What Donald Trump’s Plaza Deal Reveals About His White House Bid
The banks could have easily toppled Mr. Trump into personal bankruptcy, “but we all agreed that he’d be better alive than dead,” said Alan Pomerantz, then head of the real estate department at Weil. “We needed him to help sell all of his assets, and the deal was that as he sold off more, we’d reduce his personal guarantee.”
In effect, the banks allowed Mr. Trump to remain solvent so that they could get the benefit of his gift for salesmanship.
.. An increasing share of his wealth would come in the future from licensing his name, not just to builders but sellers of suits, cologne, chandeliers, mattresses and more.