Trump: How to Get Rich

My parents, Fred and Mary, passed away in 1999 and 2000, respectively. The void they left will never be filled. But what each gave to me, by way of example, will remain with me every day of my life.

I love my family. They are very much my motivation. They always have been, and they always will be. Am I a rich man? Yes, very rich.

I also feel blessed to have some terrific friends and business associates.

Barbara Corcoranis a wonderful woman who did a tremendous job in creating the Corcoran Group. She then sold it for a substantial profit and has done well ever since. I will never be surprised by how well she does. A friend of mine recently sent me an article about Barbara in which she was asked about my influence on the residential market. She said, Donald Trump has had singularly the greatest possible influence on Manhattan luxury real estate, simply because it was his marketing chutzpah that changed the perception of living in Manhattan. It’s always nice to be complimented by pros, and Barbara is a total pro.

Another good friend is Mohamed Al Fayed, chairman of Harrods in Knightsbridge, London. Mohamed has gone through quite a rough time over the last several years—it was his son Dodie who was dating Princess Diana. To many of us, it looked like they would be getting married at some point in the not-too-distant future, until their lives ended in that tragic car crash in Paris. Mohamed is an extremely loyal father who has fought so hard for his son and the memory of him. I wish people understood him better. He is a truly good man.

Jack Welchis a particular favorite of mine. Now he’s writing a book, and I’m going to be the first on line to buy it. Few people, if any, have ever done a better job of running a corporation.

I always enjoy being with George Steinbrenner. Quite honestly, there’s no one like him, and he hasn’t been appreciated to the extent he should be. I remember the Yankees when they couldn’t win a game, when nobody went to Yankee Stadium, and the team was a total disaster. George puts a championship team on the field every year and does what it takes to win, whether people like him for it or not.

When we were taping The Apprentice, I told NBC that I would love to get George to give the candidates a lecture on winning. They looked at me and thought I was crazy, because the scene had to be shot that day and the World Series was beginning the following day. Knowing what a good friend George was, I was sure he would do it, and when I called him at Yankee Stadium he immediately picked up the phone and agreed. We were at Yankee Stadium thirty minutes later, and even the top people at NBC were impressed. The kids walked into this legendary office with its pictures of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and many other Yankee greats on the walls, and their eyes were wide open, as though they’d never seen anything like it before. George was incredibly nice. He sat with the kids for a long time, until I finally had to be the one to say, George, you’re busy as hell—let me get them out of here. He’s really a great guy. People will appreciate George Steinbrenner only when they no longer have him, and when the Yankees are wallowing in last place.

Another sports owner who is one of the great winners is Bob Kraft, who helped lead the New England Patriots to a second Super Bowl victory. I’ve gotten to know Bob over the last two years, and there is no finer gentleman. He and his wife, Myra, are totally unassuming. With his sons, Bob has methodically and brilliantly built a strong franchise in New England that was a total disaster before Kraft’s ascent.Tom Brady is the best quarterback in football. There are other quarterbacks with impressive stats, but when you need someone to throw four or five completions in the final minutes of a game, there is nobody better than Tom. With all of their upcoming draft choices and the great players they already have, this team is only going to get better over the next few years.

Two other terrific team owners are Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and Bob Tisch, owner of the New York Giants. Tisch has done so well in every capacity, whether it’s business or sports. He’s in his seventies, but he’s got the attitude of someone in his twenties, thirties, or forties.

Larry Silverstein,the developer of the new World Trade Center complex, is a good friend of mine, but I really hate what’s being designed for the site. It resembles a skeleton, and I can’t believe Larry really wanted to evoke that image. In actuality, Larry is being forced to do certain things that he would not do under normal circumstances, but he has to go with the flow. Nevertheless, I’m sure he’ll do a terrific job.

Finally, since Page Six often takes a few digs at people, here are mine: