Wednesday 30 April 2014

The Holy Spirit Is Your Best Friend

The Holy Spirit Is Your Best Friend

The Holy Spirit Is Your Best Friend

 

The Holy Spirit Is Your Best Friend

 

Christianity



A depiction of the Trinity consisting of God the Holy Spirit along with God the Father and God the Son (Jesus)
For the large majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost, from Old English gast, "spirit") is the third divine person of the Trinity: the "Triune God" manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each person itself being God.[3][4][5]

Judaism


The Hebrew language phrase ruach ha-kodesh (Hebrew: רוח הקודש, "holy spirit" also transliterated ruaḥ ha-qodesh) is a term used in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and Jewish writings to refer to the Spirit of YHWH (רוח יהוה). It literally means "the spirit of holiness" or "the spirit of the holy place". The Hebrew terms ruaḥ qodshəka, "thy holy spirit" (רוּחַ קָדְשְׁךָ), and ruaḥ qodshō, "his holy spirit" (רוּחַ קָדְשׁ֑וֹ) also occur (when a possessive suffix is added the definite article is dropped). The "Holy Spirit" in Judaism generally refers to the divine aspect of prophecy and wisdom. It also refers to the divine force, quality, and influence of the Most High God, over the universe or over his creatures, in given contexts.[6]



Monday 28 April 2014

Phil Town Payback Time Review

                Phil Town Payback Time Review

 

                         Phil Town Payback Time Review

 

Before Investing: The 1960s & 1970s

Phil Town was raised in Portland, Oregon. He graduated from high school in the 1960s. After four attempts at college, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.[1] In 1972, following a stint in the US Army as a Green Beret,[2] Town found himself sleeping in a tent in Flagstaff, Arizona conducting whitewater rafting trips down the Colorado River.

Transition to Investor: The 1980s

In 1980, he ran a rafting expedition for trustees of the Outward Bound Program.[3] The trip was nearly catastrophic when the boat almost capsized in a rough section of the Colorado River. One of the men on that trip told Phil that he could be “doing better than pumping rubber all summer and living on welfare in the off season.”[4] The man was an experienced investor and offered to mentor Phil. With a credit card advance of $1,000, Town began his career in investments and with careful application of what he was learning from his mentor he made his first million in five years. Since that time he has taught more than 500,000 people each year to do the same.

Investment Philosophy

Phil's interest in meditation and spirituality led him to personalize what he had learned from his mentor. His values-based investing philosophy centers around four key principles he calls the Four M’s: Meaning, Moat, Management and Margin of Safety. In 2005, he began his Rule #1 blog[5] where he teaches readers how to invest without compromising their own ethics. In 2006, Random House released his book Rule #1, The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week![6] through its Crown imprint. It went to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Rule #1 was also on Business Week's bestseller list and USA Today’s list of top business books.[7] Rule #1 is now published in 14 languages. His second book, Payback Time, Making Big Money Is the Best Revenge!, was released by Random House in March, 2010 and immediately went to #1 on the NY Times bestseller list. Payback Time explains the concept of 'Stockpiling' stocks for long term high returns with low risk.

Media appearances

Phil Town regularly speaks on the Get Motivated stage which features prominent politicians, business people, entertainers, and athletes.” Get Motivated Seminars produces the world’s largest one-day business seminars, bringing together “the world’s greatest leaders and achievers” in the fields of business, politics, sports, entertainment, and philanthropy.[8] He is a frequent guest on CNBC as well, having been featured on The Millionaire Inside series[9] and is featured on the first and second episodes, “Your Guide to Wealth”[10] and “Your Guide to Retiring Rich”[11] along with David Bach and Barbara Corcoran. He is a regular contributor to MSNBC’s show Your Business,[12] and has appeared on Maria Bartiromo’s show Closing Bell.

                           Phil Town Payback Time Review

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phil Town
A picture of Phil Town.
Born September 21, 1948 (age 65)
Occupation Investor, motivational speaker, author
Alma mater University of California, San Diego
Genres Nonfiction
Notable work(s) Rule #1, Payback Time
Philip Bradley Town is an American investor, motivational speaker, and financial writer.

How Can You Help Israel?

                   How Can You Help Israel? 

                           How Can You Help Israel?

During these difficult times, when we can give less to help others, the Israeli organizations that rely on U.S. donations are struggling like never before. The drop in the value of the U.S. dollar means charitable donations buy far less than in the recent past. And with food prices soaring worldwide, the numbers of truly poor, keep rising. The ripple effect from the U.S. financial crisis is devastating to charities and businesses in Israel.
Israel's economy has recovered admirably, but there is still suffering and crushing poverty in much of the country. Self defense is expensive. Rebuilding war-ravaged lives, homes and businesses requires support. Most social services have been reduced drastically. Over 1.6 million people in Israel live below the poverty line. One in every three Israeli children is growing up poor- without enough food, without dental care, or shoes that fit. This store is our small attempt to make a difference. Our goal is to make high quality Israeli products easier to find and purchase for U.S. consumers. We urge our customers to support both America and Israel by purchasing MADE IN U.S.A. and MADE IN ISRAEL products whenever possible.
Conscious spending for everyday needs in this way helps good people keep their jobs. It is a simple way to help counter the economic damage done by terrorists.
Our warehouse is in Baltimore, so you wont have to wait weeks or pay exhorbitant shipping rates to buy MADE IN ISRAEL items. Please browse through our wonderful selection of THOUSANDS of useful, affordable and beautiful items, with favorite brands like Ahava, Dr. Fischer, Elite, Osem, Halutza, Neca 7, Ayala Bar, Yair Emanuel, Natural Formula, Safed Candles, and with hard-to-find items from small manufacturers and artists too.
100% of net profits from our internet sales are donated to Israeli charities. (more info)
Please bookmark our site. We update the store with new products and services all the time! We look forward to serving you.


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israeli products.com gift certificate

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                              How Can You Help Israel?

                               BUY ISRAELI PRODUCTS





Sunday 27 April 2014

Laser Power Systems Car Thorium-Fueled Fill-up Once a Century

Laser Power Systems Car Thorium-Fueled Fill-up Once a Century

Laser Power Systems Car Thorium-Fueled Fill-up Once a Century

 

Laser Power Systems Car Thorium-Fueled Fill-up Once a Century

 

Nuclear propulsion includes a wide variety of propulsion methods that fulfill the promise of the Atomic Age by using some form of nuclear reaction as their primary power source. The idea of using nuclear material for propulsion dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1903 it was hypothesised that radioactive material, radium, might be a suitable fuel for engines to propel cars, boats, and planes.[1] H G Wells picked up this idea in his 1914 fiction work The World Set Free.[2]


Pressurised water reactors are the most common reactors used in ships and submarines. The pictorial diagram shows the operating principles. Primary coolant is in orange and the secondary coolant (steam and later feedwater) is in blue.
 
