Trump: How to Get Rich

I take a call from the concrete contractors, who have completely screwed up and are trying to tell me they haven’t screwed up. Everything they’ve done is a mess. So instead of having the nice conversation they expected, I tell it to them the way it is—that they’ve made a mess of everything and they’d better get it right. The amazing thing is that they act like they know what they’re doing. When people hear me yelling, believe me, there’s a reason why.

4:30 P.M. I go to the conference room for a photo session with Platon, a young and very accomplished photographer. The photos are for Forbes magazine. He is fast and efficient, very much like Richard Avedon was when I did a shoot with him last year. I look forward to seeing the prints.

5:00 P.M. I return the seven calls received during the shoot, including one to my sister, Maryanne. She’s still a judge and as wise as ever, and she has just returned from a trip to Rome.

5:30 P.M. Norma comes in to go over more invitations and media requests, and I read a few letters. There’s one from a nine-year-old boy in Minnesota who has a business proposal for me. After describing his business idea, he makes me a very tempting offer: And what’s in it for you, Mr. Trump? A chance for you to make millions, just by becoming my partner! He also adds that I can call him anytime, as long as it’s before 9:00 P.M. I’ll keep that in mind.

6:00 P.M. I decide to return to my apartment upstairs, where I make more calls, until 7:30 or so. At 8:00 P.M ., Melania and I meet Joy and Regis at Jean-Georges Restaurant for a perfect meal.

At the Mar-a-Lago Club with Joy and Regis Philbin.

TUESDAY

8:30 A.M. I arrive at the office. I read between five and seven newspapers every morning before I get into the office. One thing I enjoy doing is clipping articles of interest, whether they’re about me or not; then I either save or distribute them. I also receive between ten and twelve magazines a day, which I review in my apartment at the end of the day. Keeping up on things worldwide is of great importance if one is to keep the big picture in mind. Yes, I’m a New Yorker, but there’s a big world out there and I try to stay informed about it. If you see the entire planet as an emerging market—which it is—you’ll discover that you’ve got a lot of homework to do every day. It’s not an indulgence, but an absolute necessity. So I spend the next fifteen minutes of relative quiet assessing world developments. Call it multitasking, call it whatever you will, it works and it focuses me for the day ahead.

8:45 A.M. I take a call from the guy trying to jack up the prices on the fixtures for a new building. Doesn’t he know I know the market prices for everything I’m doing? These jerks think I don’t do my homework—that’s what it boils down to. Which means they’re all in for a big surprise, and if I have to yell to get my point across, that’s what I do.

9:00 A.M. I ask Rhona to call Bob Wright, the chairman and CEO of NBC. In addition to being a great admirer of his business acumen, I am friends with Bob and his wonderful wife, Suzanne. We’ve done some deals together, and in the seventeen years since he went from General Electric to NBC, the network has seen enormous improvements in quality control as well as growth in the right directions. Bob takes my call and we chat about a lot of things. Have you ever noticed that some people have a knack for enlightened conversation? Bob is one of those people. He’s never been boring for one second of his life. I’m glad he takes the time to talk to me, and, considering his schedule, it’s a good sign that maybe I don’t bore him either.

Norma comes in to remind me that I have a Police Athletic League Board of Directors meeting next week. I am active with the Police Athletic League and have been for many years. They do a great job in New York and benefit many people and neighborhoods.

9:15 A.M. I take a call from Alfons Schmidt, who is someone I hold in very high esteem, not just because he’s a great golfer and businessman, but because he’s a remarkable person. Those who know him will agree with me. We’ll meet on Friday for a round of golf at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor. It’s a high for me to play on the course with someone like Alfons. We’ll be joined by former president Bill Clinton as well, who is a member. He lives nearby and likes the course, and we welcome him at any time. He’s managed to become a good golfer, and, considering the schedule he had for so many years, that’s saying something. If he keeps up this rate of improvement, he’ll get really good very fast. Joining us will also be David Granger, the editor in chief of Esquire, a dapper guy on and off the golf course. It’s a rare occasion that I take an afternoon off, but considering the company I’ll be in, it will be worth it.

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