hosted a fundraiser for amfAR, a foundation for AIDS research, that raised $5.3 million.[8]

In August 2024, the Phelans hosted a private fundraising dinner for then-former president Donald Trump, who was seeking a second term in office; the guests, who included Steve Wynn, Thomas Peterffy, Greg Abbott, Byron Donalds, Lauren Boebert and Cory Gardner, donated between $25,000 and $500,000 apiece.[9]

FEC records show that in 2024, a "'John W. Phelan'[sic.] of MSD Capital in Palm Beach donated $834,600 to Trump’s joint fundraising committee..." and that earlier, a "'John C. Phelan'" of MSD Capital in Palm Beach donated $93,300".[3]

Secretary of the Navy

On November 27, 2024, president-elect Trump announced Phelan as his nominee-to-be for United States Secretary of the Navy.[10] Some defense experts noted his lack of experience with the Navy, the military, national-security policy, and the defense industry.[11] "Not all service secretaries come into the office with prior military experience, but he'd be the first in the Navy since 2006," the Associated Press reported.[11]

Phelan testified before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services on February 27, 2025.[12] He was confirmed with bipartisan support by a vote of 62–30 on March 24, 2025,[13] and sworn in as the 79th Secretary of the Navy the next day.[14]

On April 21, 2026, Phelan presented on use of artificial intelligence by the United States Department of Defense and achieving recruiting targets.[15]

On April 22, 2026, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Phelan to resign or be fired.[16] Phelan declined to resign and was consequently fired. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell issued a statement saying that Phelan was departing immediately. Phelan was succeeded by Hung Cao, current Under Secretary of the Navy, as the Acting Secretary of the Navy.[17] Phelan had promoted the Trump-class battleship, which Hegseth saw as a distraction from his strategy of smaller, uncrewed ships which increased animosity between the two. Phelan had a closer relationship with Trump than Pentagon leaders expected. Hegseth had already fired Jon Harrison, Phelan's chief of staff, in October 2025.[15]

Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

Passenger manifests released as part of the Epstein files indicate that Phelan flew twice on the plane of Jeffrey Epstein several months before Epstein's first arrest on sex charges[18]. The first flight took place on February 27, 2006, from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London Luton Airport.[19] The manifest for the second flight, from London to New York on March 3, 2006, indicates that Phelan flew with 12 other passengers, including Epstein, modeling agent and Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel, and six people whose names are redacted on the version of the manifest released in October 2025 by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.[20][21][22]

Personal life

In 2000, Phelan met his future wife Amy on a blind date.[8] A former cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys, Amy was working as a management services and systems engineering consultant in Dallas.[8][3][23] They have a daughter who is a New York City–based artist and socialite.[24]

John and Amy Phelan have a home in Aspen, Colorado, valued at $38 million, where they display part of their art collection.[23][9] They also have a home in Palm Beach, FL worth over $100 million which contains more of their art collection, including works by Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning.[8] They also have an apartment on Park Avenue in New York City.[23]

References

  1. ^ SMU Staff & Phelan, John (October 9, 2022). "SMU Honors 2022 Distinguished Alumni, Emerging Leader" (Press release). Southern Methodist University. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  2. ^ SMU Staff & Phelan, John (October 9, 2022). "SMU Honors 2022 Distinguished Alumni, Emerging Leader" (Press release). Southern Methodist University. Retrieved June 23, 2025.[independent source needed]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Bridges, C. A. "Trump names Florida businessman for secretary of the Navy. Who is John Phelan?". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on August 30, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c SMU Staff & Phelan, John (2022). "Recipients—2022—John Phelan '86". Southern Methodist University News (SMU.edu). Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c LSE Staff, and Phelan, John (January 21, 2025). "Introducing John Phelan". London School of Economics. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Phelan, John & GRI Staff (April 23, 2026). "John Phelan / Co-Founder & Co-Managing Partner, MSD Capital" (member autobiography). GRI Institute (GRIInstitute.org). New York, NY: GRI Institute. Retrieved April 23, 2026.[better source needed]
  7. ^ TME Staff (November 27, 2024). "Trump Picks Investment Manager John Phelan as Next Navy Secretary". The Maritime Executive (maritime-executive.com). Archived from the original on April 30, 2025. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d Martel, Judy (November 1, 2022). "Amy Phelan's Wonderful, Art-Filled World". Palm Beach Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Smith, David (October 4, 2024). "Donald Trump's Foul-Mouthed Migrant Rant Captured in Private Pitch to Donors". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Chan, Melissa (November 27, 2024). "Trump Picks John Phelan, a Businessman With No Military Experience, to be Secretary of the Navy". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Copp, Tara (November 27, 2024). "Trump turns to outsider to shake up Navy, but his lack of military experience raises concerns". AP News. Archived from the original on April 16, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  12. ^ To Consider the Nomination of Mr. John C. Phelan to be Secretary of the Navy (PDF) (Report). Committee on Armed Services. February 27, 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  13. ^ "SASC Advances Nominations of Feinberg for Deputy Secretary of Defense, Phelan for Secretary of the Navy". Committee on Armed Services. March 11, 2025.
  14. ^ "Honorable John Phelan Sworn in as 79th Secretary of the Navy at National Archives". United States Navy. March 25, 2025. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Detsch, Jack; McLeary, Paul; Lippman, Daniel; O'Brien, Connor (April 22, 2026). "Navy secretary is out amid Pentagon infighting". Politico. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  16. ^ Britzky, Haley; Cohen, Zachary; Bertrand, Natasha (April 22, 2026). "US Navy Secretary Phelan ousted as naval blockade of Iran continues". CNN. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  17. ^ Seligman, Lara; Weisgerber, Marcus; Ward, Alexander (April 22, 2026). "Pete Hegseth Fires Navy Secretary John Phelan". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  18. ^ Keller, Larry (October 2, 2019) [July 25, 2006]. "Indictment: Billionaire Solicited 3 Times". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  19. ^ Lamothe, Dan (February 7, 2026). "John Phelan, Trump's Navy secretary, Listed in Epstein Flight Logs". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  20. ^ "JEGE, Inc. Passenger Manifest". United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. March 3, 2006. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  21. ^ "Oversight Committee Releases Acosta Transcript". United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  22. ^ Britzky, Haley (February 6, 2026). "Exclusive: Navy secretary John Phelan listed as passenger on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane in 2006 | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  23. ^ a b c Schrader, Adam (December 2, 2024). "Trump's Pick to Lead the Navy Has No Military Experience—But He Does Have a Great Art Collection". Artnet News. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  24. ^ Vales, Ariadne (April 12, 2019). "Over the Moon with Makenzie Moon Phelan". The Extravagant. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
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