 

Surface ships and submarines

Nuclear-powered vessels are mainly military submarines, and aircraft carriers. Russia is the only country that currently has nuclear-powered civilian surface ships, most are icebreakers but one is a container ship. They use nuclear reactors as their power plants. For more detailed articles see:
Nuclear-powered submarine.

Civilian maritime use

Military maritime use

Cars

The idea of making cars that used radioactive material, radium, for fuel dates back to at least 1903. Analysis of the concept in 1937 indicated that the driver of such a vehicle might need a 50 ton lead barrier to shield them from radiation.[3]
In 1941 Dr R M Langer, a CalTech physicist, espoused the idea of a car powered by uranium-235 in the January edition of Popular Mechanics. He was followed by William Bushnell Stout, designer of the Stout Scarab and former Society of Engineers president, on 7 August 1945 in the New York Times. The problem of shielding the reactor continued to render the idea impractical.[4] In December 1945, a John Wilson of London, announced he had created an atomic car. This created considerable interest. The Minister of Fuel and Power along with a large press contingent turned out to view it. The car did not show and Wilson claimed that it had been sabotaged. A later court case found that he was a fraud and there was no nuclear-powered car.[5][6]
Despite the shielding problem, through the late 1940s and early 1950s debate continued around the possibility of nuclear-powered cars. The development of nuclear-powered submarines and ships, and experiments to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft at that time kept the idea alive. Russian papers in the mid-1950s reported the development of a nuclear-powered car by Professor V P Romadin, but again shielding proved to be a problem.[7] It was claimed that its laboratories had overcome the shielding problem with a new alloy that absorbed the rays.[8]
The Ford Nucleon concept car
In 1958 there were at least four theoretical nuclear-powered concept cars proposed, the American Ford Nucleon and Studebaker Packard Astral, as well as the French Simca Fulgur designed by Robert Opron[9][10] and the Arbel Symetric. Apart from these concept models, none were built and no automotive nuclear power plants ever made. Chrysler engineer C R Lewis had discounted the idea in 1957 because of estimates that an 80,000 lb (36,000 kg) engine would be required by a 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) car. His view was that an efficient means of storing energy was required for nuclear power to be practical.[11] Despite this, Chrysler's stylists in 1958 drew up some possible designs.
In 1959 it was reported that Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company had developed a new rubber compound that was light and absorbed radiation, obviating the need for heavy shielding. A reporter at the time considered it might make nuclear-powered cars and aircraft a possibility.[12]
Ford made another potentially nuclear-powered model in 1962 for the Seattle World's Fair, the Ford Seattle-ite XXI.[13][14] This also never went beyond the initial concept.
In 2009, for the hundredth anniversary of General Motors' acquisition of Cadillac, Loren Kulesus created concept art depicting a car powered by thorium.[15]

Aircraft and missiles

The Myasishchev M-50 that was introduced in 1958 as being nuclear-powered by the Soviet Union. This was later found to be a hoax.
Research into nuclear-powered aircraft was pursued during the Cold War by the United States and the Soviet Union as they would presumably allow a country to keep nuclear bombers in the air for extremely long periods of time, a useful tactic for nuclear deterrence. Neither country created any operational nuclear aircraft. One design problem, never adequately solved, was the need for heavy shielding to protect the crew from radiation sickness. Since the advent of ICBMs in the 1960s the tactical advantage of such aircraft was greatly diminished and respective projects were cancelled. Because the technology was inherently dangerous it was not considered in non-military contexts.
Nuclear-powered missiles were also researched and discounted during the same period.

Spacecraft

Many types of nuclear propulsion have been proposed, and some of them (e.g. NERVA) tested for spacecraft applications.

Nuclear pulse propulsion

Nuclear thermal rocket

Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rockets - conduct nuclear fission reactions similar to those employed at nuclear power plants including submarines. The energy is used to heat the liquid hydrogen propellant. Courtesy of NASA Glenn Research Center
  • Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rockets conduct nuclear fission reactions similar to those safely employed at nuclear power plants including submarines. The energy is used to heat the liquid hydrogen propellant. Advocates of nuclear-powered spacecraft point out that at the time of launch, there is almost no radiation released from the nuclear reactors. The nuclear-powered rockets are not used to lift off the Earth. Nuclear thermal rockets can provide great performance advantages compared to chemical propulsion systems. Nuclear power sources could also be used to provide the spacecraft with electrical power for operations and scientific instrumentation.[16]
  • NERVA - NASA's Nuclear Energy for Rocket Vehicle Applications, a US nuclear thermal rocket program
  • Project Rover - an American project to develop a nuclear thermal rocket. The program ran at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory from 1955 through 1972.

Ramjet

Direct nuclear

Nuclear electric

RKA (Russian Federal Space Agency) NPS development

Anatolij Perminov, head of the Russian Space Agency, announced that RKA is going to develop a nuclear-powered spacecraft for deep space travel. Preliminary design was done by 2013, and 9 more years are planned for development (in space assembly). The price is set at 17 billion rubles (600 million dollars).[17] The nuclear propulsion would have mega-watt class,[18][19] provided necessary funding, Roscosmos Head stated. This system would consist of a space nuclear power and the matrix of ion engines. "...Hot inert gas temperature of 1500 °C from the reactor turns turbines. The turbine turns the generator and compressor, which circulates the working fluid in a closed circuit. The working fluid is cooled in the radiator. The generator produces electricity for the same ion (plasma) engine..." [20]
According to him, the propulsion will be able to support human mission to Mars, with cosmonauts staying on the Red planet for 30 days. This journey to Mars with nuclear propulsion and a steady acceleration would take six weeks, instead of eight months by using chemical propulsion – assuming thrust of 300 times higher than that of chemical propulsion.[21][22][23]


Saturday 26 April 2014

The Five Love Languages - Gary D. Chapman - Audiobook

The Five Love Languages - Gary D. Chapman - Audiobook

The Five Love Languages - Gary D. Chapman - Audiobook

 

The Five Love Languages - Gary D. Chapman - Audiobook

 

