As he creates an administration in his own image, perhaps no category is more natural for the author of “The Art of the Deal” than the dealmakers.

Mr. Trump, who puts a premium on the ability to negotiate in business and finance, has chosen Wilbur Ross, a billionaire investor, to lead the Commerce Department; Steven Mnuchin of Goldman Sachs to lead the Treasury Department; and Rex W. Tillerson, the chairman of Exxon Mobil, who has a longtime relationship with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, to be secretary of state.

“To me, a great advantage is he knows many of the players, and he knows them well,” Mr. Trump said last week during an interview about Mr. Tillerson on “Fox News Sunday.” “He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company — not for himself — for the company.”

Mr. Mnuchin made a fortune through financial deals and now becomes the nation’s top financial official. Mr. Ross, a “vulture” investor on Wall Street, bought nearly dead companies and made huge profits when his turnaround strategies worked.