January 1, He Lost His Brother on 9/11—Now He’s Leading American Commerce

Wyatt’s Take

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick honored 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees killed on 9/11, including his own brother, in a powerful tribute 25 years later
• Lutnick’s financial firm lost nearly its entire workforce when terrorists struck the World Trade Center—yet he rebuilt and now serves America at the highest levels
• This is what real American resilience looks like: a man who survived unimaginable tragedy, honored his fallen colleagues, and went on to serve his country

Twenty-five years after the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick paid tribute to the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees who never came home. Among them was his own brother.

Lutnick’s financial services firm occupied floors 101-105 of the North Tower. When American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building, virtually the entire Cantor Fitzgerald workforce was trapped above the impact zone.

My brother Gary was kindest and most fun person I knew. Gary was happy in every photo.

Over the past 25 years, nearly every day there has been a moment when I’ve thought to myself, I wish Gary was here.

Gary was killed at the young age of 36 for being an American and going to… pic.twitter.com/7HGSQAfpD6

— Howard Lutnick (@howardlutnick) September 11, 2026

Doug Gardner is my best friend. He’ll always be my best friend.

We first met in college and were great friends ever since.

Our careers came together, we raised our families together, and we shared every major milestone in our lives.

Doug had a huge heart. He absolutely loved… pic.twitter.com/2NnHjyszsm

— Howard Lutnick (@howardlutnick) September 11, 2026

The loss was catastrophic—658 employees, nearly two-thirds of the company’s New York workforce, perished that day. For Lutnick, the tragedy was both professional and deeply personal.

His brother Gary was among those killed.

In the quarter-century since that dark September morning, Lutnick rebuilt his company and dedicated himself to honoring those who were lost. The firm has distributed over $180 million to families of victims and committed 25% of its profits for five years following the attacks to support them.

Now serving as Secretary of Commerce under President Trump, Lutnick continues to remember. His recent statements honoring the fallen employees remind Americans that 9/11 wasn’t just a national tragedy—it was made up of thousands of individual losses, families shattered, and futures stolen.

The Cantor Fitzgerald story is one of unimaginable grief transformed into perseverance. While the media often focuses on politicians and first responders when commemorating 9/11, the financial workers who died that day were everyday Americans just trying to earn a living.

They were brokers, traders, analysts, and assistants. They were brothers, sisters, parents, and friends. They showed up to work that Tuesday morning with no idea it would be their last day on earth.

Lutnick’s continued dedication to their memory—even as he serves in one of the nation’s highest offices—shows the kind of character that built America. He didn’t let tragedy define him, but he never forgot where he came from or who he lost.

Wyatt Matters

This is the America the elites don’t talk about—the one where working people show up every day, where loyalty means something, and where remembering the fallen isn’t a political photo op but a solemn duty. Lutnick could have walked away from it all after 9/11, but instead he rebuilt, he honored his people, and he kept serving. That’s the spirit that made this country great, and it’s the spirit we need to reclaim in every corner of American life.