For those who might be unaware, for many years I have been a Trump fan. In fact, I was a fan long before he initially decided to run for President, because way back he was talking on how China was ripping us off. Additionally, long before he was elected in 2016, I read his book, The Art of the Deal.
What was this book actually bout?
From C&C:
ChatGPT’s summary of Trump’s 1987 dealmaking philosophy from the book, The Art of the Deal:
1. Think Big; Small deals are a waste of time – Big ideas energize people, attract attention, and create leverage. Trump always preferred huge, ambitious targets – psychologically and strategically.
2. Protect the Downside and the Upside Will Take Care of Itself. – Always have a fallback plan. Limit your risk exposure, then go for the upside. Trump emphasizes hedging, exit options, and
worst-case scenarios.
3. Maximize Your Options – Keep multiple balls in the air. Never commit too early. Flexibility equals power. He often kept multiple potential deals alive just to increase leverage over the one he really wanted.
4. Know Your Market; Do your homework – Understand the field better than your opponents. Trump’s early real estate success came from understanding hidden value in underpriced, neglected areas.
5. Use Leverage – Leverage is everything. Trump constantly looked for ways to make the other party need him more than he needed them – whether through public relations, financing, or threat of walking away.
6. Enhance Your Location – Real estate-specific, but metaphorical too. Even a bad asset can become a great deal if it’s framed properly or repackaged smartly.
7. Get the Word Out – Promotion is key. Trump used the media like a weapon. He believed the perception of success creates actual success by attracting investment, attention, and fear/respect from rivals.
8. Fight Back – Never take hits lying down. Hit back harder – and publicly. Trump’s philosophy was that weakness invites more attacks.
9. Deliver the Goods – For all his hype, Trump emphasized execution. Make sure you can actually perform once the deal is struck. Winning the headlines isn’t enough – you’ve got to build the skyscraper.
10. Contain the Costs; Watch every dime. – Trump was obsessed with cost-cutting, negotiation, and squeezing value from every contractor and supplier.
11. Have Fun; His final rule – if you’re not enjoying the game, you’re in the wrong business.
The above noted ChatGPT summary could well be a keeper as a reference, since at this point DJT is following what he ascribed to in The Art of the Deal.
4/11/25