Donald Trump built his billion-dollar empire by starting with dealings in real estate and moving on to the casino business . Trump made millions from his Atlantic City casinos, “Atlantic City fueled a lot of growth for me,” he told The New York Times in a 2016 interview. “The money I took out of there was incredible.” However, Trump is seen deftly sidestepping the topic of his wealth with a joke in an unearthed 1986–1987 interview with the renowned talk show host David Letterman while promoting his book – The Art of the Deal .
Letterman quizzed the real estate tycoon in the video on how much money he would get if he were to sell everything. “How big would that check be that you put in your pocket when you headed west for the trailer?” the host asked. “Well, I hate to disappoint, but I have zero idea, David,” Trump replied with a grin then quickly changed the subject. “How come this seat is at such a low level? You know, I’m looking at him. He’s got this stage rigged, folks,” he said candidly.
“That seat is a good half, six inches higher than my seat,” Trump continued. “And so am I,” Letterman regaled in the moment. The TV host added, “But no, I’m serious. I’m not going to get you over that subject. No, I think this is the kind of thing that people love to fantasize about, because you are unquestionably one of the most successful men in the country, if not the world, and also one of the wealthiest .” Letterman continued to inquire with curiosity, “So give us a figure that we might ponder here.” But Trump refused to give a clear answer, “You’ll never get it out of me, David. You’ll never get it out of me.”
According to The Week , at the age of 25, he spearheaded a bold initiative in 1971 to build a Grand Hyatt in place of a dilapidated hotel close to Grand Central Terminal. His father had a key role in the transaction by lending him $1 million, guaranteeing bank loans of $70 million, and using his political connections to assist his son in constructing the property. The development, which was finished in 1980, brought Trump millions and made him an established figure in Manhattan real estate . “I had to prove — to the real estate community, to the press, to my father — that I could deliver the goods,” he wrote in his 1987 book The Art of the Deal .
Donald Trump’s $6.4 billion net worth means that he is, for the first time, one of the world’s 500 richest people https://t.co/fqeMhGyzRO
— Bloomberg (@business) March 25, 2024
The lucrative Grand Hyatt deal allowed him to invest in the 58-story Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, which happens to be his business seat to date. By purchasing two casinos in Atlantic City, Trump expanded his company. In 1984 and 1985, respectively, the Trump Plaza and Trump Castle were successful endeavors. However, from 1991 to 2009 Trump’s booming casino business failed and he filed for bankruptcy several times. The future president later invested in reality TV, beauty pageants, and real estate to bring back his former glory. The actual worth of Trump’s legacy remains still unknown, however, according to Forbes the President-elect’s current net worth is a whopping $5.6 billion.