The contest for the most talked about role in Donald Trump's administration has reportedly ended. The president-elect Donald Trump has chosen Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, according to NBC News' Andrea Mitchell.

BREAKING: Sources tell @mitchellreports Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson will be Secretary of State. @NBCNightlyNews — Ilyas Kirmani (@IlyasKirmani) December 10, 2016

After Rudy Giuliani withdrew from the race, the frontrunners for secretary of state - other than Tillerson - were Mitt Romney and former UN ambassador John Bolton.

Tillerson became president of Exxon in 2004 and, as many media outlets are pointing out, he has a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump is expected to make Tillerson's appointment official in an announcement next week.