Trump: How to Get Rich

I go over the invitations and requests of the day with Norma. I decide on an event given by Anna Wintour ofVogue magazine and leave the other decisions until later, when I can give them more time and consideration.

Charlie Reiss comes in and we go over current project developments in Chicago, Toronto, and London. Bernie Diamond and Jason Greenblatt, my terrific in-house attorneys, are in on the meeting as well. Contrary to what people may think, I listen to and take advice from a lot of people before I make a final decision on anything. I like to be as well informed as possible. However, when it comes to making a decision, I am aware that the full responsibility for that decision is, and will always remain, mine. That is why I proceed with caution, even if my image may be more flamboyant.

4:30 P.M. I have a meeting with Matthew Calamari, my chief of operations. He’s always a busy guy, but withThe Apprentice starting up soon, he’s busier than ever. I’m not concerned, because after knowing Matthew for more than twenty years, I am certain he can handle anything.

My son Eric stops by to say hello. He’s in college now but is visiting New York City for a couple of days. He sits in on my meeting with Matthew and then we chat for a bit. He’s got a great grin. I love it when my kids visit, and we decide to have dinner together tonight.

5:15 P.M. I write a welcome-back letter to the members of the Mar-a-Lago Club. We are finishing a new ballroom, and it will be magnificent. One visitor to the Mar-a-Lago Club remarked that F. Scott Fitzgerald and his friends would feel right at home there. I had to agree. I’m looking forward to the new season, and I fly down most weekends during the winter.

I return a few calls, including one to Larry King, one of the sharpest interviewers of all time; another to a reporter for the Star-Ledger in New Jersey; and one to a reporter doing a story on the wonderful and very smart Russell Simmons.

John Myers, the president and CEO of GE Asset Management, calls in. He’s a terrific guy in every sense of the word, and we are active together with the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation, along with Dale Frey, who preceded John at GE and likewise did an absolutely fantastic job. These are two guys worth knowing. Over the years, General Electric has been my partner in a number of my developments, including the very successful Trump International Hotel and Tower at 1 Central Park West.

6:00 P.M.  I call Melania to see where we should take Eric for dinner. We decide on the 21 Club.

Norma comes in and we review some details of my deals, invitations, letters, and media requests, including those from a surprising number of international television programs and publications. Last year I did an interview for the number one program in China, which drew a huge audience. These facts continue to surprise me, probably because I am so focused on my immediate and daily responsibilities. I never found myself to be particularly fascinating.

The phones have quieted down, so I decide to go through a box I keep beside my desk where I put articles and letters of interest to me. Sometimes I’ll keep certain articles for years if I like them. I also keep letters and quotes, such as Hope is not a strategy. I saved an invitation from a speech I gave to the Wharton Business School Club about the future of New York City. I am always honored to speak to Wharton students and alumni.

I find nice notes from Dr. Jerry Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers, one terrific guy; Ed Malloy, an old friend I call Blue Eyes; and Harrison Tucker LeFrak, the next generation in a remarkable real estate family. Richard LeFrak, the son of Sam LeFrak, has done an amazing job in the real estate business. Likewise, his son Harrison will be one of the really great young people to watch. I have no doubt he will go right to the top.

There’s a clipping from Liza Minnelli and David Gest’s wedding, which I was honored to attend, even though I didn’t think the marriage had a chance, and letters from John F. Kennedy Jr. and Howard Schultz of Starbucks, as well as one from Clint Eastwood, a great guy and golfer. He was my guest at Mar-a-Lago. He liked my course in Florida and wrote to tell me that.

I come across a fax from Roger Ailes of Fox Network News. What a job he’s done, taking them to heights they’d probably never dreamed of.

During the march toward war in Iraq, someone sent me this joke: You know the world has changed when you realize the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, and Germany doesn’t want to go to war.

A review to savor, from Rick Remsnyder upon the opening of Trump National Golf Course: Trump National’s par 3 thirteenth hole, which features a breathtaking 100-foot man-made waterfall behind the green, is one of the most challenging and spectacular holes in the world. Music to my ears.