From the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters behind the 2018 bombshell New York Times exposé of then-President Trump’s finances, an explosive investigation into the history of Donald Trump’s wealth, revealing how one of the country’s biggest business failures lied his way into the White House Soon after announcing his first campaign for the US presidency, Donald J. Trump told a national television audience that life “has not been easy for me. It has not been easy for me.” Building on a narrative he had been telling for decades, he spun a hardscrabble fable of how he parlayed a small loan from his father into a multi-billion-dollar business and real estate empire.

This feat, he argued, made him singularly qualified to lead the country. Except: None of it was true. Born to a rich father who made him the beneficiary of his own highly lucrative investments, Trump received the equivalent of more than $500 million today via means that required no business expertise whatsoever.

Drawing on over twenty years’ worth of Trump’s confidential tax information, including the tax returns he tried to conceal, alongside business records and interviews with Trump insiders, New York Times investigative reporters Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig track Trump's financial rise and fall, and rise and fall again. For decades, he squanders his fortunes on money losing businesses, only to be saved yet again by financial serendipity. He tacks his name above the door of every building, while taking out huge loans he’ll never repay.

He obsesses over appearances, while ignoring threats to the bottom line and mounting costly lawsuits against city officials. He tarnishes the value of his name by allowing anyone with a big enough check to use it, and cheats the television producer who not only rescues him from bankruptcy but casts him as a business savant – the public image that will carry him to the White House. A masterpiece of narrative reporting, Lucky Loser is a meticulous examination spanning nearly a century, filled with scoops from Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago, Atlantic City, and the set of The Apprentice .

At a moment when Trump’s tether to success and power is more precarious than ever, here for the first time is the definitive true accounting of Trump and his money – what he had, what he lost, and what he has left – and the final word on the myth of Trump, the self-made billionaire.

Delve into the enigmatic world of Donald Trump, where perceptions of wealth and success are often at odds with reality. Lucky Loser uncovers the fascinating tale of a man who, despite inheriting vast fortunes, managed to create a larger-than-life persona built on illusion. This eye-opening book challenges readers to re-evaluate what they think they know about success and legacy in the modern age.

Trump inherited wealth but failed to sustain it through genuine business practices. The persona of Trump is a calculated facade veiling mixed business decisions. Public perception often oversimplifies or overlooks the complexities of inherited wealth.

Lucky Loser takes readers on a gripping journey through the lesser-known aspects of Donald Trump's financial life unpacking how his initial inheritance was utilized and mismanaged. Donald Trump is often portrayed as a self-made billionaire but this book provides a contrasting narrative revealing the truth behind the glitz and glamor. As readers explore this narrative they see the mechanisms Trump employed to maintain an image of success including strategic real estate branding and media manipulation.

The author meticulously examines Trump's business track record demystifying myths about his financial acumen and exposing vulnerabilities he often keeps hidden. Through careful analysis Lucky Loser questions traditional notions of financial achievement urging readers to look beyond surface appearances in understanding wealth.

The book offers a meticulous examination of inherited wealth challenging readers to rethink concepts of success and entrepreneurship in a candid way By dissecting media portrayals versus reality this work illuminates the profound influence public relations can have on personal legacy The author's incisive commentary and analysis provide a balanced perspective making it a captivating read for those questioning familiar narratives of wealth and power.