Trump: How to Get Rich

know it. They will do what they have to do to get the job done and will not necessarily be demure about it.

A lot of people were surprised when I decided to lecture the women about the way they were using their sex appeal. They used it successfully at first, but I knew that would not always be the case. It works, and then it doesn’t, and I didn’t want them to fall into a trap.

All the women on The Apprentice flirted with me—consciously or unconsciously. That’s to be expected. A sexual dynamic is always pres-ent between people, unless you are asexual.

As a result of The Apprentice, several of my esteemed colleagues at The Trump Organization have become TV stars. I was joined in the boardroom every week by George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher. They did for The Apprentice what they do for me every day—pay attention to the details, see the big picture, and give me excellent advice. When I told them I wanted them to appear on the show with me, unscripted and unrehearsed, they approached it just like any other job assignment, with thorough professionalism and astute attention, and they came across as authentic because of that.

At Planet Hollywood in Times Square with George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher.

I chose Carolyn, an executive vice president and the director of one of my largest properties, because she’s shown a lot of smarts over the years. George, an executive vice president and senior counsel, is a shrewd, tough guy with brains—he doesn’t put up with nonsense from anyone.

My executive assistants Rhona Graff and Robin Himmler are also featured regularly, and even though they have high-stress jobs, I think you’ll agree they look anything but stressed on TV. My executives Allen Weisselberg, Charlie Reiss, Norma Foerderer, and Tom Downing also made appearances, and Bernie Diamond appears four times. Whenever I make a big hiring decision, these people are involved, so it was only natural for me to include them in choosing the apprentice.

The only person I had to coax into appearing was my vice president and personal assistant, Norma Foerderer. She prefers being the power behind the throne and didn’t want to be in the limelight, but I finally convinced her.

I’ve been asked how much the success ofThe Apprentice will mean to my business. My pay per episode, while substantial, does not, for me, mean very much. It is nowhere near what the stars of Friends rake in. The real value is in the free advertising and publicity The Trump Organization has been receiving. I can’t put a monetary value on that. Before The Apprentice, the use of my name on a building was worth untold millions of dollars. That value sure has not gone down. I’m told that The Apprentice is the highest-rated show featuring a nonacting businessman in the history of television. When TV viewers think of business in America, a lot of them are going to be thinking about The Trump Organization.

We’re already at work on the second season, to premiere in the fall of 2004. For those of you interested in applying and winning, here are the four essential qualities I’m looking for in an apprentice:

1. An outstanding personality.Someone who makes everyone feel comfortable. No matter what you’re doing in business—selling, buying, negotiating, analyzing, or managing—this may be the most essential trait. You’ve got to be able to connect with the people you encounter, every hour, every day.

2. Brains.Not book brains alone, but street smarts as well. That combination, properly used, is a winner.

3. Creativity.The ability to see beyond the obvious, to think unpredictably and imaginatively, to make connections others might not envision. This is perhaps the hardest quality to develop—you’ve either got it or you don’t. But you can be creative in different ways. Jeff Zucker is a creative TV executive. Derek Jeter is a creative shortstop. If they switched jobs, they might not be as creative in their various fields.

4. Loyalty and trust.Absolutely required traits. Unlike creativity and brains, any person can possess these qualities, so if you lack them, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Let’s suppose, out of the hundreds of thousands of applicants, you’re selected. Let’s suppose you actually win. You become famous for fifteen minutes (or perhaps more) and bag a $250,000-a-year job at The Trump Organization.

Then what?

I titled this bookHow to Get Rich because whenever I meet people that’s usually the first thing they want to know. From reading these pages, I hope you’ve gained a sense of what it takes, how to live your life in the way most likely to result in a vast fortune. Unless you win the lottery or have a bonanza at one of my casinos, you’re not going to get rich purely through luck. You’ll have to work for it, and I’ve tried to show you how.

My ideal goals are success with significance. That’s worth more than the money. Being paid is nice. In most cases, it is absolutely necessary, and a good scorecard for success, but it certainly isn’t the only one. I didn’t do The Apprentice for the money, even though it has been very profitable.

It feels great to be in a position to make a difference, and that’s what I mean when I say success with significance.

I hope you become rich. And I hope you use your talent to make some kind of positive change in your immediate world.

Whatever your job is, that’s your assignment.

Begin now.

You’re hired.

Acknowledgments

This book could not have been written without Meredith McIver, a writer of many talents. She served her apprenticeship with the New York City Ballet, worked on Wall Street, and for the past two years has been an executive assistant at The Trump Organization, stationed at a desk outside my office. As you know, my door is always open, so Meredith has heard everything, and she’s taken good notes. She’s done a remarkable job of helping me put my thoughts and experiences on paper. I am tremendously grateful to her.

Very little happens in my office without Norma Foerderer, who oversees my schedule and has been instrumental in keeping this book project on track in many ways, especially in the coordination of the photographs.

I want to thank my editor at Random House, Jonathan Karp, who asked me to write this book. I first met Jon in 1997, when he editedThe Art of the Comeback. He spent a lot of time in my office, and one day I noticed he was staring at the carpet under my desk. Finally, he said, Donald, what’s the deal with the space heater?

I told him that my feet get cold.

Jon said, “We’re in Trump Tower. It’s your building. Can’t you do something about that?”

It’s important to have an editor who asks the tough questions.

I’m also grateful to many others at Random House who worked long and late hours to produce this book in record time: publisher Gina Centrello; associate publishers Anthony Ziccardi and Elizabeth McGuire; executive director of publicity Carol Schneider; director of publicity Thomas Perry; associate director of publicity Elizabeth Fogarty; editorial assistants Jonathan Jao (who did an excellent job with the photos) and Casey Reivich; art director Gene Mydlowski; managing editor Benjamin Dreyer; production chief Lisa Feuer;design director Carole Lowenstein; production manager Richard Elman; production editor Janet Wygal; copy editor Ginny Carroll; advertising director Magee Finn; rights directors Claire Tisne and Rachel Bernstein; and everyone in the Random House sales force, which is the best in the business.

At The Trump Organization, I am surrounded by home-run, grand-slam people: Matthew Calamari, Allen Weisselberg, George Ross, Bernie Diamond, Jason Greenblatt, Rhona Graff, Tony Morace, Andy Weiss, Don Jr., Jeff, Eric, and many more.

Meredith McIver would like to thank Mark Burnett, Richard Casares, Steve Palitz, the Bosworth Family, George Balanchine, Alain Bernardin, Christophe D’Astier, Peter Irigoin, and Richard Irigoin. To my family, you are the best. To everyone at The Trump Organization, it’s an honor to work with you. To my officemates Rhona Graff and Robin Himmler, a special thanks for your support. To Norma Foerderer and Mr. Trump, thank you both for making every day an adventure. To Mr. Trump, you are a writer’s delight. I will never be at a loss for ideas. Thank you very much.