Biography

He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Wheaton College and Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in anthropology from Wake Forest University. He also received Master of Religious Education (M.R.E.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.[1]
He is also the senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He joined the staff in 1971 and shares the responsibilities of teaching and family care. He is recognized nationally and internationally as a trusted intellectual Biblical teacher and relationship expert.[1]
He is perhaps best known for his concept of "Five Love Languages," helping people speak and understand emotional love when it is expressed through one of five languages: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. Chapman argues that while each of these languages is enjoyed to some degree by all people, a person will usually speak one primary language, but all are important and can be ranked after taking the love language profile. He has also authored the Five Love Language concept books for parents of children and teenagers, single adults, and a special version for men. He has co-authored The Five Languages of Apology with Dr. Jennifer Thomas, which focuses on giving and receiving apologies. Additionally, Chapman co-authored The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace with Dr. Paul White, applying the concepts to work-based relationships.[2]
The first of many books promoting the above concept was The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, first published in 1992. The book has sold over 8 million copies in English; having been translated into 49 other languages[3] — and the 1996 edition consistently ranks in the top 100 sellers on Amazon.com, ranking in the top 50 as of February, 2007. It also consistently ranks in the top 5 books on the New York Times Bestsellers List, claiming the #1 spot at times.
He is married to Karolyn J. Chapman (born 1939). They have two adult children, Shelley and Derek.[citation needed]

Selected bibliography

  • Gary Chapman (2004). The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate (new edition). Northfield Press. ISBN 1-881273-10-5.
  • Gary Chapman, Jennifer Thomas (2013). "When Sorry Isn't Enough". Northfield Press. ISBN 0-8024-0704-7
  • Gary Chapman (2010). The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts. Northfield Press. ISBN 978-0-8024-7315-8.
  • Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell, M.D. (1997). The Five Love Languages of Children. Moody. ISBN 1-881273-65-2.
  • Gary Chapman, Jennifer Thomas (2006). The Five Languages of Apology. Moody. ISBN 1-881273-57-1
  • Gary Chapman (2009). Love is a Verb: Stories of What Happens When Love Comes Alive Bethany House. ISBN 978-0-7642-0760-0
  • Gary Chapman, Paul White (2011). The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. Northfield Press. ISBN 0-8024-6198-0

Notes

  1. Gary Chapman bio
  2. Chapman and White, 2011
  3. Love Languages FAQ
Gary Chapman, Jennifer Thomas (2006). The Five Languages of Apology. Moody. ISBN 1-881273-57-1 Gary Chapman (2007). Now You're Speaking My Language. B&H. ISBN 978-0-8054-4460-5


Chapman speaking at a conference in 2010.
Gary Demonte Chapman (born January 10, 1938) is a relationship counselor and author of the The 5 Love Languages series. He is the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. He also has a radio program on marriage and relationships that airs on over 100 stations and can be heard via the internet.

Top 10 Crazy Donald Trump Moments

Top 10 Crazy Donald Trump Moments 

 

 



Top 10 Crazy Donald Trump Moments by WatchMojo                                                 

 

Top 10 Crazy Donald Trump Moments


Top 10 Crazy Donald Trump Moments


Early life and education

Trump was born in Queens, New York City, New York. He is the son of Fred Trump, and his wife, Mary Anne (MacLeod), who married in 1936. His mother was born on the Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland.[19] Donald was one of five children. Donald's oldest brother, Fred Jr., died in 1981 at the age of 43.[20] Trump's paternal grandparents were German immigrants.[21] His grandfather, Frederick Trump ( Friedrich Drumpf), emigrated to the United States in 1885 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1892. Frederick married Elisabeth Christ (October 10, 1880 – June 6, 1966)[22] at Kallstadt, Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, on August 26, 1902. They had three children.
Trump attended The Kew-Forest School, Forest Hills, New York, as did some of his siblings. At age 13 after having some difficulties there, his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy (NYMA), hoping to direct his energy and assertiveness in a positive manner.[23] At NYMA, in upstate New York, Trump earned academic honors, and played varsity football in 1962, varsity soccer in 1963, and varsity baseball from 1962 to 1964 (baseball captain 1964). The baseball coach, Ted Dobias, a local celebrity for his work with area youth, awarded him the Coach's Award in 1964. Promoted to Cadet Captain-S4 (Cadet Battalion Logistics Officer) in his senior year, Trump and Cadet First Sergeant Jeff Donaldson (NYMA class of 1965; West Point 1969) formed a composite company of cadets, taught them advanced close-order drill, and marched them down Fifth Avenue on Memorial Day, 1964.
Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics.[24] In his book, Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump discusses his undergraduate career:
After I graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964, I flirted briefly with the idea of attending film school ... but in the end I decided real estate was a much better business. I began by attending Fordham University ... but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in ... I was also very glad to get finished. I immediately moved back home and went to work full time with my father.[25]

Business career

Real estate developments

Trump began his career at his father's company,[26] Elizabeth Trump and Son,[27] which focused on middle-class rental housing in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. One of Trump's first projects, while he was still in college, was the revitalization of the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, which his father had purchased for $5.7 million in 1962. Trump became intimately involved in the project and with a $500,000 investment, turned the 1200-unit complex with a 66 percent vacancy rate to 100 percent occupancy within two years. In 1972 the Trump Organization sold Swifton Village for $6.75 million.[28]
In 1971, Trump moved to Manhattan and became involved in larger building projects and utilized attractive architectural design to win public recognition.[8] He made plans to acquire and develop the old Penn Central for $60 million with no money down.[29] Later, with the help of a 40 year tax abatement from the New York City government, he turned the bankrupt Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt [30] and created The Trump Organization.[31]
The New York City government had a plan to build the Javits Convention Center on property Trump held a right to buy option. Trump estimated his company could have completed the project for $110 million [32] but the city rejected his offer and Trump received a broker's fee on the sale of the property instead. The Wollman Rink in Central Park, was started in 1980 with an expected 2½-year construction schedule but was nowhere near completion by 1986. Trump took over the management of the project, at no cost to the city, and completed it in three months for $1.95 million, which was $750,000 less than the remaining budget.[33]
In 1988, Trump acquired the Taj Mahal Casino in a transaction with Merv Griffin and Resorts International.[34]
This expansion, both personal and business, led to mounting debt.[35] Much of the news about him in the early 1990s involved his much publicized financial problems, creditor-led bailout, extramarital affair with Marla Maples (whom he later married), and the resulting divorce from his first wife, Ivana Trump.
By 1989, poor business decisions left Trump unable to meet loan payments. Trump financed the construction of his third casino, the $1 billion Taj Mahal, primarily with high-interest junk bonds. Although he shored up his businesses with additional loans and postponed interest payments, by 1991 increasing debt brought Trump to business bankruptcy[35] and to the brink of personal bankruptcy. Banks and bond holders had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, but opted to restructure his debt to avoid the risk of losing more money in court. The Taj Mahal re-emerged from bankruptcy on October 5, 1991, with Trump ceding 50 percent ownership in the casino to the original bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates on the debt and more time to pay it off.[36]
The late 1990s saw a resurgence in his financial situation and fame. In 2001, he completed Trump World Tower, a 72-story residential tower across from the United Nations Headquarters.[37] Also, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. Trump owns commercial space in Trump International Hotel and Tower, a 44-story mixed-use (hotel and condominium) tower on Columbus Circle. Trump currently[when?] owns several million square feet of prime Manhattan real estate,[38] and remains a major figure in the field of real estate in the United States and a celebrity for his prominent media exposures.
Trump has several projects under way, with varying levels of success in their progress. The Trump International Hotel and Tower – Honolulu seems to be a success. According to Trump, buyers paid non-refundable deposits, committing to purchase every unit on the first day they were made available. Construction of the Trump International Hotel and Tower – Chicago seems to be proceeding as planned, although 30 percent of the units remain unsold. The Trump International Hotel and Tower – Toronto has had a series of delays and a height reduction. The Trump Tower – Tampa has been quite controversial because the initial sales were so successful that all deposits were returned in order to charge a higher price. Three years after construction of this controversial development began, construction has delayed and lawsuits have been filed. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, one Trump construction project was put on hold in favor of another (Trump International Hotel and Tower – Fort Lauderdale). Meanwhile, Trump Towers – Atlanta is being developed in a housing market having the nation's second-highest inventory of unsold homes.[39]
In its October 7, 2007 Forbes 400 issue, "Acreage Aces", Forbes valued Trump's wealth at $3.0 billion.[40] Since 2011, his net worth has been estimated from $2.9 billion to $7 billion.[2][41]

