Mar-a-Lago

[Dos Equis]

Was reading a little about Trump's wife.  She is 24 years younger than Trump.  Former model.  An obvious trophy wife.  That led me to info about her wedding and Trump's Florida estate; examples of the kind of lifestyle Trump leads.  She "wore a $200,000 dress made by John Galliano of the house of Christian Dior, and the cake at the reception was a 50-pound orange Grand Marnier chocolate truffle cake, with a Grand Marnier butter-cream filling, and covered with 3,000 roses created by the chef at Mar-a-Lago."  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melania_Trump

The wedding took place in a 20,000 square foot ballroom on Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.  Here is info about the estate.  As I read it, I queried how Trump can relate to working class people and how his lifestyle of living like a Saudi prince likely helped turn him into the unapologetic, undisciplined, tyrant he is today:
 
Mar-a-Lago (English pronunciation: /mɑɹ.ə.lɑ.goʊ/) is a landmark estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Built from 1924 to 1927 by Marjorie Merriweather Post, the estate is currently owned by The Trump Organization, LLC.

The 126-room, 110,000-square-foot (10,219 mē)[4] house is also the headquarters of the the Mar-a-Lago Club.

Marjorie Merriweather Post built the house with her then-husband Edward F. Hutton. Post hired Marion Sims Wyeth to design the house, and Joseph Urban to create interior design and exterior decorations for the house.[6][7] Upon her death in 1973, Post willed the 17-acre (69,000 m2) estate to the U.S. Government as a retreat for Presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries.[8] However, the mansion was not used for this purpose prior to being declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980.[3][9]

Mar-a-Lago has frequently hosted the International Red Cross Ball, an annual white tie, tails, and tiara ball. Founded by Post, it has a history of attracting wealthy socialites and ambassadors from across the world in support of the mission of the American Red Cross.

Donald Trump paid $10 million for the estate in 1985.[4] After acquiring the property, Trump had the property renovated, with 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, a 29-foot (8.8 m)-long pietra dura marble top dining table, 12 fireplaces, and three bomb shelters. The home also has five clay and one grass tennis court with a waterfront pool. Further additions have been made since then, including a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) ballroom.

In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley spent their honeymoon at Mar-a-Lago.

. . . .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar-a-Lago

[BayGBM]

Though the decor is not to my taste, the Mar-a-Lago Club really is a beautiful place.  I looked into it once and membership is $100,000 per year.  Needless to say I am not a member.  http://www.maralagoclub.com/

Less than three miles away you can enjoy something almost as good at the Breakers hotel also in Palm Beach. I stayed there again a couple weeks ago and it is a phenomenal experience.  The service is excellent... the food is great... distractions for the kids... three pools... all right on the beach.  Get a suite.  It is worth it.  Bay likey!

http://www.thebreakers.com/

[SOMEPARTS]

Did you actually just now figure out Trump is filthy rich? WOW. Haha.

[Dos Equis]

Did you actually just now figure out Trump is filthy rich? WOW. Haha.

You obviously missed the point. 

[Straw Man]

You obviously missed the point. 

was the point that Trump owns this property

[SOMEPARTS]

You are trying to make the point that Trump is LESS in touch with an average person because he built a lifetime of wealth.

Look at his campaign. He had 14,000 residential rentals when he was 27 years old. He knows people.

You don't think he knows the life and motivations of the average person compared to professional politicians, who are mostly ivy league educated/highly insulated lawyers?

Who's missing the point here?

[OzmO]

Wasn't he born into a wealthy family?

Didn't he then begin to run his fathers company (the company his father built worth hundreds of millions) in 1974?

How many times has had to file for bankruptcy?

Yeah, Trump knows people, he knows rich people, movers and shakers. 

His popularity says much about the overall loathing of the present political participants in government and how the uneducated fall easily for him.

[Dos Equis]

You are trying to make the point that Trump is LESS in touch with an average person because he built a lifetime of wealth.

Look at his campaign. He had 14,000 residential rentals when he was 27 years old. He knows people.

You don't think he knows the life and motivations of the average person compared to professional politicians, who are mostly ivy league educated/highly insulated lawyers?

Who's missing the point here?

You. 

I'm making two points:

1.  Trump didn't "build a lifetime of wealth."  He inherited his money.  He has never had to work hard.  His lifestyle is one of excess.  He is unlike most wealthy people who earned their money and don't show most of their wealth.  He has spent a lifetime with servants and people kissing his rear end.  That makes him less likely to relate to working class Americans. 

2.  His kind of extreme lifestyle puts his attitude, personality, and character in perspective.  I think his lifestyle is partly responsible for the narcissistic, reckless, dishonest person we see today.

[Dos Equis]

Wasn't he born into a wealthy family?

Didn't he then begin to run his fathers company (the company his father built worth hundreds of millions) in 1974?

How many times has had to file for bankruptcy?

Yeah, Trump knows people, he knows rich people, movers and shakers. 

His popularity says much about the overall loathing of the present political participants in government and how the uneducated fall easily for him.

He has a lot of educated followers too. 

[SOMEPARTS]

You. 

I'm making two points:

1.  Trump didn't "build a lifetime of wealth."  He inherited his money.  He has never had to work hard.  His lifestyle is one of excess.  He is unlike most wealthy people who earned their money and don't show most of their wealth.  He has spent a lifetime with servants and people kissing his rear end.  That makes him less likely to relate to working class Americans. 

