OceanofPDF.com How To Get Rich - Donald Trump

How To Get Rich

How To Get Rich
Introduction
Five Billion Reasons Why You Should Read This Book
A lot has happened to us all since 1987. That’s the yearThe
Art of the Deal was published and became the bestselling
business book of the decade, with over three million copies in
print.
(Business Rule #1: If you don’t tell people about your
success, they probably won’t know about it.)
A few months ago, I picked upThe Art of the Deal,
skimmed a bit, and then read the first and last paragraphs. I
realized that after seventeen years they still rang true. I could
have written these words yesterday:
First paragraph:I don’t do it for the money. I’ve got
enough, much more than I’ll ever need. I do it to do it. Deals
are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or
write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big
deals. That’s how I get my kicks.
Last paragraph:Don’t get me wrong. I also plan to keep
making deals, big deals, and right around the clock.
It’s now 2004, I’m still making deals around the clock, and
I still don’t do it for the money.
I don’t think you should do it for the money, either. Money
is not an end in itself, but it’s sometimes the most effective
way to help us realize our dreams. So if you’ve got big dreams
and you’re looking for a way to make them happen, this book
is for you.
How to Get Rich.That’s what I decided to call it, because
whenever I meet people, that’s usually what they want to know
from me. You ask a baker how he makes bread. You ask a
billionaire how he makes money.
Sure, there have been countless how-to-get-rich books
written by millionaires. Billionaire authors are harder to find.
Billionaire authors with interests in real estate, gaming, sports,
and entertainment are rarer still.
And billionaire authors with their own Manhattan
skyscrapers and hit prime-time TV series are the rarest of all.

I’m pretty sure I’m the only one, though Oprah could give me
a run for the money if she ever decides to write another book
and get into real estate.
Business Rule #2: Keep it short, fast, and direct. The
following pages will be straightforward and succinct, but don’t
let the brevity of these passages prevent you from savoring the
profundity of the advice you are about to receive. These stories
and words of wisdom have been distilled from almost thirty
years at the top.
So here it comes: The Scoop from The Donald. After you
make your first billion, don’t forget to send me a thank-you
note. You know the address.
Business Rule #3: Begin working at a young age. I did.
InThe Art of the Deal,I mentioned my nemesis and mentor
at New York Military Academy, Theodore Dobias, here on my
left. Major General John Brugmannis on my right.
Be a General
I am the chairman and president of The Trump
Organization. I like saying that because it means a great deal to
me. There are almost twenty thousand members of this
organization at this point. I did a print ad once in which I
declared, I only work with the best. That statement still stands.
More and more, I see that running a business is like being a
general. Calling the shots carries a great deal of responsibility,
not only for yourself, but for your troops. Your employees’
lives, to a large extent, are dependent on you and your
decisions. Bad strategy can end up affecting a lot of people.
This is where being a leader takes on a new dimension. Every
decision you make is an important one, whether there are
twenty thousand people working for you or just one.
If you are careful when finding employees, management
becomes a lot easier. I rely on a few key people to keep me
informed. They know I trust them, and they do their best to
keep that trust intact.
For example, when I need to know something about my
casinos and hotels in Atlantic City, I know I can call up Mark
Brown, my CEO, and get a fast and informed answer. If I call
Laura Cordovano over at Trump Park Avenue and ask about
sales, she’ll give it to me exactly as it is. If I call Allen

Weisselberg, my CFO, he’ll tell me what I need to know in
twenty words or less. My senior counsel andApprentice
adviser, George Ross, can do it in ten words or less. Find
people who suit your business style and you’ll have fewer
problems to deal with as time goes on.
Good people equals good management and good
management equals good people. They have to work together
or they won’t work together for very long. I’ve seen good
management get by with mediocre people, and I’ve also seen
excellent people get stuck in the mires of bad management.
The good managers will eventually leave, followed by the
good workers, and you will be left with a team that gets along
because they’re all mediocre. Save yourself time by getting the
best people you can. Sometimes this can mean choosing
attitude over experience and credentials. Use your creativity to
come up with a good mix.
Creative people rarely need to be motivated—they have
their own inner drive that refuses to be bored. They refuse to
be complacent. They live on the edge, which is precisely what
is needed to be successful and remain successful.
One of my former employees was in charge of a new
project. He had done a thorough and acceptable job, but I felt
that something was missing. It wasn’tfantastic, which,
knowing his capabilities, it should have been. I decided to
challenge his creative ego by mentioning that it was fine but
seemed to lack inspiration. I politely asked him whether he
was genuinely interested in the project and suggested that
perhaps that might be the problem.
Well, the guy went ballistic on me. He was deeply insulted.
And, as you can probably guess, the revision he turned in
was terrific. The difference between the first draft and the final
version was incredible. I didn’t slam the guy because he was
usually demanding of himself and had never let me down. But
I had to give him a jolt.
Generals motivate their soldiers; they inspire them when it
is necessary. They do the same for their highest-ranking
officers. We all need a boost now and then. Learn how to tailor
your method to the personalities you are managing.
Keep the big picture in mind while attending to the daily
details. This can seem like a balancing act, but it is absolutely