How Many Times Has Donald Trump Filed Bankruptcy

He Holds His Partner Hostage

Trumps bankruptcies led to the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars by his lenders. Other businesses that are underperforming Theyve written off losses often and given Trump more credit because its better than liquidation.

A former chairman of New Jerseys casino commission, Trump was described as too big for failure Atlantic City: If his casinos had stopped operating, it could have devastated the local economy.

Lenders and gaming officials came up with ways to keep Trump in the game while decreasing his control over these businesses. This was so that he wouldnt be able to take over again.

Numerous Republican senators and members are now linked to Trump through the political equivalent of a bank relationship. In a bid to be the political leader, Trumps fellow Republicans gave their support.

They were also winning when Trump was winning. If Trump loses, many of them will follow him. This could result in Republicans losing Senate elections in Arizona, Colorado and Iowa as well as North Carolina and giving Democrats control of the Senate.

Democrats will also control the executive and legislative branches if Biden wins the White House in a sweeping defeat for Trump and his GOP allies.

Donald Trump’s Companies Filed For Bankruptcy 4 Times

Trump still touts his business sense and wealth as qualifications for president.

Donald Trump’s Bankruptcy History

Trump has built an American empire from Las Vegas to New York with towering hotels and sparkling casinos. Forbes estimates he’s worth $2.7 billion. But not all of Trump’s business ventures have been constant money-makers. In 1991, 1992, 2004, and again in 2009, Trump branded companies or properties have sought Chapter 11 protection.

“I’ve used the laws of this country to pare debt. … We’ll have the company. We’ll throw it into a chapter. We’ll negotiate with the banks. We’ll make a fantastic deal. You know, it’s like on ‘The Apprentice.’ It’s not personal. It’s just business,” Trump told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos last Thursday.

A business declaring bankruptcy is nothing new in corporate America, where bankruptcy is often sugar-coated as “restructuring debt.” But it might seem alarming to everyday Americans who can’t get a bank to restructure their home loans. If you want to get Donald Trump hot under the collar, accuse him of declaring bankruptcy.

Doug Heller, the executive director of Consumer Watchdog, said Trump is the “most egregious, almost comical example” of the disparity between what the average American faces when going through bankruptcy and the “ease with which the very rich can move in and out of bankruptcy.”

“I’m a much bigger businessman. I mean, my net worth is many, many, many times Mitt Romney’s,” Trump said.

Trump Ice Natural Spring Water

Trump Ice was a bottled water brand. The winner of The Apprentice Season 2, Kelly Perdew, served as executive vice president of the organization.

The company’s website no longer exists, and the product can no longer be found in national grocery chains or stores but some can still be found on eBay and other auction sites.

The company was used as a gimmick in the show’s first season when contestants marketed and sold the product.

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Fourth Time’s A Charm: How Donald Trump Made Bankruptcy Work For Him

Trump Plaza, Atlantic City. Image via Flickr.

Here at FORBES, we’ve been tracking Donald Trump‘s wealth since the inaugural Forbes 400 rich list in 1982. Today, we value him at $2.7 billion, although he claims he’s worth far more. One question we’re often asked when talk turns to Trump’s fortune: how can a man who has been bankrupt so many times remain a multi-billionaire? How is he worth more now, post-bankruptcies? We spoke to bankruptcy lawyers and casino industry experts — some of whom have had firsthand involvement in Chapter 11 cases connected to Trump — in an attempt to explain how he has survived corporate bankruptcies and thrived in the aftermath.

1. It’s nothing personal…

First things first: Donald Trump has filed for corporate bankruptcy four times, in 1991, 1992, 2004 and 2009. All of these bankruptcies were connected to over-leveraged casino and hotel properties in Atlantic City, all of which are now operated under the banner of Trump Entertainment Resorts. He has never filed for personal bankruptcy — an important distinction when considering his ability to emerge relatively unscathed, at least financially.

“Corporations, limited partnerships, and LLCs in which he had an ownership interest or companies that had his name attached have filed for bankruptcy,” said Michael Viscount of Atlantic City law firm

In Presidential Bid)

2. …it’s just business.

3. It’s better than the alternative.

4. He’s leveraged his persona.

6. He’s not the one to blame.

Mixing Business And Politics

Trump’s potential conflicts of interest were a prominent topic throughout his tenure from 2017 through 2020. As president, the enormous power he had at his command made it more important than ever to understand his long list of businesses and how they could intersect with his public role as president.

These conflicts of interest did not pose a legal problem for Trump. The president and vice president are explicitly exempt from ethics regulations concerning conflicts of interest.

