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.

In the world of high-stakes real estate and presidential politics, Donald Trump often appears as a self-made icon of American success. Yet, beneath the gilded glamour and golden façades lies a more complex narrative. Through the lens of his sprawling empire and familial inheritance, "Lucky Loser" delves into Trump's world of opulence and illusion, unraveling the myth of his self-fabricated triumphs.

The book challenges readers to ponder what truly defines success as it uncovers the financial escapades, calculated gambles, and uncanny resilience of a controversial figure.

Donald Trump squandered his father’s fortune on failed business ventures. His public image was meticulously crafted to mask financial failings. The book challenges the perception of Trump's business acumen.

Lucky Loser" unveils the saga of Donald Trump\'s financial journey beginning with an inheritance that could have secured long-lasting wealth. Instead it became a testament to risky business decisions that often led to spectacular failures. The book traces the missteps that marked his journey from a hopeful heir to the helm of troubled ventures.

\nIn the shadow of colossal real estate projects and ambitious enterprises Trump\'s financial horizons wavered. Beyond the opulent towers and splashy branding the narrative reveals a more precarious reality. By constructing strategic perceptions of success Trump managed to navigate through financial turbulence while maintaining an image many believed emblematic of American ambition.

\nAs readers navigate the intricate web of financial maneuvers they gain insight into how Trump managed to create a tapestry of success despite substantial setbacks. The story underscores a blend of charisma audacity and relentless self-promotion elements that fueled his relentless pursuit of triumph against the odds. \nIn exposing the myths of his business acumen the book prompts a re-evaluation of economic achievement encouraging a fresh dialogue on celebrity wealth and legacy.

The narrative investigates the faculties and liabilities entwined in Trump\'s character offering readers a comprehensive examination of how perceptions of success can be constructed. \nUltimately Lucky Loser" is a compelling exploration into the magnetic allure of celebrity and wealth—forces that often blur the lines between reality and illusion. It paints a detailed portrait of a complex figure whose story leaves an indelible mark on American culture politics and the global stage.

The book's meticulous research illuminates the gaps between perception and reality in Trump's financial life Through detailed analyses and anecdotes readers gain insight into the mechanisms behind his public persona The narrative style is both engaging and accessible breaking down intricate financial concepts into digestible sections that captivate a wider audience Readers are drawn into a saga that reads not just as biography but as a larger commentary on American success While tracing Trump's trajectory the book offers an incisive critique of celebrity culture and the power of branding It provokes readers to question the ethical boundaries of self-promotion and the allure of perceived success.