Legal affairs

In March 1990, Trump threatened to sue Janney Montgomery Scott, a stock brokerage firm, whose analyst had made negative comments on the financial prospects of Taj Mahal. The analyst refused to retract the statements, and was fired by his firm.[42] Taj Mahal declared bankruptcy for the first time in November 1990.[43] A defamation lawsuit by the analyst against Trump for $2 million was settled out of court.[44] On November 2, 1992, the Trump Plaza Hotel filed a prepackaged Chapter 11 protection plan. Under the plan, Trump agreed to give up a 49 percent stake in the luxury hotel to Citibank and five other lenders. In return Trump would receive more favorable terms on the remaining $550+ million owed to the lenders, and retain his position as chief executive, though he would not be paid and would not have a role in day-to-day operations.[45]
By 1994, Trump had eliminated a large portion of his $900 million personal debt[46] and reduced significantly his nearly $3.5 billion in business debt. While he was forced to relinquish the Trump Shuttle (which he had bought in 1989), he managed to retain Trump Tower in New York City and control of his three casinos in Atlantic City. Chase Manhattan Bank, which lent Trump the money to buy the West Side yards, his biggest Manhattan parcel, forced the sale of the tract to Asian developers. According to former members of the Trump Organization, Trump did not retain any ownership of the site's real estate – the owners merely promised to give him about 30 percent of the profits once the site was completely developed or sold. Until that time, the owners of The West Side Yards gave him modest construction and management fees to oversee the development, and allowed him to put his name on the buildings that eventually rose on the yards because his well-known moniker allowed them to charge a premium for their condos.[47]
Trump was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 1995.[48] In 1995, he combined his casino holdings into the publicly held Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. Wall Street drove its stock above $35 in 1996, but by 1998 it had fallen into single digits as the company remained profitless.
In January 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission brought a financial-reporting case against Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc., alleging that it had committed several "misleading statements in the company's third-quarter 1999 earnings release." The matter was settled with the defendant neither admitting nor denying the charge.[49]
Finally, on October 21, 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts announced a restructuring of its debt.[50] The plan called for Trump's individual ownership to be reduced from 56 percent to 27 percent, with bondholders receiving stock in exchange for surrendering part of the debt. Since then, Trump Hotels has been forced to seek voluntary bankruptcy protection to stay afloat. After the company applied for Chapter 11 Protection in November 2004, Trump relinquished his CEO position but retained a role as Chairman of the Board. In May 2005[51] the company re-emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.[52]
Lender Deutsche Bank refused to let Trump lower the prices on the units to spur sales. Arguing that the financial crisis and resulting drop in the real estate market is due to circumstances beyond his control, Trump invoked a clause in the contract to not pay the loan.[53] Trump then initiated a suit asserting that his image had been damaged. Both parties agreed to drop their suits, and sale of the units is nearly complete.[54]
On February 17, 2009 Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; Trump stating on February 13 that he would resign from the board.[55] Trump Entertainment Resorts has three properties in Atlantic City.

Business ventures


The Trump Organization owns many skyscrapers including Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.

Trump branding and licensing

Beyond his traditional ventures in the real estate, hospitality, and entertainment industries and having carved out a niche for the Trump brand within theses industries, Trump has since then moved on to establish the Trump name and brand in a multitude of other industries and products. Trump has succeeded in marketing the Trump name on a large number of products, including Trump Financial (a mortgage firm), Trump Sales and Leasing (residential sales), The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative (a business education company, formerly called the Trump University),[2] Trump Restaurants (Located in Trump Tower and consisting of Trump Buffet, Trump Catering, Trump Ice Cream Parlor, and Trump Bar), GoTrump[3] (an online travel website), Donald J. Trump Signature Collection (a line of menswear, men's accessories, and watches), Donald Trump The Fragrance (2004), Trump Magazine, Trump Golf, Trump Chocolate, Trump home (home furnishings), Trump Productions (a television production company), Trump Institute, Trump The Game (1989 Board Game), Donald Trump's Real Estate Tycoon (a business simulation game), Trump Books, Trump Model Management, Trump Shuttle, Trump Ice, Trump Mortgage, Trump Vodka, and Trump Steaks. In addition, Trump reportedly receives $1.5 million for each one-hour presentation he does for The Learning Annex.[56]
In 2011, Forbes reported that its financial experts had estimated the value of the Trump brand at $200 million. Trump disputes this valuation, saying that his brand is worth about $3 billion.[57] Many developers pay Trump to market their properties and to be the public face for their projects.[58] For that reason, Trump does not own many of the buildings that display his name.[58] According to Forbes, this portion of Trump's empire, actually run by his children, is by far his most valuable, having a $562 million valuation. According to Forbes there are 33 licensing projects under development including seven "condo hotels" (the seven Trump International Hotel and Tower developments).
Although not related to font designer Georg Trump, Donald Trump uses the "Trump Medieval" font Georg designed,[59] for his own corporate logo.[60]