There were other issues, though, such as the emoluments clause, which was written into the U.S. Constitution by the nation’s founders. The clause prohibits the president from accepting things of value from foreign governments.

Many critics say the emoluments clause applies to Trump in several respects. But none of the many legal cases alleging violations by the former president have been concluded, nor does it look like they will be in the near future.

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Despite Holding Huge Assets Trump Needs Money More Than His Presidential Predecessors Ever Did But He Faces Multiple Barriers Of His Own Making

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

As Trump knows only too well, lawyers are expensive

What next for Donald Trump? World leaders dont, as a rule, go hungry upon leaving office. There are positions on corporate boards to take up, lucrative speaking engagements to be booked, handsome advances for books even if they dont sell quite as well as expected . The consulting opportunities are endless, as Tony Blair has proved. Theyre not always terribly savoury but that usually merits only passing attention.

Trump, however, is in the difficult position of needing the money more than any of his predecessors did, despite holding huge assets. He also faces barriers of his own making the insurrection he fomented the most obstructive of all to at least some of the perks former presidents typically enjoy. Many of the people who welcomed George W Bush and cut him a cheque when he wasnt painting wont want to associate with Trump.

His legal problems, meanwhile, are just beginning and legal experts consider the idea of Trump preemptively pardoning himself a non-starter. Besides, this would only cover federal, and not state, offences.

How Donald Trump Bankrupted His Atlantic City Casinos But Still Earned Millions

By Russ Buettner and Charles V. Bagli

ATLANTIC CITY The Trump Plaza Casino and Hotel is now closed, its windows clouded over by sea salt. Only a faint outline of the gold letters spelling out T-R-U-M-P remains visible on the exterior of what was once this citys premier casino.

Not far away, the long-failing Trump Marina Hotel Casino was sold at a major loss five years ago and is now known as the Golden Nugget.

At the nearly deserted eastern end of the boardwalk, the Trump Taj Mahal, now under new ownership, is all that remains of the casino empire Donald J. Trump assembled here more than a quarter-century ago. Years of neglect show: The carpets are frayed and dust-coated chandeliers dangle above the few customers there to play the penny slot machines.

On the presidential campaign trail, Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, often boasts of his success in Atlantic City, of how he outwitted the Wall Street firms that financed his casinos and rode the value of his name to riches. A central argument of his candidacy is that he would bring the same business prowess to the Oval Office, doing for America what he did for his companies.

Atlantic City fueled a lot of growth for me, Mr. Trump said in an interview in May, summing up his 25-year history here. The money I took out of there was incredible.

Many others were glad to see him go.

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No Bankruptcy Is Not Synonymous With Success

Conversely, the absence of bankruptcy declarations is not an indicator of success, as many businesses fail without going through bankruptcy proceedings. A failed business may simply cease operations with the owners and investors absorbing the losses a troubled business on the brink of going under may seek to merge with another company that has the resources to keep it afloat and out of bankruptcy or a dying business may be bought up by another, stronger company, seeking to breathe new life into it or simply to acquire its assets.

And since many business conglomerates comprise multiple companies each of which may offer many different product lines a given company or product may fail spectacularly and rack up losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars without necessarily sending their corporate parents reeling into bankruptcy.

Finally, all bankruptcies are not created equal. A small startup partnership that doesnt quite take off soon enough and seeks bankruptcy protection is quite a different kettle of fish than the corporate entity that is mismanaged so badly and/or for so long that it racks up billions of dollars in debt before going Chapter 11.

Trump Hotels And Casino Resorts

A holding company for three casinos, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts went bankrupt in November 2004. The casino was under a $1.8 billion debt, and the association decided to sell some stake to the bondholders. However, the holding company emerged from bankruptcy within a year in 2005 with a new name- Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. However, the company was still in debt, which pushed Trump to give up his CEO title and sell most of the stocks to the bondholder.

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What We Don’t Know

There are some caveats to keep in mind when assessing the data in the Trump Organization’s financial disclosure forms.

First, the data is unaudited, self-reported data, meaning that readers have to take the company’s word that it’s accurate.

Second, many of the numbers listed as “income” from certain assets seem, instead, to be the revenue from those businesses. This was confirmed when data from Trump’s tax returns were released by The New York Times showing that many of the businesses have been losing money, including some of the largest revenue producers, such as Trump National Doral golf resort.

