Donald Trump Research Paper

Little Donald walked around his dad's apartment complex and saw how his dad ran his business. Donald admired how his father managed his employees and kept on track with what needed to get done. Donald couldn't believe how a pile of dirt could turn into a building where people would live. He asked his dad how this all worked and his dad replied hard work and dedication. He then asked his father if he would teach him and his dad replied with a smile "yes." From that moment on in time, Donald Trump has revolutionized the real estate market and how it is run. He is the best at his profession and nobody can beat him with his deal making skills. This is Donald Trump's guideline to his life and success. The definition of success means
a lot of different things to different people. Most people think to be a success in life you need to have money and power. Some feel success is achieved only by working 24 hours a day and becoming a millionaire. Some feel success is achieved by being the head of a major corporation. Others would argue that success means having a healthy family with a roof over their head. The word success means a "degree or measure of succeeding, having a favorable or desired outcome." (Merriam-Webster-Online Dictionary) Success can also mean achieving a goal or to be happy with your life. As we can all agree, Donald Trump is a success in life. He is married, has five children, and loves what he does for a living. His definition of success or being successful is not measured by how much you undertake but by what you finally accomplish. Donald once said that, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." (Think Big) This is how Donald Trump lives his life. His theory is to, "Get in, get it done, get it done right, and get out." (Trump Never Give Up) This is how Donald Trump views success in the business world as well as his personal life. Donald Trump, at age 13, was sent to New York Military Academy because his father thought the discipline from the school would help him become more responsible and successful. While there, he instantly proved himself to be a leader. He became friends with everyone at the school and rose up to become a star athlete as well as a student leader. He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and moved on to Fordham University. Donald Trump didn't like the University and transferred to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. This is where he learned how to manage his business skills. While attending Wharton, he started buying and selling properties for the first time. He first got a taste of the real estate business when his father would stay at work, fix up apartments, and sell them without using a middle man. He once said, "Nothing is easy. Sometimes you just have to be stubborn as well as patient." (Trump Never Give Up) From that moment on, Donald Trump's father taught him the inside secrets of becoming a successful real estate developer. Hard work and dedication would soon pay off for Donald Trump. Donald Trump's family was meant to be in the real estate business.
His father bought and fixed up apartments in New York and made good money off of it. When Donald's brother Robert had the chance to get into the business he quickly decided it wasn't for him and followed his dreams in becoming a pilot. This gave Donald the reigns to help in his father's company. In 1997, Donald married Ivana Velnickova and had three children. They got divorced in 1992 due to Donald's being involved to much in his company. However, from 1993 to 1999, he was married to Marla Maples and had one child. In both of these marriages Donald had prenuptial agreements signed protecting his money and assets. He stated that if he didn't have these agreements signed, "I probably would have lost everything." (Think Big) In 2005, Donald went on to marry his third wife, Melania Knauss and had one more child. He is still married to Melania
today. When Donald Trump began his career in real estate he was in college buying and selling apartment complexes.
One of the first big deals he dealt with was the foreclosed Swifton Village Apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he purchased it eight hundred apartments were vacant out of twelve hundred. He renovated it and had 100% occupancy rate within a year. When he put the complex up for sale, Donald saw the fruits of his deal as he would call it. He bought Swifton Village for six million and sold it for twelve million, clearing six million dollars in profit. This is when he realized that, "Creative positive thinking can be a powerful source for success." (Trump Never Give Up ) Donald Trump continued flipping a profit by buying and selling real estate that was either in despair or in financial
troubles. Donald Trump created Trump Organization which has thirty-three real estate projects in development worldwide including Trump International Hotel and Towers which he was also the developer in. He created the Trump Trademark which was placed on vodka, shirts, ties, and suits which all bear his name. Donald Trump states, "I push myself to deliver the very best in everything I do because it has my name on it." (Think Big) Another major accomplishment for Trump was when he bought the Penn Central Railroad property in Manhattan for one hundred million dollars. This was the largest development ever approved. He built sixteen high rise buildings including the Trump Tower which has an eighty foot waterfall in it. One of Trump's philosophies is, "I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big." (Flashy Symbol of an Acquisitive Age: Donald Trump) Nothing Donald Trump does is small. Everything he does is huge and over the top which is why most people are usually so drawn by what he has built. Besides real estate, Donald Trump also owns casinos such as the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and casinos in Las Vegas. He developed golf courses in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Canouan Island in the Grenadines and one in Scotland. He owns his own TV show, The Apprentice and also has ownership and broadcast rights to the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants. His production company is based in Los Angeles, California. He has written several books about his success stories in life and how he overcame challenges. Some of these books include Trump: The Way to the Top, Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump: The Art of the Comeback, and several more. Along with the ups that Donald Trump has had, he has also faced many challenges along the way. He encountered divorces from two of his wives, the stock market crash of 1992 along with a recession, and bankruptcy problems with his casino. Although he faced some difficult times, he always managed to bounce back. He found ways to restructure loans and take back control of the casino that was in bankruptcy. He managed this without the help of investors. He never liked to deal with or pay investors. According to Donald, "I just believe in investing my own money. I don't like paying fees to people to invest my money." (Sachs ) Through all of his experiences he always comes out on top and stronger than ever every time. According to Forbes 400 Richest Americans 2009 list published September 30, 2009, Donald Trump is worth approximately two billion dollars today. He was the 158th richest person in America in 2009. If you were to ask Donald Trump himself, he would tell you that his net worth is much more than this. He stated, "My brand alone is worth $5 billion." (#158 Donald Trump - The Forbes 400 Richest Americans 2009) He is still currently involved in real estate transactions, developing golf courses, writing books about accomplishments he has made in his life, and television production. He truly loves what he does. Donald Trump showed strong leadership abilities starting at the age of thirteen when he attended the New York Military Academy. He furthered his education at the Wharton School of Finance where he first started getting involved in real estate transactions. From that point forward, Donald Trump has become a force to be reckoned with in the business world. He has developed several high rise buildings, Trump Towers , hotels, casinos, golf courses, as well as having his own trademark on vodka, shirts, ties, and suits. He has his own television production company, has written several books, raised five children, and is happily married. He is ranked one hundred fifty-eight out the top four hundred richest people in the United States even in times of a trying economy when even the rich people are losing millions of dollars. Donald Trump is, without a doubt, a happy, successful individual.