Kevin Warsh went from selling racetrack pencils to Trump’s new Fed chair pick. His advice for Gen Z: Merit is the ultimate currency in the workplace

Even as the job market feels frozen for many Americans, one man is on the verge of landing one of the most powerful roles in the global economy—and it comes with a $250,000 salary and a soon-to-be shiny headquarters.

Kevin Warsh is President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, replacing Jerome Powell when his term expires May 15. While he still faces a complicated Senate confirmation before securing the job, Warsh’s early lessons in leadership came from an unlikely first job: a horse track.