How Much is Donald Trump Really Worth?

By Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

According to Wall Street Journal’s Alex Frangos, this is “one of the great mysteries of the business world”.

The real-estate developer, casino magnate and television mogul has boasted his net worth to be in the billions!

His response to author Timothy O’Brien’s estimation of Trump’s fortunes sputtering only around a pathetic $150 to $250 million?

See you in court!

Seriously, Trump is suing the guy.

Mr. Trump said Sunday that Mr. O’Brien, author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald,” will “wish he never heard of that God damn book” and predicted that “the publishing company will pay me hundreds of millions of dollars” as a result of the suit.

According to Trump, it goes something like this…

When he claims he’s worth over $4 billion dollars, he’s just being “conservative”.

$5 or $ 6 billion is more like it.

That’s $6 billion, with his “brand recognition” and $5 billion without it.

To Donald Trump, his brand and reputation alone is worth $1 billion dollars!

How can that be?

Trump is in the business of licensing his name to other entrepreneurs and investors for a share in the resulting profits.

So his name or his “brand” does indeed have a price tag.

“I’m not different from a politician running for office.”- Donald Trump

Of course the question posed in public debate and now in a New Jersey courtroom is:

Does Trump ever exaggerate when it comes to the size of his wallet?

“I think everybody does…who wouldn’t?” – Donald Trump.

In 2004-2005, Trump told banking and casino authorities he was worth $3.6 billion.

During that same period, Deutsche Bank estimated he was worth $788 million.

Again, in 2005, Trump lambasted another writer for reporting that Trump had only a “small interest” in a $1.5 billion dollar Manhattan real estate project when according to Trump, he had a %50 stake.

Yet according to legal reports, on paper, Trump only owned %30 of the project, the rest being owned by a Hong Kong investment group.

Trump’s explanation for this discrepancy is: when you consider his management contract and the fact he didn’t have to put any cash on the table to buy in, 30 percent is really 50 percent!

Is that how Trump values all his stuff?

Is he right?

We’re guessing that’s what lawyers will be slugging out in Trump vs. O’Brien and Publisher.

“My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feeling…” – Donald Trump.

Miss America

So what’s Trump been up to lately other then crowning Ms. America and suing the pants off reporters?

“We have a lot of cash right now. We’re starting to buy things,” he said while taking a break from playing golf at a Trump course in Bedminster, N.J.

As far as we’re concerned at Models And Moguls, “The Donald” holds ultimate mogul status.

Instead of trying to guesstimate the depth of his pocket, aspiring Moguls should be taking notes on how he angles press, even controversy, to build and maintain his brand, which regardless of precise dollar amount, is still a fortune.

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