Trump: How to Get Rich

11:30 A.M. I take a call from Sony; they’d asked me to be a sponsor for the 150th celebration of Central Park in July, featuring rising opera stars Salvatore Licitra and Marcello Alvarez. The event was a huge success, with many thousands of New Yorkers turning out to hear some magnificent singing on a perfect night under the stars in the park. On nights like that, you have to thank your own lucky stars just to be alive. We were all proud of how successful the evening was, and I was equally proud to be a sponsor.

Mike Donovan, my trusted pilot, calls in to update me on the checkup of my 727 jet. I have both a helicopter and a jet, and they get a workout throughout the year. With my schedule, they aren’t luxury items, but necessities. Turns out the jet will be ready in two weeks.

Norma comes in to go over the media requests of the morning thus far, which include two from Holland, three from Germany, two from Canada, one from France, one from England, and seven from the United States. Handling media requests alone can require negotiation skills, and we do our best to accommodate them.

11:45 A.M. I have a meeting with Charlie Reiss, Jill Cremer, Russell Flicker, and Don Jr.—my development team. We are busy with a building in Chicago, and Don Jr. has been working very effectively and in many capacities on Trump Park Avenue. We have a lot on our plates already at The Trump Organization, but, not being a complacent type, I know there are many opportunities out there and this team tends to that. They do a great job and have some interesting projects to brief me about.

12:30 P.M. I order lunch from our terrific new restaurant at the Trump Tower atrium, which is doing great business. Some of you may have seen the commercial I did for McDonald’s. I didn’t have to act—I like McDonald’s and am a loyal customer. Some days I have pizza, sometimes a ham and cheese, some days nothing, but I rarely go out for lunch. I still consider it an interruption in my workday. I review news clippings and articles during my lunch minute.

12:35 P.M. I speak to Bernd Lembcke, the director of the Mar-a-Lago Club. As you might remember, Mar-a-Lago was once my private home, and I restored it and turned it into a breathtaking private club. Anything that beautiful should be shared, and it has been an immense success. Bernd has tended to it, and I’ve been named to the Benefactors Board of Directors by the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. It’s nice to see painstaking work being noticed and rewarded. We discuss the upcoming season and the latest improvements to the grounds.

12:45 P.M. I walk down the hall to visit George Ross. George will always tell you the way it is, which I appreciate. His thoughts are sharp and insightful, and we have a longish conversation of, perhaps, three minutes. I am thinking about putting him on The Apprentice.

12:50 P.M. Back in my office, I take a call from Hugh Grant. I had a brief role, as myself, in his movie with Sandra Bullock,Two Weeks Notice. Hugh’s an avid golfer, and my course in Westchester is at his disposal whenever he’s in New York. He’s a nice guy on top of being a gifted actor. In fact, I’m glad he lives in another country—he’s got too much on the ball to have around all the time.

1:00 P.M. Norma comes in to go over the invitations to parties and openings, and for speeches. I don’t have much time available. I decide on a party at Le Cirque.

1:30 P.M. I put in a call to Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. This course is on the Pacific Ocean and has the potential to be better than Pebble Beach. Spectacular will be an understatement. It’s a gem, and we’re working hard on it. All is going well, but every detail is important and there are a lot of them to take care of.

2:30 P.M. I make a call to an expert on trees. I saw some beautiful ones and would like to have them on my golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. I ask a few questions and find out a lot. When I want to know something, I go for it, and only on rare occasions will I take a secondhand opinion. This tactic has served me well over the years—there’s nothing wrong with knowledge, whether it’s about trees or sinks.

3:00 P.M. Allen Weisselberg, my CFO, comes in for a meeting. He’s been with me for thirty years and keeps a handle on everything, which is not an easy job. He runs things beautifully. His team is tight and fast, and so are our meetings.

With Allen Weisselberg, my CFO.

3:30 P.M. I return the fourteen calls that came in during the meeting, which include those from lawyers, publishers, reporters, and friends. The only thing worse than having so many calls is not having any calls, so I’m not complaining.