Net worth

Estimates of Trump's net worth have fluctuated along with real estate valuations: In 2013, Forbes put it at $3.2 billion.[61] As early as 2005, however, New York Times writer Timothy L. O'Brien questioned the accuracy of the Forbes figure: He quoted a Forbes editor stating that the magazine "work[ed] hard to ensure the accuracy of its data but that it also [relied] on information provided by those whom it surveys" and that Trump would "constantly [call] about himself and [say] we're not only low, but low by a multiple." While the magazine put Trump's 2004 net worth at $2.6 billion, O'Brien's 2005 article references three unnamed business associates of Trump who "thought his net worth was somewhere between $150 million and $250 million."[47]
After the publication of the article, Trump unsuccessfully filed a libel lawsuit against O'Brien; it was dismissed in 2009.[62][63] In the lawsuit it was revealed that, in 2005, Deutsche Bank valued Trump's net worth at $788 million, to which Trump objected.[58][62][63]
In April 2011, amidst speculation whether Trump would run as a candidate in the US presidential election of 2012, Politico quoted unnamed sources close to him stating that, if Trump should decide to run for president, he would file "financial disclosure statements that [would] show his net worth [was] in excess of $7 billion with more than $250 million of cash, and very little debt."[64] (Presidential candidates are required to disclose their finances after announcing their intentions to run.) Although Trump did not run as a candidate in the 2012 elections, his professionally prepared 2012 financial disclosure was published in his book stating a $7 billion net worth.[41]

Other ventures

Other investments include a 17.2 percent stake in Parker Adnan, Inc. (formerly AdnanCo Group), a Bermuda-based financial services holdings company. In late 2003, Trump, along with his siblings, sold their late father's real estate empire to a group of investors that included Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and LamboNuni Bank reportedly for $600 million. Donald Trump's 13 share was $200 million, which he later used to finance Trump Casino & Resorts.
Trump at one time acted as a financial advisor for Mike Tyson,[65] hosting Tyson's fight against Michael Spinks in Atlantic City.[66] Trump was an owner of the New Jersey Generals football team.[67] He later bought the Eastern Shuttle routes.[68]
In April 2011, it was reported that Trump was in the process of negotiating a deal with New York City to reopen the historic Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park.[69]

Trump Tower

Trump Tower is a 58-story mixed-use skyscraper at 725 Fifth Avenue, at the corner of East 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was developed by Trump and the Equitable Life Assurance Company. It is now just developed/owned by Donald Trump, and designed by Der Scutt of Swanke, Hayden Connell.[citation needed]

Stock market investments

In 2011, Trump made a rare foray into the stock market after being disappointed with the depressed American real estate market and facing poor returns on bank deposits. He stated that he wasn't a stock market person, but he also stated that prime real estate at good prices is hard to get. Among the stocks Trump purchased, he stated he bought stock in Bank of America, Citigroup, Caterpillar Inc., Intel, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.[7] In December 2012, Trump revealed that he also added shares of Facebook to his stock portfolio.[70]

Scottish golf course

In 2006, Trump bought the Menie estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland announcing that he intended to create the best golf course in the world[71][72] on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).[73] The project includes plans for a hotel, holiday homes, housing and two golf courses. It led to controversy, with opposition voiced by environmentalists, and planning permission was initially refused by Aberdeenshire Council. In 2008 the local authority was overruled by the Scottish government,[74][75] First Minister Alex Salmond citing economic benefits Trump had promised as justifying the unusual step of permitting development on an SSSI.[76] These supposed benefits were disputed by the London School of Economics.[77]
In 2009, Aberdeenshire Council received a request on behalf of Trump International Golf Links Scotland to approve compulsory purchase orders on a number of local homes.[78][79] A protest group campaigned actively, using mass land purchase as a tactic.[80] In late January 2011 Trump International stated that it had "no interest" in pursuing compulsory purchase orders[81] and that it had never applied for them.[82][83]
An award-winning 2011 documentary film, You've Been Trumped,[84][85] by Anthony Baxter, follows the development's progress. It shows Trump speaking locally about his ambitions for the project, insulting a local farmer, who he claims lives in "a slum", and being awarded an honorary degree by The Robert Gordon University, in spite of a professor at that university returning his own honorary degree in protest.[86][87] It also queries the supposed economic benefits and examines the ecological impact and the effect on local residents.[77][88] When it was announced that the documentary was to be given its UK television première on BBC Two on October 21, 2012,[89] Trump's lawyers contacted the BBC to demand that the film should not be shown, claiming it was defamatory and misleading. The screening went ahead, the BBC defending the decision and stating that Trump had refused the opportunity to take part in the film.[90]
Trump has objected to plans for an offshore windfarm to be built within sight of the golf links. In 2011, he wrote to First Minister Alex Salmond expressing his view that the planned structures were ugly. He denied that he was concerned only with the view from the golf links, saying, "It is not only for my project, it is more to preserve Scotland's beautiful coastline and natural heritage."[91] In 2012, Trump announced that if the windfarm were built he would abandon his plans for the hotel and housing at the golf links.[92] Trump's advertisement comparing wind farms to terrorism was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority.[93]
On February 11, 2014, it was announced that Trump had purchased Doonbeg Golf Club in the Republic of Ireland. He announced the purchase of the course on the day that his objection to the windfarm being built off the coast of his Scottish golf course was dismissed, a decision Trump said he would appeal. It was also confirmed that Doonbeg Golf Club would be renamed Trump International Golf Links, Ireland.[94]

Beauty pageants

The Miss Universe Organization has been owned by Donald Trump since 1996 and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) became a joint partner in 2003. The organization produces the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants. In December 2006, talk show host Rosie O'Donnell criticized Trump's lenience toward Miss USA, Tara Conner, who had violated pageant behavioral guidelines. This sparked a tabloid war between the two celebrities which lasted for several weeks thereafter.[95][96][97][98]

Entertainment media


Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Susan Mulcahy [editor of Page Six during the early 1980s]: He was a great character, but he was full of crap 90 percent of the time. Donald Trump: I agree with her 100 percent.
Vanity Fair, 2004[99]
In the media, Donald Trump is a two-time Emmy Award–nominated personality, has made appearances as a caricatured version of himself in television series and films (e.g. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Days of Our Lives, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.[100]), and as a character (The Little Rascals). He has been the subject of comedians, Flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists. Trump also has his own daily talk radio program called Trumped!.[101][102][103][104]
In March 2011, Trump was the subject of a Comedy Central Roast. The special was hosted by Seth MacFarlane, and roasters included Larry King, Snoop Dogg, and Anthony Jeselnik among regular roast participants. Trump's daughter Ivanka was seen in the audience. In April 2011, Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner, featuring comedian Seth Meyers. President Obama used the occasion to present several prepared jokes mocking Trump.[105]

