"Anyone who thinks my story is anywhere near over is sadly mistaken."
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is not only one of the world's richest men, but one of its most recognizable. Add to that one of the most debonair, extravagant, and cocky. But, you'd be hard pressed not find a working man that doesn't admire him. Despite a privileged upbringing, he didn't inherit anything, and went on to fame and fortune, thanks to his business accomplishments (and his love life).
What makes Donald Trump truly remarkable is how he pulled off one of the most remarkable business turnarounds in history. After accumulating a multi-billion dollar fortune, he saw most of it wiped away under massive loan payments (his companies were reportedly carrying $8.8 billion in losses at their worst), only to regain it after making some very clever business moves.
The famous bachelor accumulated buildings, yachts, and properties like a kid acquires baseball cards. At his peak he had the Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza, Plaza Hotel, and a yacht allegedly worth $100 million. He's also the owner of the Miss Universe, Miss Teen USA and Miss USA beauty pageants.
He also has 4 books that have made the best-seller list. He connects with the common man. He lives the life many of us ideally seek. He is the poster boy for Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. He is... you get the point.
Is there little wonder then that he decided to flirt with the idea of running for President for the Reform Party? What else would you expect from a man as likely to appear on the cover of Business Week as on National Enquirer? One thing is for sure, "The Donald" makes for interesting press.
Donald Trump is a throwback to the Greedy '80s, a real life Gordon Gekko from the movie Wall Street (not the corporate raider part, but the charismatic, media-savvy part).
He is driven, arrogant, intelligent, and he understands the psychology of real estate speculation. He knows the power of branding, and makes sure his name is on his property, lest he miss an important opportunity to promote himself. He even licensed his name to a Seoul building for a cool $5 million.
His great talent as a businessman is turning bad real estate properties into gold mines (though he overpaid for some properties that resulted in his near complete downfall).
That talent is what made him rich, but there are a lot of rich people in the world, what made Trump stand out is his outspokenness, and his direct and honest (if misguided at times) public commentaries.
But Trump has a good heart, and is a regular contributor to charities. Our favorite story is about an unemployed auto mechanic who once helped Trump get his limo functioning again after it stalled on the highway. The man had no money, yet he didn't accept any payment for his services. Trump was duly impressed by his generosity, so the next day he sent flowers to the mechanic's wife, and a letter certifying that the man's mortgage had been paid off in full.
Trump is equally adept at speaking his mind, among his favorite targets are Bill Clinton. He has regularly criticized Bill Clinton for cheating on his wife with a woman as ugly as Monica Lewinsky. He even said that if Clinton had been caught with a slinky model instead of Monica Lewinsky, "he'd have been a hero." How can't you love the guy?
His appeal obviously doesn't have much to do with physical attractiveness, or his comb-over hair. In fact, some of his ex-girlfriends have gone public regarding his hair loss paranoia, as if it had a Samson effect on his success.
He never has a lack of beautiful women parading around. His propensity for dating models is well known, as are his high-profile divorces to Marla Maples and Ivana Trump. Though he could have a million single women at his doorstep, chances are if you don't look like a replica of Christy Turlington, you don't stand a chance.
Honestly, you are better off reading his biography, if you want to know what he has accomplished, because the list is enormous.
But here are two little factoids that let you know he has the reached the pinnacle of fame and fortune: he once owned a $100 million yacht that belonged to Saudi financier Adnan Khashoggi, and according to the Gallup Organization, 98% of Americans know who he is.
Even those who don't know much about Donald Trump can get a taste of his success on his hit reality series The Apprentice, on NBC.
Donald Trump is a player. A real player; a high-roller who can beat you at anything you throw at him. A day in his shoes would be the highlight of anyone's life. No one would hesitate to trade places with "The Donald" (not that Trump would let that happen of course). He isn't trendy or sleek, but in the business world, he is as cool as they come.
Trump has style and isn't afraid to drop a mini-fortune on a suit if he looks good. He is a billionaire and looks like one, and even with his fashion sense, he stands as a beacon to the ordinary man looking for the American Dream.
Donald John Trump was born June 14, 1946, in New York, NY. The third generation in a family of businessmen, Donald has his father, Fred Trump, to thank for his deal making and entrepreneurial skills.
Fred Trump was forced to help support his family due to his father's death early on. As a result, Fred started his own business and recognized the money to be made in real estate. Donald inherited the skill of recognizing a good deal when he saw it, since Donald would assist his father in his business ventures when he was still young.
After completing his education at a military academy, Trump headed out to study finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. With an innate eye for business, and the additional training he received in school and while working for his father, Trump knew what he wanted to do with his life, and whatever it was, he knew it would be big.
But big couldn't occur where he was raised -- in Queens -- so he packed up his belongings and moved to Manhattan on his own. His bank account and wallet were a far cry from the fortune he has today (he was practically broke), but that didn't stop him from becoming a member at an exclusive club in New York.
Trump used his negotiating skills and smarts to join the club, which was not open for "regular" folk -- on the condition that he kept his hands off the wives of other members (his womanizing skills must have been apparent early on). He didn't intend to play polo and sail in yachts as a member, rather he used his membership as a way to make contacts, and that he did.
Trump had transformed himself into one of the most powerful real-estate moguls of the '80s, with ownership of buildings such as Trump Tower on 5th Av., Trump Parc, the Plaza Hotel, and the New Jersey Generals. He also penetrated the casino business in Atlantic City and New Jersey, and transportation with the Trump Shuttle airline.
Even though he studied business, he often went against the basic principle behind economics: lower prices when there's competition. When Trump had competitors, not only did he not lower prices, but he also raised them. Despite his knack for making deals and recognizing a good investment when he saw one, Trump's billion-dollar empire crumbled in 1990, when he was forced into bankruptcy for over $2 billion bank loans that he couldn't pay.
Although he handed over most of his holdings to the creditor banks, he remarkably managed to bounce back by the end of the 1990s. He shared his story in the book, The Art of the Comeback, and has done more work in the publishing world as he has co-authored several books about none other than himself.
"The Donald," as he is nicknamed, has also ventured into television as the Executive Producer of Miss USA, and is presently the Producer of the Miss Universe pageant. He has also made countless cameo appearances as himself in shows such as Roseanne, Suddenly Susan, Spin City, The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and The Job, as well as films like Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Celebrity and 54.
Real estate, transportation, casinos, and entertainment weren't enough for "Trump Daddy": in 1999, he announced that he was considering running for President, as a Reform Party candidate in 2000. Incidentally, he revealed in The Art of the Comeback that he wouldn't have made a good President: he has trouble shaking others' hands as he is a germophobe, and worst of all, he is honest.
Honest or not, one thing's for sure: Trump is known as a womanizer, and his two failed marriages have been tabloid fodder for the past 2 decades. His marriage to Ivana Trump ended in 1990, but he has 4 children to show for it: 2 sons and daughter Ivanka, an up-and-coming model. Trump then wed Marla Maples in 1993. The couple had a daughter, Tiffany, and then divorced 6 years later.
He is always seen with different women in the tabloids, so it's hard to track his present romantic record.
Single or not, the father, mogul, and flamboyant figure has proved that whether you're on your way up or down, it pays to think big.
Thanks to the hit NBC reality series The Apprentice, in which 16 contestants vie for a position at one of Trump's corporations, The Donald can add another success to his Trump report card.
