Table of Contents
Copyright 2008 by Trump University. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Trump, Donald, 1946-
Trump never gice up: how I turned my biggest challenges into success / Donald Trump with Meredith McIver.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-470-19084-5 (cloth)
1. Success in business 2. Business failures 3. Management 4. Trump, Donald, 1946- I. McIver, Meredith. II. Title.
HF5386.T81484 2008
658.4092dc22
2007033359
To my parents,
Mary and Fred Trump
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is a pleasure to work with my team at the Trump Organization, which includes my chief assistant, Rhona Graff, my co-author Meredith McIver, and our photo coordinator, Kacey Kennedy. Your efforts and efficiency make my job much easier, and Im grateful for your help. Id also like to mention other members of the Trump Organization who helped, namely Allen Weisselberg, Ivanka Trump, Andy Weiss, George Sorial, and Jeff McConney. Your dedicated work is greatly appreciated. A special thanks to Julius Schwarz of Bayrock and to Jim Fazio.
To the Trump University team: This collaboration has been as enjoyable as our first, Trump 101: The Way to Success, and Id like to thank Michael Sexton and his very fine team for their outstanding performance.
To Richard Narramore, senior editor of John Wiley & Sons, and Miriam Palmer-Sherman, production manager, my thanks for your continued and excellent work. I also want to acknowledge Mike Freeland, cover designer.
DONALD J. TRUMP
INTRODUCTION
WHAT GOES THROUGH MY MIND WHEN I HEAR THE WORD NO
This book is about a subject near and dear to my heartnever giving up. Needless to say, I have a lot of experience in this area, so I feel I have some insight on the subject. Ive written a number of books already, and I dont need the money, but its a subject I feel strongly enough about to take the time to write about it.
The first big No that hit me came when I was first starting out in Manhattan in the 1970s, and everyoneand I mean everyonetold me that it was a terrible time for real estate. Even people who were well established were saying that. What they were saying was truethe market had definitely cooled, and there was no denying that fact. Even worse, there was serious talk about New York City going bankrupt. Then the federal government announced a moratorium on housing subsidies. The city had been receiving them in abundance, and suddenly, that was no more.
If Id only considered the facts, which werent too rosy, there is no way I would have ventured into real estate. But I did. Why? Because when I hear the word No it becomes a challenge to me. I believe the so-called impossible is actually very often possible, if youre willing to work very hard, and if you realize that problems can become opportunities. New York City was having problems, but maybe I could do something about those problems. That kind of attitude can give you the power to conquer obstacles and succeed in the face of long odds. I want this book to help you do just that.
As I went along, I realized that every project came with its own set of major challenges, and I began to learn to expect them. That was okay because I was prepared. Thats another reason Im writing Never Give Upto let you know you should be prepared and to try to help you with the situations you might encounter. Our experiences will not be the same, but Ive learned a great deal from reading about other people and history and by applying what Ive learned to my own circumstances. My hope is that you will do the same. Learn from my problems and experiences, and youll do a better job of anticipating and solving your own. And remember, the way I see it, the bigger the problem, the bigger your chance for greatness.
One thing Ive learned is that discouragement should not be tolerated for very long. Its okay to get fed up a bit and maybe gripe for a minute or two. Personally, I like to go golfing when Im stressed or just swing a club in my office. But feeling negative should be a very temporary state of mind. Its hard, but there is a form of mental courage that can be cultivatedand you will see in the following chapters some examples of how I dealt with some pretty big blows and setbacks. Of course, a lot of things are just irritatingso dont be surprised and dont overestimate them in your mind. Learn to put them in perspective. Youll see in this book how I learned to do that.
Having confidence in yourself is key to being resilient and staring adversity in the face. This book is dedicated to giving you that foundation of confidenceand the abilityand desireto never give up!
See you in the winners circle.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE LOWEST MOMENT IN MY LIFE AND HOW I FOUGHT BACK
A Billion Dollars in the Hole
What do you do when the entire world tells you its over? I had such an amazing reversal of fortune in the early 1990s that I am listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest financial turnaround in history. I dont recommend anyone aim for the same goal, but when youve been on the financial high wire, it gives you a certain perspective that might be helpful to other people.