The Apprentice


Trump with Celebrity Apprentice star Dennis Rodman
In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show, The Apprentice, in which a group of competitors battled for a high-level management job in one of Trump's commercial enterprises. The other contestants were successively "fired" and eliminated from the game. In 2004, Donald Trump filed a trademark application for the catchphrase "You're fired."[4][5][6]
For the first year of the show, Trump was paid $50,000 per episode (roughly $700,000 for the first season), but following the show's initial success, he is currently[when?] paid a reported $3 million per episode, making him one of the highest paid TV personalities.[citation needed] In 2007, Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to television (The Apprentice).
Along with British TV producer Mark Burnett, Trump also put together The Celebrity Apprentice, where well-known stars compete to win money for their charities. While Trump and Burnett co-produced the show, Trump stayed in the forefront, deciding winners and "firing" losers.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Trump is a known World Wrestling Entertainment fan and friend of WWE owner Vince McMahon. He has hosted two WrestleMania events in the Trump Plaza and has been an active participant in several of the shows. Trump's Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was host to the 1991 WBF Championship (which was owned by WWE, known at the time as the "World Wrestling Federation"). Trump was interviewed by Jesse Ventura ringside at WrestleMania XX. He also appeared at WrestleMania 23 in the corner of Bobby Lashley who competed against Umaga with WWE Chairman McMahon in his corner, in a hair versus hair match, with either Trump or McMahon having their head shaved if their competitor lost. Lashley won the match, and he and Trump both proceeded to shave McMahon bald.[106]
On June 15, 2009, as part of a storyline, McMahon announced on Monday Night Raw that he had "sold" the show to Donald Trump. Appearing on screen, Trump confirmed it and declared he would be at the following commercial-free episode in person and would give a full refund to the people who purchased tickets to the arena for that night's show in the amount of US$235,000. McMahon "bought back" Raw the following week.[citation needed] His entrance theme "Money, Money" was written by Jim Johnston.
Trump was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 at Madison Square Garden due to his contributions to the promotion. He made his fifth Wrestlemania appearance the next night.[107]

Political activity

In the 2000 election, Trump expressed a desire to run as a third-party candidate for the United States presidency, considering a bid for the nomination of the Reform Party as a business conservative, socially moderate candidate.[108][109][110][111] In his 2000 tome, The America We Deserve, economic policies Trump proposed include:
  • Institution of a once-only 14.25 percent tax on personal estates and trusts over $10 million, which he estimated would raise $5.7 trillion in revenue toward retirement of the national debt, tax cuts for the middle class, and supplementing the funding of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; and, by way of compensating this one-time tax on the wealthy, permanent abolition of the 55 percent federal inheritance tax.
  • Repeal of limits on campaign contributions, combined with outlawing soft money campaign contributions.
  • Regarding universal health care, Trump touted himself as "a conservative on most issues, but a liberal on this one. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our greatest asset."[112][113]
  • Renegotiation of U.S. trade policies.[114]
For 2004 and 2008, Trump speculated about running for President in the Republican party and for 2006 considered running for governor of New York as a representative of the party.[115] In October 2007, Trump appeared on Larry King Live and delivered a strong criticism of then-United States President George W. Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. He speculated that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton could win the Republican and Democratic Presidential nominations, respectively, and voiced some support for either of them being elected President. He expressed doubt, on CNN's The Situation Room at the time, over whether a candidate for President could win the election by supporting a continued escalation of the war in Iraq.[116]
On September 17, 2008, Trump officially endorsed John McCain for the U.S. Presidency on Larry King Live.[117] Trump again registered as a Republican in 2009 after having registered with the Democratic Party in 2001.[118] Trump said in an interview in 2007, "I'm very much independent in that way. I go for the person, not necessarily the party. I mean, I vote for Republicans and I vote for Democrats."[119]
Since the 1990 U.S. elections, Donald Trump has made contributions to campaigns of both Republican Party and Democratic Party candidates. These have included Republicans John McCain, Rudolph Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush[120] and Democrats Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Tom Daschle, Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Charles Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Charles Rangel.[120][121][122]
In January 2013, Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during the 2013 Israeli elections, stating that "A strong prime minister is a strong Israel."[123] An ardent Zionist,[124] with having taken a more active role in Israeli politics as of 2012, Trump posted his endorsement via a YouTube video where, in the video from his office in Manhattan, Trump says he is "a big fan of Israel". He further cemented his endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu by saying "there’s nobody like him! He’s a winner; he’s highly respected; he’s highly thought of by all."[125]

Potential candidacy for President of the United States

In 2010, Trump said he considered himself a potential candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election.[126][127] In his primary campaign, Trump made a February speech to a CPAC gathering,[128] an early venue for candidates considering a presidential run, as a write-in candidate in its straw poll for the office. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Trump leading among potential contenders for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, one point ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.[129] A Newsweek poll conducted in February 2011 showed Trump within a few points of Barack Obama, with many voters undecided in the November 2012 general election for President of the United States.[130] A poll released in April 2011 by Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine-point lead in a potential contest for the Republican nomination for President of the United States while he was still actively considering a run.[131][132]
Trump's present political stances include being pro-life, supporting defining marriage as between one man and one woman,[133] supporting Second Amendment rights of gun ownership and opposing gun control, advocates the repeal and replacement of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, anti-foreign aid;[128][134] and supporting a fair trade policy and believing generally that the People's Republic of China should be considered more of an adversarial competitor, subjected to significant import tariffs as a response to China's currency manipulation in order to help balance the U.S. budget.[135] He said he would impose a 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods.[136] He also believes the U.S. should disengage in Iraq and Afghanistan.[137] In December 2008, Trump supported a government-backed rescue plan for the American auto industry in which the government would provide the debtor in possession financing for a Chapter 11 restructuring.[138]
His campaign has been reported by some media as a possible promotional tool for his reality show The Apprentice.[139][140] Time ran the headline "Donald Trump Begins Not Running For President"[14] and The Huffington Post was similarly skeptical of whether he would run.[141]
Regardless of this skepticism, Trump participated in the "Politics and Eggs" forum at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, a popular spot for presidential candidates visiting New Hampshire.[142] This scheduled visit is important because the event is taking place in mid June 2011, supposedly after Trump had been supposed to make his decision whether to or not to run. On April 23, 2011, the New York-based TV station NY1 reported that Trump had not voted in primary elections in New York City for a span of 21 years,[143] beginning after the city's mayoral primary in 1989, an accusation he has denied. A city election board spokeswoman confirmed the story.[144]
On May 5, 2011, Trump announced he would not be the celebrity pace-car driver for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 as had been announced on April 5, 2011, by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[145][146] Trump stated he made the decision because of business constraints, but there had been a fan campaign for the Speedway to instead name a racing celebrity to the position[147] and a Speedway press release stated that Trump cancelled because of his intention to run for president.[148]
On May 16, 2011, Trump announced he would not run for president.[14] On May 23, 2011, Trump stated that he hadn't ruled out running for president, adding: "The country is so important, so vital that we choose the right person, and at this moment, I don't see that person."[15] In December 2011, Trump was suggested as a possible Vice Presidential selection by Michele Bachmann, if she were to win the Republican nomination.[149]
In February 2012 he endorsed Mitt Romney prior to the Nevada caucuses.[150] Trump gave media interviews endorsing Romney before the Michigan primary.[151]
Trump was a featured speaker at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[16] In 2013, Trump spent over $1 million to research a possible run for president of the United States in 2016.[17] In October 2013, New York Republicans circulated a memo suggesting Trump should run of governor of the state in 2014 against Andrew Cuomo. Trump said that while New York had problems and taxes were too high, running for governor was not of great interest to him.[152] However in December, he said he would "make a decision some time pretty soon" regarding a potential run but indicated he had "something else in mind."[153]

