New US ambassador, billionaire businessman Jared Novelly, takes up NZ post this week
Monday, 29 June 2026
US President Donald Trump’s new top diplomat in New Zealand, Jared Novelly, is poised to take up his Wellington post this week.
The US Senate confirmed Novelly as the next US ambassador to New Zealand and its realm countries (the Cook Islands and Niue), along with Samoa, last month.
The billionaire businessman will officially start his new role on Wednesday, after presenting his credentials to the Governor General in a formal ceremony in Wellington.
Novelly is expected to make brief remarks at an event celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America in the capital the following evening.
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The new ambassador is a Republican donor, the son of St Louis oil baron Paul 'Tony' Novelly and a property and sports investor, being a majority share owner of Australian basketball team the Illawarra Hawks.
He has lived and done business in the Oceania region for the last seven years, and holds a Masters of Property Development from the University of Technology Sydney and a BA from Saint Louis University in St Louis, Missouri.
Novelly told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 6 that the United States had “few better partners than New Zealand”.
“The government of New Zealand consistently supports our goals in the region and beyond. If confirmed, I will do everything in my power to take our relationship to new heights.”
He said his priorities in the role would be threefold: promoting a free and open Pacific, expanding the United States’ defence partnership with New Zealand and promoting opportunities for US businesses.
“Few countries understand the darkening security environment in the Pacific better than New Zealand. Last February, China conducted live fire exercises in the Tasman Sea. I was in the region at the time and it was very concerning. The exercises led to flight diversions and represented an example of alarming, even destabilising, behaviour in the Pacific.”
Along with highlighting China’s presence in the Pacific, Novelly credited Samoa for taking what he called “a prudent approach” to foreign debt.
He promised to push for more collaboration with the Cook Islands on developing seabed mineral resources.
“The Cook Islands’ [exclusive economic zone] contains possibly the largest cobalt deposits in the world, a key component in batteries and high strength alloys. A strong partnership with the Cook Islands means a strong supply chain of critical minerals, and this is good for all parties.“