Blake Gottesman

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Blake Gottesman

Blake Gottesman (born 1980) was the personal aide and body man to President George W. Bush until 2006. His work for Bush began during Bush's presidential campaign in 1999.

Gottesman was educated at St. Andrews Episcopal School and Stephen F. Austin High School, both in Austin, Texas; during this time he dated Jenna Bush when the President owned the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball team. Gottesman attended Claremont McKenna College for one year.

He worked as a junior aide to then-White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card at the beginning of Bush's presidential term, and became Bush's full-time personal aide in February 2002. Gottesman was responsible for managing the President's day-to-day activities, and travelled with Bush to functions and on overseas trips. In a 2006 Time article on Gottesman, he was said to understand Bush's moods and tendencies better than most of his other advisors, leading many to have discussions with him on issues before presenting them to the President.^[1]

He has previously said he plans to finish college and attend business school after he finishes working at the White House. He will be leaving his current position in summer 2006 to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree at Harvard Business School,^[2] albeit without graduating from college. His admission to the school despite not having received an undergraduate degree was criticized by some media commentators.^[3]

When compared to fictional presidential aide Charlie Young from TV's The West Wing, Gottesman has been quoted as saying, "Our jobs are probably pretty similar".^[4]

Gottesman is Jewish.^[5] His father is Sanford L. Gottesman, president of The Gottesman Company, a real estate development company based in Austin, Texas^[6], and board member of OPIC.