That being the case, the financial numbers don’t show the amount of money that the former president actually took home as income. For example, in Trump’s 2017 disclosure, he listed his income for the Trump National Doral golf resort as $75 million, which matches the revenue number reported to Miami-Dade County. Net operating income for the resort for that year was dramatically smaller at $4.3 million.

Getting a clear picture of the former president’s businesses is further complicated by the fact that income and asset values are listed in very wide ranges. For example, Mar-a-Lago Club is listed as having a value of “over $50,000,000.” The Trump National Golf Club in Charlotte is listed as worth between $5 million and $25 million.

Trump Entertainment Resorts 2009

His most recent bankruptcy came in 2009, after the company missed a $53.1 million bond payment. That was pretty much the end of the road for Trump in Atlantic City. While his name remained on three casinos, he resigned from the board and gave up his remaining stake in the company.

“I had the good sense, and I’ve gotten a lot of credit in the financial pages, seven years ago I left Atlantic City before it totally cratered,” he said during the debate.

The two Atlantic City casinos that still had the Trump name filed for bankruptcy yet again in 2014. At the time Trump made sure people knew he was no longer running the company, and sued to have his name removed.

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Legal Affairs Of Donald Trump

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In June 2016, USA Today published an analysis of litigation involving Donald Trump, which found that over the previous three decades Trump and his businesses have been involved in 3,500 legal cases in U.S. federal and state courts, an unprecedented number for a U.S. presidential candidate. Of the 3,500 suits, Trump or one of his companies were plaintiffs in 1,900 defendants in 1,450 and bankruptcy, third party, or other in 150. Trump was named in at least 169 suits in federal court. Over 150 other cases were in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida since 1983. In the 1,300 cases where the record establishes the outcome, Trump settled 175 times, lost 38, won 450, and had another 137 cases end with some other outcome. In the other 500 cases, judges dismissed plaintiffs’ claims against Trump.

The topics of the legal cases include contract disputes, defamation claims, and allegations of sexual harassment. Trump’s companies have been involved in more than 100 tax disputes, and on “at least three dozen” occasions the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has obtained tax liens against Trump properties for nonpayment of taxes. On a number of occasions, Trump has threatened legal action but did not ultimately follow through.

How Often Has Donald Trump Declared Bankruptcy

Donald Trumps business record seems riddled with unfortunate events. Despite never having filed for personal bankruptcy, reports state that he filed for business bankruptcy at least four times. But, according to Trump, businesses file for bankruptcy often, and it was a financially intelligent move. He added that hundreds of companies have done the same thing he did.

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Donald Trump Drove His Companies Into Bankruptcy Six Times

United States

Three of Trumps properties filed for bankruptcy in 1992. Three other properties filed for bankruptcy one at a time in 1991, 2004, and 2009.

Trump has previously claimed that he filed for bankruptcy for four of his companies. On Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention, Michael Bloomberg said that Trump had driven six of his companies into bankruptcy. We found that Bloomberg was right, and Trump filed for bankruptcy six times.

Trumps companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which means a company can remain in business while doing away with many of its debts. The bankruptcy court ultimately approves a corporate budget and a plan to repay remaining debts often, shareholders lose much of their equity.

The Washington Post reported that Trumps Taj Mahal, which opened in April 1990 in Atlantic City, defaulted on interest payments to bondholders six months later. In July 1991, Trumps Taj Mahal filed for bankruptcy. He could not keep up with debts on two other Atlantic City casinos, and those two properties declared bankruptcy in 1992. A fourth property, the Plaza Hotel in New York, declared bankruptcy in 1992 after amassing debt.

NBC reported that Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts filed for bankruptcy again in 2004 when his casinos, including the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Marina and Trump Plaza casinos in Atlantic City, and a riverboat casino in Indiana. They had accrued an estimated $1.8 billion in debt.

Reference links

A Trump Atlantic City Timeline

• May 1984: Trump Plaza opens.

• A second casino, Trump Castle, opens. It was later renamed the Trump Marina.

• Trump opens the Taj Mahal, a 42-story, $1 billion casino-hotel, Atlantic Citys first mega-resort.

• Trump Taj Mahal files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

• Trump Plaza and Castle file prepackaged bankruptcy petitions to restructure their balance sheets.

• Trump resigns from the board of directors of Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., which declares bankruptcy.

• The casino company again files for bankruptcy protection and Trump Plaza closes. Carl Icahn, who holds much of Trump Entertainments debt, gains control of it and the Taj Mahal.

• : Hundreds of curious buyers line up for a liquidation sale at the Taj Mahal.

Staff writer Christian Hetrick contributed to this article.

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