2.  His kind of extreme lifestyle puts his attitude, personality, and character in perspective.  I think his lifestyle is partly responsible for the narcissistic, reckless, dishonest person we see today.

Saying Trump hasn't worked hard is simply laughable. Own just a couple rentals, have a couple businesses with employees...I can tell you it's a lot of work just at that level.

Yes, he inherited $40 million stake in his father's business. Are you saying he turned that into nothing? He could have just blown it all and failed right out of the box like most second gen money does...

I refuse to hate somebody just because they are rich. Making him out to be some sort of Bruce Wayne character because it fits your bias is short-sighted. He's winning the votes of working class people in droves. He has developed the "it" factor by marketing himself for real estate, books, TV and now politics. Did daddy pay for that also? He worked very hard at that and has been doing it since the 80s.

Trump could have been like JFK Jr. if he wanted and just coasted along doing pet projects living the exact same lifestyle. Or, he could have been like Bloomberg and said he'd just spend a billion first and see where it got him in the political process. This is just hate at how he spends personally - which is not my value system either, but it's his life....and it has nothing to do with how he CAN relate to people. He's doing just fine at it, and yes the low level of the other candidates plays heavily into the overall picture. If there were great candidates he would not be at this stage, but that is another discussion altogether.

[JOHN MATRIX]

sounds like the home of the average getbigger.

[OzmO]

Trying to minimize how much money he was born into is stupid.  40 mill is the low estimate.  200 Mill is the high estimate. 

I have no doubt he worked hard.  but if he just left the money alone he'd have more than he has now.  He filled for BK what 4 times?

Lets at least call this man what he is, FFS.

And although some "intelligent people" support him, let's be real here and also at least admit he appeals greatly to the lowest common denominator among conservatives telling them what they want to hear.

[Dos Equis]

Saying Trump hasn't worked hard is simply laughable. Own just a couple rentals, have a couple businesses with employees...I can tell you it's a lot of work just at that level.

Yes, he inherited $40 million stake in his father's business. Are you saying he turned that into nothing? He could have just blown it all and failed right out of the box like most second gen money does...

I refuse to hate somebody just because they are rich. Making him out to be some sort of Bruce Wayne character because it fits your bias is short-sighted. He's winning the votes of working class people in droves. He has developed the "it" factor by marketing himself for real estate, books, TV and now politics. Did daddy pay for that also? He worked very hard at that and has been doing it since the 80s.

Trump could have been like JFK Jr. if he wanted and just coasted along doing pet projects living the exact same lifestyle. Or, he could have been like Bloomberg and said he'd just spend a billion first and see where it got him in the political process. This is just hate at how he spends personally - which is not my value system either, but it's his life....and it has nothing to do with how he CAN relate to people. He's doing just fine at it, and yes the low level of the other candidates plays heavily into the overall picture. If there were great candidates he would not be at this stage, but that is another discussion altogether.

Actually trying to compare Trump to the typical American millionaire who did not inherit their wealth is pretty laughable.  Trump has had to do nothing more than make decisions his entire life, never had to struggle, and was always surrounded by an enormous amount of wealth and prosperity. 

That said, I'm not trying to downplay his business success, which I think is incredibly impressive.  I'm talking about the way his upbringing and lifestyle created the monster we are dealing with today. 

I have no problem with anyone making as much money and having the highest net worth possible.  I also have no problem with people who to excess, have a house with over 30 bathrooms, trophy wife, etc.  But not all of those people should be president. 

[Dos Equis]

Trying to minimize how much money he was born into is stupid.  40 mill is the low estimate.  200 Mill is the high estimate. 

I have no doubt he worked hard.  but if he just left the money alone he'd have more than he has now.  He filled for BK what 4 times?

Lets at least call this man what he is, FFS.

And although some "intelligent people" support him, let's be real here and also at least admit he appeals greatly to the lowest common denominator among conservatives telling them what they want to hear.

I don't really see a difference between Trump's true believers and Obamabots.  But those are not the sum total of their respective supporters. 

[TheShape.]

I have to laugh when these guys on here who say he didn't work for his money, obviously they never did any research on the guy or even bothered to quickly google the facts. The fact is his did inherit money from his father but when he got it he was already worth a couple billion of dollars on his own, I'd like to see any of you "smart" people turn 1 million into nearly 10 billion. You don't get there with laziness or stupidity, if any of you want to stop talking out of your ass, read the art of the deal. His work ethic is second to none.

[OzmO]

I don't know who saying he didn't work hard.

But how many people in the world get 40-200 million and get handed control of a real estate empire?

So its not like he went from zero to hero.  He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

And according to some, just putting it in a mutual fund would have given him much more money then he has now.  Not to mention he had to file BK what 4 times?

[240 is Back]

Nobody really knows what he is worth.   Could be under 2 billion.  He inflates it by a billion every time he brags.  Forbes and others estimate it much lower. 

The trick is... Trump declares a value for his NAME.   His BRAND, he claims, is worth 6 BILLION DOLLARS.  He just makes this estimation then decides to add it...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2015/06/16/trump-exaggerating-his-net-worth-by-100-in-presidential-bid/#21f40e521a24

that's Forbes detailing it.  They think he's worth between 800 mil and 4 billion.   Trump says yeah, but my name/brand has $6 billion in value, so let's just call is $10 billion.

Nobody calls him on it, because he's too busy making other outrageous statements daily.