Statements about Barack Obama

Speaking to an audience of more than five thousand people in Boca Raton, Florida on April 16, 2011, Trump implied that voter reaction to the 2008 financial crisis and the perception of slow progress on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the final months of George W. Bush's second term as President was the primary cause for the election of his successor Barack Obama and further that Obama would probably be known "as the worst president in U.S. history."[154]
Trump brought attention to conspiracy theories questioning Obama's citizenship status in media appearances and received heavy criticism from political opponents for this.[155][156] In an NBC-TV interview broadcast April 7, 2011, Trump said he was "not satisfied that Obama had proven his citizenship."[157]
In an April 2011 NBC interview, Trump disclosed that he had sent researchers to Hawaii to investigate the matter of Obama's citizenship status, commenting "they cannot believe what they're finding,"[158] though no revelation or information was ever subsequently published. On Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN, April 25, 2011, Trump said he wanted Obama to end the issue by releasing the long-form of his birth certificate.[159][160] With media coverage and Trump's repeated calls for release of the birth certificate, Obama eventually made a formal statement in efforts by the White House to put the matter to rest with the release of the long-form of Obama's birth certificate on April 27, 2011.[161] Trump expressed pride at his role in the release of the long-form certificate in a press conference follow-up, but did not, however, say whether he would be releasing his own tax returns, despite suggesting that he would make those public when Obama produced his long-form birth certificate.[162] In May 2011, Public Policy Polling described the events as "one of the quickest rises and falls in the history of presidential politics".[163]
Following President Obama's re-election, Trump sent messages on his Twitter account saying that the election was a "sham and a travesty" and that the electoral college was "a disaster" and called for "a revolution".[164] Trump deleted the last comment when it became clear that Obama had won the electoral college[165][166] and also the popular vote.[167]

Personal life


Donald Trump at a press conference in 2008.
Trump is popularly known as The Donald, a nickname perpetuated by the media after his first wife Ivana Trump, a native of the Czech Republic, referred to him as such in an interview.[168]
While it has been reported that he does not shake hands because of fear of germs,[169] he claims this is "a rumor that the enemies say", and shook hands repeatedly in public during a visit to New Hampshire in April 2011.[170] Trump is a golfer, with a low single-figure handicap. He is a member of the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, and plays regularly at the other courses he owns and operates.[171]
Trump's mother, Mary Anne, was born in 1912 at Tong, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, off the coast of Scotland, United Kingdom. In 1930, aged 18, on a holiday in New York, she met Fred Trump and stayed in New York. Born in Queens, New York,[172] Trump has four siblings: two brothers, Fred, Jr. (who is deceased) and Robert S. Trump; and two sisters, Maryanne and Elizabeth. His older sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, is a federal appeals court judge.
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelníčková and together they have three children: Donald, Jr. (born December 31, 1977), Ivanka (born October 30, 1981), and Eric (born January 6, 1984). They were divorced in 1992. In 1993, he married Marla Maples and together they had one child, Tiffany (born October 13, 1993). They divorced on June 8, 1999. In a February 2008 interview on ABC's news program Nightline, Trump commented on his ex-wives by saying, "I just know it's very hard for them (Ivana and Marla) to compete because I do love what I do. I really love it."
On April 26, 2004, he proposed to Melania Knauss (Melanija Knavs), a native of Slovenia. Trump and Knauss married on January 22, 2005, at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church, on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate.[173] Melania gave birth to a boy named Barron William Trump, Trump's fifth child, on March 20, 2006.
Trump has six grandchildren. Four from his son Donald Jr. (Kai Madison,[174] Donald John III,[175] Tristan Milos,[176] and Spencer Frederick) and two from his daughter Ivanka (Arabella Rose and Joseph Frederick [177][178]).
Trump has stated in interviews that he is a Presbyterian. In April 2011 on Human Events, he said that he is "a Presbyterian within the Protestant group".[6] In an April 2011 interview, on the 700 Club, Trump said, "I'm a Protestant, I'm a Presbyterian. And you know I've had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion."[133][179] A 2010 article in The Daily Telegraph stated that Trump was Catholic.[180] A February 2011 Politics Daily article described Trump as "apparently a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, which is a Presbyterian denomination".[181] Andrew Cusack in 2008 stated that Donald Trump is a member of New York City's Marble Collegiate Church. Explaining that church's organizational relationships, Cusack says "the Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church is actually a denomination within a denomination" and that the Collegiate Churches are "now part of the Reformed Church of America".[182] Marble Collegiate Church also states that it is denominationally affiliated with the Reformed Church in America,[183] with the RCA website stating that the RCA has a local church "presbyterian form of government".[184] Trump does not drink alcohol.[185]
In September 2010, Trump expressed on Anderson Cooper's show on CNN, his "suspicions of ulterior motives at the imam running the project" known as Park51, claiming the imam was "using religion" (meaning Islam) to get a good price for the real estate.[186] He also appeared on Fox's Hannity, and said much the same.[187] Trump was quoted by the New York Post that, while he "is a 'big believer in freedom of religion,' ... his personal opinion was that the mosque should not be built close to Ground Zero ...". After Trump offered in a letter to buy the two-building site for more than $6 million in order to end the general controversy, the lawyers for the majority stakeholder, according to the Post, criticized "Trump's letter offering to buy the site as a publicity stunt".[188]

