Rex Tillerson: US Secretary of State 'did not want job' and only took top diplomat role to please wife

Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has revealed he did not want the top job and only took it because his wife said he should.

Mr Tillerson, the ex-boss of the world’s biggest oil company ExxonMobil, was sworn in as the USA’s top diplomat last month.

But the businessman has since revealed he initially did not want to take the role and had not even met the US president before he was invited to Trump Towers and offered the position.

In an interview with the Independent Journal Review, Mr Tillerson said: “I didn’t want this job. I didn’t seek this job.

“My wife told me I’m supposed to do this.”

The 64-year-old oil and gas chief said: “When he asked me at the end of that conversation to be secretary of state, I was stunned.

“I was supposed to retire in March, this month.

"I was going to go to the ranch to be with my grandkids.”

He said following the meeting in New York he returned to his home in Texas where his wife, Renda St Clair, reportedly waved her finger in his face and said to him: “I told you God’s not through with you.”

The father-of-four added: “My wife convinced me. She was right. I’m supposed to do this.”

Mr Tillerson made his name as the CEO of ExxonMobil after rising up through the ranks at the company.

Despite lacking experience in government, the businessman’s experience travelling the world and making big deals impressed President Trump.

In his career at the multi-national, which spanned four decades, Mr Tillerson spent time in Russia and became a personal friend of President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this week US officials said the secretary of state will miss a Nato meeting and instead attend a G7 meeting in Italy before travelling to Moscow to meet Russian leaders.