Amassing a vast fortune, going bankrupt, and then rising back to the top of the billionaires' list—Donald Trump has always been known for his boundless energy, business acumen, and openness to new horizons. His words about resuming a productive dialogue with Russia during his presidency ring true: Donald Trump's biography proves that these statements are indeed credible. Ruposters discovered that the relationship between Trump and representatives of our country began several decades ago—long before the famous 2013 Miss Universe pageant at Moscow's Crocus City Hall, where Russian showbiz stars posed en masse with Trump, reports Ruposters.
Waiting for a change
The history of Donald Trump's special relationship with Russia begins in the waning days of the Soviet Union, when Trump publicly offered his services to the Ronald Reagan administration in strategic arms control negotiations with the USSR.
The businessman's first desire to participate in international politics was voiced in 1985 by The Washington Post, in a conversation with which Trump stated that he considered himself a more successful and powerful negotiator than American politicians, despite the fact that at that time he knew nothing about nuclear warheads.
A couple of years later, Trump visited the Soviet Union for the first time. After visiting Moscow and Leningrad in 1987, where he negotiated the construction of hotels under his brand, Trump admitted:
"It's a remarkable place. The Soviet Union is truly making efforts toward open cooperation with other countries and toward democratization."
Disappointment in the General Secretary
The hotel deal fell through, but the world was surprised when Gorbachev, during a working visit to the United States in 1988, planned to stop by the famous Trump Tower for lunch. The meeting was supposed to be private, and Trump promised to show the Soviet leader "true American hospitality" and the advantages of the capitalist system.
Plans for a cup of tea fell through at the last minute. In an interview with Playboy magazine, the construction magnate made several harsh statements about Gorbachev personally and the Soviet Union as a whole, calling the first and last president of the USSR "weak," incapable of "toughness," and predicting a revolutionary outcome to Perestroika. The interview was published in March 1990.
"The whole system is a complete disaster. There's going to be a revolution there [in the USSR] soon; everything's pointing in that direction, demonstrations, pickets. Russia's in overdrive, and everyone knows it. That's my beef with Gorbachev—he's too weak."
Construction boom of the 90s
Trump only returned to discussing new deals with Russia in 1996. In December of that year, Moscow Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Resin made a sensational announcement: negotiations were underway with a "legendary realtor" regarding plans to renovate the Moskva and Rossiya hotels.
At the same time, Trump was negotiating with the development company Ducat-Ligget, which was building a business center on Hasek Street. The businessman wanted to propose a personal project to build a Russian Trump Tower. The potential investment was approximately $300 million.
Ultimately, Donald Trump had nothing to offer either the developers or Luzhkov's mayor's office except his name. He was unable to secure funding from outside investors due to the collapse of the American real estate market in the early 90s, and Trump refused, on principle, to build with his own money.
The Black Swan and General Lebed
That same year, 1996, Trump surprised the American political elite by meeting with Russian presidential candidate, retired General Alexander Lebed.
While other Wall Street players were cautious and keeping an eye on the decisive Russian military leader, Trump invited Lebed, who had just arrived in the US, to his tower and, while examining Shaquille O'Neal's sneakers, Mike Tyson's championship belt, Evander Holyfield's gloves, and other sports memorabilia, discussed the construction of hotels and casinos in Moscow, preferably close to the Kremlin.
In response, Lebed laughed good-naturedly: "The tallest tower in Moscow can't be built next to the Kremlin. What if someone starts spying on the Kremlin's affairs from the roof?"
Trump made no secret of his impression of Lebed in an interview with a journalist from the liberal New Yorker, who was then writing exclusively complimentary things about the businessman:
"No one would ever think of playing nuclear war with this guy [Lebed]. So cool and unflappable! He's not your run-of-the-mill real estate agent, no matter how tough and mean he might be. He's on a different level, you can see it in his eyes. A real killer! Did you see me ask him, 'You were a boxer, right?'? He's got a rubber nose! But he liked me. When we were walking to the elevator, he grabbed me, held me, and clearly felt right at home. He likes what I do. And I'll tell you what: I did a good job for the good of the country today."
connoisseur of beauty
During one of his visits to the Russian capital in the mid-90s, Trump met with Zurab Tsereteli, a well-known sculptor and artist in Moscow. The billionaire arrived with plans to create a massive, Statue of Liberty-sized monument to Christopher Columbus in Manhattan.
The project was never realized due to the city council's disapproval, and the billionaire abandoned the idea. But Tsereteli still erected a monument to the discoverer of America, this time in Puerto Rico.
Trump Vodka
Trump "forgot" about Russia for a full ten years, reappearing in Russian news in 2007, notable for his deal with Recolte (Crystal) to sell a premium vodka bearing his name. The vodka was called Trump, but against the backdrop of the rapidly growing liquor market, it failed to become a truly noticeable or successful brand.
The idea of "selling his name" to Russian developers haunted Donald, and in 2008, his representatives were negotiating in three cities—Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Sochi—about building Trump-branded skyscrapers and Trump hotels. Media reports indicated that private negotiations with the Trump Organization had been ongoing earlier, but by the onset of the first wave of the crisis, they had failed—Trump demanded up to 25% of the project costs for his brand.
Making money on a Russian oligarch
One of the American's successful deals included his collaboration with Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev, then the owner of Uralkali, who purchased Trump's Palm Beach, Florida, estate in 2008. The deal cost the Russian billionaire $100 million, more than double the mansion's original price.
A view of Rybolovlev's $100 million Florida estate
Experts estimate that, even taking into account the mortgage crisis in the US, the mansion was purchased at 30% above market value, and Donald Trump ultimately earned nearly $60 million on the resale. Local realtors claim that the Russian oligarch has not set foot on the estate since the transaction.
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