I’m in the process of writing my fifth book.
My first was The Trump Factor: Unlocking the Secrets Behind the Trump Empire, which I self-published in 2016. Then there was The Intelligent REIT Investor: How to Build Wealth With Real Estate Investment Trusts.
After that, I published The Intelligent REIT Investor Guide: How to Sleep Well at Night With Safe and Reliable Divide Income through Wiley. And just a year and a half ago, REITs for Dummies hit the bookshelves, fulfilling a goal I’d had for a while.
Joining that franchise was a dream come true, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am even now for the opportunity. But I’m not done yet.
I have several other Dummies topics I want to get out there, including one about business development companies. And there are plenty of other investment topics to cover.
But this next book? It’s much more about my “first love,” real estate – with a twist.
Today, I’m going to share my big idea for Book No. 5 with you.
It’s about Donald Trump.
How I Met Donald Trump
I don’t have an exact title just yet, but let’s call it The Trump Factor 2.0 for now. And yes, it will be about real estate. But I plan to go much further than that. I have to.
I’ve shared my enthusiasm for the future of the economy and markets under a second Trump administration. Some readers are skeptical. Others think I’m crazy.
If you’re in that camp, I don’t blame you.
Believe it or not, I still think people underestimate the man. And I say that because I’ve known him since before he was president.
It was 2013 when I first met Trump. As the editor of Forbes Real Estate Investor at the time, I was always working hard to expand my business contacts. And it was part of my job to interview relevant executives and insiders.
I counted myself pretty fortunate when I snagged a meeting with The Apprentice star.
I told him that I had been fascinated by The Art of the Deal. I remember reading it when I graduated from college while working as a commercial real estate leasing agent.
I also let him know that I wasn’t an average writer or analyst. I’d been an investor for over two decades. I learned the concept of value-creation from the ground up.
As someone who was very involved in every project he financed, I think Trump liked that personal touch. It might have even been a reason why I got to talk to him again…
And again…
And again until my first big book idea struck.
The Trump Factor
The man definitely has an ego. But, believe it or not, that ego is very centered about what he’s actually accomplished. It’s not unsubstantiated.
That’s why it annoyed him so badly that, the way he saw it, Forbes, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Wall Street Journal were all undervaluing his real estate assets. After all, they didn’t understand real estate to begin with.
I didn’t take Trump at his word on that. As much as I enjoyed our meetings, you never take an executive at face value.
One day, I walked into his office and told him about my book idea. If he felt the usual outlets weren’t properly valuing the Trump empire, then I’d have a look.
All I needed from him was access to his people and properties.
Trump’s response: “We have a deal.”
That’s how I came to spend most of 2014 working on the manuscript. That meant traveling to places like Scotland, Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, and West Palm, to name a few.
Wherever Trump had commercial property, there I went.
That took a while, especially when I was financing the entire project myself with a family of seven to provide for while still digging myself out of the 2008 crash.
So, when I finally finished the manuscript in late 2015, Trump had already ridden down the escalator at Trump Tower.
Unfortunately for me and my book-writing aspirations, traditional publishers didn’t see that moment as historic as I did. None of them would give me a contract because none of them thought he would win. So I had to publish my manuscript myself.
Once again, the powers that be had underestimated him.
It’s Different This Time
At the time of the book publishing, I valued the Trump empire at $6.2 billion compared to the $3.3 billion that was commonly cited. And this figure did not include the Trump brand which I valued at $3.3 billion. As I explained in The Trump Factor:
The Trump brand, simply put, is sui generis [i.e., unique]. There is no other brand like it in the world. When you look more closely at the reasons why, you can understand how the value of the brand is defined by the staggering cost of building from scratch a brand of equal scope and power…
In short, Trump’s brand essence is an extension of his outsized personality. And, as I’ve already acknowledged, he’s damn proud of it.
If the first book was about Trump the real estate developer, then the second book will focus more on Trump the president. That includes what it means for the economy… markets… and real estate in general.
I know Trump didn’t deliver on all of his promises during his first term. He wasn’t allowed to. But it’s different this time.
Just look at how Big Tech is – forgive me for putting it like this, but it’s hard to see it any other way – kissing up to him. Tim Cook and Jeff Bezos, for example, have both donated major money to his inaugural fund.
So has Mark Zuckerberg, who also just announced yesterday that Meta Platforms (META) will be ending its third-party fact-checking program that was well-known for leaning anti-Trump.
Those days, it appears, are over.
So when Trump puts together a Department of Government Efficiency board to clean up all the wasteful spending… when he says he’s going to bring business back to the U.S… and when he pledges to make us a safer, smarter place to be…
I believe him. Because I’ve already seen what he can do from a boots-on-the-ground perspective.
It might take some time to implement everything he wants to implement.
But that’s why I’m writing The Trump Factor 2.0, or whatever title I give it. I hope to share more about what I learn – and give updates on progress – in the weeks ahead.
Regards,
Brad Thomas
Editor, Wide Moat Daily
MAILBAG
What do you hope to see in Brad’s next book? Have you read his previous titles? Write us at [email protected].