Donald Trump's White House got quite the shake-up with the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director 10 days ago.

The move prompted press secretary Sean Spicer to allegedly give Mr Trump a "him or me" ultimatum.

We know how that turned out.

Then Mr Scaramucci let fly to New Yorker journalist Ryan Lizza about the then White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Mr Priebus was gone the following day.

But was that all for nothing? Because now Mr Scaramucci has been removed from the White House too.

So, who is this guy?

Like Mr Trump, he's New York born and bred

Mr Scaramucci grew up on Long Island in the shadow of New York City.

In a recent interview, he said that neither one of his parents went to college.

He shovelled snow and delivered newspapers as a child to make money.

He would go on to graduate from Harvard Law School.

"He has the New York style, the New York pace that the president likes and is used to," former Trump aide Barry Bennett said.

Like Mr Trump, he used to be a Democrat, and even helped raise money for former president Barack Obama.

He came from Wall Street, where he was known as 'the Mooch'

Mr Scaramucci joined the White House directly from a job on Wall Street, where he made a name for himself as a hedge fund manager who enjoyed appearing on television and rubbing elbows with celebrities like Mr Trump as he emerged as a prominent Republican donor.

Anthony Scaramucci receives the key to the city during the Skybridge Alternatives Conference in Las Vegas. ( Reuters: Steve Marcus )

Those who know him describe Mr Scaramucci as less a political operative than a quick-thinking New York operator who rewards friends with perks like performance tickets.

Mr Scaramucci worked for Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs and ultimately founded his own firm, SkyBridge Capital, which managed more than $US11 billion when it went up for sale late last year.

The firm also hosted a conference each year in Las Vegas that attracted financial leaders and celebrities like basketball legend Magic Johnson and the singer Jewel.

His path on Wall Street led him to a friendship with Mr Trump years ago.

He didn't have much political experience (still doesn't ...)

Mr Scaramucci was one of the least experienced White House communications directors in recent memory.

Sean Spicer quit in response to the hiring, objecting to what he considered Mr Scaramucci's lack of qualifications as well as the direction of the press operation, according to people familiar with the situation.

After becoming a Republican, he first served as a fundraising chairman for Scott Walker's short-lived campaign before moving on to Jeb Bush's bid.

He joined Mr Trump's campaign only after Mr Bush dropped out of the race.

Ms Sanders was previously the deputy press secretary under Mr Spicer. Mr Scaramucci will be communications director. ( AP: Andrew Harnik )

He was NOT a Trump fan, and he's got some interesting tweets

The sharp-tongued Mr Scaramucci used to be a vocal Trump critic.

And he had the platform as a regular guest on cable news to ensure his opinion was well known.

He called Mr Trump "another hack politician" who was "probably going to make Elizabeth Warren his vice-presidential nominee," while hosting Wall Street Week on Fox Business in 2015.

"You are an inherited-money dude from Queens County. Bring it, Donald," Mr Scaramucci said.

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Gun control advocates were happy to share Mr Scaramucci's past tweets in support of stronger gun laws (Mr Trump opposes tough gun laws).

He had some strong words for those who think climate change is a hoax (something Mr Trump has said).

Unlike Mr Trump, he probably wasn't looking to improve the relationship with Russia:

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Mr Scaramucci was asked whether Mr Trump was aware of his "hack" comment.

He joked to reporters that the President mentions it every 15 seconds and called it one of his "biggest mistakes".

He then looked into the cameras and said:

"Mr President, if you're listening, I personally apologise for the 50th time for saying that."

Just a day after originally accepting the communications director job, Mr Scaramucci announced he was deleting many of the old tweets, saying his views had evolved.

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None of that seems to matter now

Mr Scaramucci has now lost the communications director job.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said he did not have a position within the Trump administration.

The White House issued this statement:

Anthony Scaramucci will be leaving his role as White House communications director. Mr Scaramucci felt it was best to give chief of staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. We wish him all the best.

Like sands through the hourglass …

AP/ABC