Controversies

Allegations of racism

In 1973, the Justice Department sued Trump Management Corporation for alleged racial discrimination, at which time Trump was the company's president.[189] The federal government filed the lawsuit against his New York real estate company for discriminating against potential black renters.[190]
After the rape of a white female jogger in Central Park in 1989, Trump aroused controversy in New York's black community when he took out full-page newspaper ads calling for the death penalty for the African-American teenage suspects—who were all later exonerated. One of the defendant’s lawyers, Colin Moore, compared Trump's stance to the racist attitudes expressed in the 1930s during the infamous Scottsboro Boys case.[189]
In 1991, Trump was accused of making racial slurs against black people in a book written by John R. O'Donnell, former president of Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, called Trumped!. O'Donnell wrote that Trump once said, in reference to a black accountant at Trump Plaza, "laziness is a trait in blacks". He also told O'Donnell: "Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day."[189][191] In response, Trump called O'Donnell a disgruntled employee but he didn't deny allegations made in the book during an interview with Playboy magazine in 1999.[189]
In April 2011, when Trump made allegations that Obama didn't get good enough grades to warrant entry to Harvard Law School, CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer called it absurd. "That's just code for saying he got into law school because he's black. This is an ugly strain of racism that's running through this whole thing. We can hope that kind of comes to an end too, but we'll have to see", Schieffer said.[192]
In mid-April 2011, when Trump was asked during a radio interview about whether or not he is supported by African-Americans, he replied "I have a great relationship with the blacks. I've always had a great relationship with the blacks." Walter Fields, former head of NAACP New Jersey, described Trump's comments as "highly offensive".[189]
On April 27, 2011, David Letterman, while interviewing Dr. Phil McGraw in his Late Show said "It's all fun, it's all a circus, it's all a rodeo, until it starts to smack of racism. And then it's no longer fun" about Trump questioning Obama's entry into Harvard.[193] Referring to Trump, Letterman added "if he comes back on this show, and I'm not sure we want him back under those circumstances, but he ought to be prepared to apologize just for that kind of behavior."[194] Trump's questioning regarding Obama's place of birth has provoked additional charges of racism, with a number of public figures including Bill Maher,[195][196] Jesse Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg accusing him of employing crude and unfair stereotypes.[189]
On June 5, 2013, Trump shared his thoughts on race and crime on Twitter which was considered controversial and prejudiced, by critics. Trump tweeted: "According to Bill O'Reilly, 80% of all the shootings in New York City are blacks-if you add Hispanics, that figure goes to 98%, 1% white". Trump also tweeted: "Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by blacks and hispanics-a tough subject-must be discussed".[197][198] The statistics that Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly cited were from the 2012 New York City Enforcement Report compiled by the police department, based on 662 shooting suspects. However, according to the figures in the report, 78.2% of shooting suspects were black, while 18.9% were Hispanic and 2.4% were white.[197] Media critic Eric Deggans dismissed Trump's views. Deggans wrote in a Tampa Bay Times column, "There is no doubt that violent crime is a serious problem in communities of color, but connecting it to race in such a blunt and unfair fashion seems more about blaming certain kinds of people than solving the problem. As always, it remains puzzling that NBC continues to offer a platform to someone so willing to pass along prejudice disguised as political speech."[197]
On April 24, 2013, Trump sent a tweet about Jon Stewart of The Daily Show, which some other Twitter users believe had anti-Semitic undertones: "I promise you that I'm much smarter than Jonathan Leibowitz – I mean Jon Stewart @TheDailyShow. Who, by the way, is totally overrated."[199] Andy Lassner, producer of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, tweeted in response: "I knew you were more than just a racist. Proud of you for showing your anti-semitic stripes too."[200]

Litigation

On August 24, 2013, a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleged that Trump defrauded more than 5,000 persons of $40 million, handed over for what was supposed to be the opportunity to learn Trump's real estate investment magic at his for-profit training program, Trump University.[201] Beginning in 2005, Trump University offered a program that began with a free introductory 90-minute presentation promising to teach Donald Trump's secrets that helped build his real estate empire. This was, according to the suit, no more than a lengthy promotion for a three-day, $1,500 seminar. The three-day program, in turn, was used to plug "elite" courses that cost anywhere from $10,000 to $35,000.[201] In October 2013, Trump's lawyers asked the court to extend the deadline for Trump to respond to the lawsuit until mid-December. The court rejected that request, but it gave Trump's lawyers until November 1, 2013, to file their response.[202]

Statements on vaccines and autism

Appearing on Fox & Friends on April 2, 2012 (which was World Autism Awareness Day), Trump stated that he suspects that vaccines may be linked to autism.[203] This, as well as similar remarks he made on Twitter the following August,[204] led many to criticize Trump for making dangerous and inaccurate statements regarding the causes of autism.[203][205] His remarks on Twitter led Richard Besser, ABC News's Chief Health and Medical editor, to label them "shameful":
"The autism-vaccine link has been disproven. Spreading shots out over a long period of time will not reduce the number of children who develop autism but it will leave more children vulnerable to infectious diseases for a longer period of time than necessary. That can kill children."[203]


Donald Trump
Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Trump in 2011
Born Donald John Trump
June 14, 1946 (age 67)
Queens, New York City, US
Residence Trump Tower
Manhattan, New York City, US
Alma mater Fordham University
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Occupation  • Chairman and president of The Trump Organization[1]
 • Chairman of Trump Plaza Associates, LLC[2]
 • Chairman of Trump Atlantic City Associates[2]
 • Host of The Apprentice
Years active 1968–present
Salary $60 million[2]
Net worth Increase $3.9 billion March 2014[2]
Political party
Republican (Before 1999; 2009–2011; 2012-present)
Reform Party (1999–2001)[3]
Democratic (2001–2009)[4]
Independent (2011–2012)[5]
Religion Presbyterianism[6]
Spouse(s) Ivana Zelníčková (1977–1992)
Marla Maples (1993–1999)
Melania Knauss (2005–present)
Children Donald
Ivanka
Eric
Tiffany
Barron
Signature Donald Trump Signature.svg
Website
Official website
Donald John Trump, Sr. (born June 14, 1946) is an American business magnate, investor,[7] television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts.[1] Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner, and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have made him a well-known celebrity who was No. 17 on the 2011 Forbes Celebrity 100 list.[2]
Considered one of best known real estate entrepreneurs in the United States, Trump is the son of Fred Trump, a wealthy New York City real-estate developer.[8] He worked for his father's firm, Elizabeth Trump & Son, while attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1968 officially joined the company.[9] He was given control of the company in 1971 and renamed it The Trump Organization.[10][11]
In 2010, Trump expressed an interest in becoming a candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election,[12][13] though in May 2011, he announced he would not be a candidate.[14][15] Trump was a featured speaker at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[16] In 2013, Trump spent over $1 million to research a possible run for president of the United States in 2016.[17][18]