Donald Trump Famously Failed In Atlantic City, But He’S Scored Big In Vegas, Courtesy Of His Partner, Billionaire Phil Ruffin—Who Is Taking Steps To Open A New Trump Casino There.
It’s two days after Michael Flynn resigned as national security advisor, and the news is wall-to-wall Donald Trump, with a heavy emphasis on his relationship with Russia. Questions abound. What did Flynn discuss with a Russian ambassador weeks before Trump became president? Did he lie about the conversation to Vice President Mike Pence? Who told him to call Russian diplomats in the first place? Was Trump himself involved?
Phil Ruffin sits inside the DJT restaurant, named for Donald J Trump, at the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, and puts down a Trump-filled newspaper. “This stuff about him having financial investments all over Russia—that’s just pure crap,” he says. “I went to Russia with him. We took my airplane. We were having lunch with one of the oligarchs there. No business was discussed. Donald has no investment of any kind in Russia, nor has he borrowed any money from Russia. If he had a business deal there, he would have asked me to go join him.”
Ruffin’s unwavering trust in the president comes via 25 years of personal friendship and one very lucrative ongoing deal. Of Trump’s more than two dozen global business partners, none is closer to him than Ruffin. Most of Trump’s ‘partners’ are more like customers, who pay to put his name on properties and then give him a percentage of revenues. The only person whom the president has invested alongside in a Trump branded property? Phil Ruffin.
This story is from the April 28, 2017 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 28, 2017 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
