this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2023
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For years Donald Trump was the host of The Apprentice, a reality TV show in which contestants vied for a management job within his organisation and he would deliver the verdict: “You’re fired!”

It cemented the image of Trump as an assertive chief executive who had conquered New York, an image that still proves seductive to millions of voters who want him to run America like a business. But like much else about the 45th US president, it was all a lie.

On Tuesday a judge found that Trump’s business empire was built, at least in part, on rampant fraud. Justice Arthur Engoron of the New York state court in Manhattan said Trump and his adult sons wildly inflated the value of his properties to hoodwink banks, insurers and others.

The decision will make it easier for state attorney general Letitia James to establish damages at a civil trial due to start next week; she is seeking a penalty of about $250m. Engoron ordered the cancellation of certificates that let some of Trump’s businesses, including the Trump Organization, operate in New York – just possibly the beginning of the end of his empire.

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[–] Viking_Hippie -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hurting him financially is a good thing, isn't it?

In the same way that a slap on the wrist is better than nothing. As I explained above, it's just a temporary setback that he'll recover from quite easily since rich grifters can always get more money.

And not being able to do business in New York is a huge loss to the Trump family business.

Yes and no: the main family business is political grifting now, which much more than makes up for the loss

This means they have to do things like unload Trump Tower. Without making a profit.

Nope. It specifically says in the article that he gets the money from selling the businesses. Even when you factor in the fine, he's gonna profit from that. Maybe even more than he would from running the companies.

[–] FlyingSquid 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

“It’s the corporate death penalty,” said Diana Florence, a veteran financial crimes prosecutor for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, now in private practice.

“This ruling essentially dissolves his company,” she said, though she predicted that years of appeals may pass before anything actually happens.

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-new-york-judge-finds-business-2023-9

Think I'll take a veteran financial crimes prosecutor for the Manhattan DA's word over yours, sorry.

[–] Viking_Hippie -5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Again, says it's a death blow for the corporation, not him. Also doesn't say that he doesn't get to profit.

None of what I've said has contradicted anything that she said, so it's not the "either or" situation you're imagining it to be.

[–] FlyingSquid 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why you seem to think his corporation going under doesn't hurt him at all is beyond me. It's like if Tim Cook became a politician and you claiming that Apple going under because of an antitrust case doesn't hurt Tim Cook. Of course it would. He's built his entire reputation on being a successful businessman.

[–] Viking_Hippie 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not saying it doesn't hurt him at all, I'm saying it doesn't hurt him anywhere near enough.

If Tim Cook pivoted to getting many times more of his personal income from political scams than from Apple, then your comparison MIGHT make sense, except even then it would be very far from an apples to apples comparison, pun intended.

He's built his entire reputation on being a successful businessman.

He's built his image on PRETENDING to be successful businessman and then pivoting to leader of a Christofascist cult.

He was never good at business (as evidenced by losing a billion dollars total in a decade where every other ultrarich person was profiting like crazy) and he no longer needs the real estate empire.

[–] FlyingSquid 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Considering his debt was $1.3 billion in 2021, I'm pretty sure political donations won't be enough to save him financially.

[–] Viking_Hippie -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's still enough to more than cover the fine in 8 weeks.

[–] FlyingSquid 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Sorry... you're saying he will raise a the same amount in 8 weeks as he did right after the election when everyone was fired up? And not cover all of his expenses but still pay all of his debt?

This is a little silly.

[–] Viking_Hippie -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No. I'm saying that he'll raise that and more right after playing the marty, which is getting his cult all riled up. Might take longer than 8 weeks but he's definitely going to get there. Nothing silly about acknowledging that tragic yet inescapable fact of his cult appeal.

[–] FlyingSquid 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why would he raise more than he raised after the election over this court case? How is he going to raise $1.2 billion on top of all of his expenses, which runs into the tens if not hundreds of millions?

Even if he didn't want to spend it on election expenses, he has a bunch of criminal cases he needs to pay for before he can even think about touching his debt.

So basically, you're claiming that this won't hurt him at all because he'll raise billions of dollars, more than he's ever raised before, when there's absolutely no sign of that happening.

Well, I guess the Trump business should be allowed to continue to operate in New York since this doesn't matter. Not sure why they even had a civil case in the first place.

[–] Viking_Hippie -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why would he raise more than he raised after the election over this court case?

Over more time and by playing the persecuted martyr. Do try to keep up.

$1.2 billion on top of all of his expenses

Him being a bad enough businessman to lose that much even while cheating had nothing to do with the case or our discussion about the outcome of it. Please don't move the goalposts.

So basically, you're claiming that this won't hurt him at all

No, I'm saying it won't hurt him much in the long run. There's a difference.

billions of dollars

Again, leave those goalposts alone.

Well, I guess the Trump business should be allowed to continue to operate in New York since this doesn't matter

Nobody's said that. Don't start with the strawmen.

Not sure why they even had a civil case in the first place.

You're sorta right: should have been a criminal case in the first place since it was a case about him committing criminal fraud crime, which is not a civil matter.

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You absolutely are suggesting that. You're saying this won't hurt him. You're saying he will definitely raise $1.2 billion on top of all of his expenses now that the Trump business is effectively dissolved. So that means there was absolutely no point in dissolving it. Why dissolve it if it does nothing?

[–] Viking_Hippie -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

You're saying this won't hurt him

I absolutely am not. I'm saying that this won't hurt him MUCH compared to all the shit he's been pulling.

You're saying he will definitely raise $1.2 billion on top of all of his expenses now that the Trump business is effectively dissolved

I've said nothing of the kind. You're the one who decided to move the goalposts by bringing up the completely irrelevant 1.2b

So that means there was absolutely no point in dissolving it. Why dissolve it if it does nothing?

Again, not what I'm saying. Do you know how to read, understand and remember words? Because you're sure as fuck not acting like it! 🤦

[–] FlyingSquid 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ok, if you're going to start hurling insults, this conversation is over. I'm not interested in a Reddit-style flame war.

[–] Viking_Hippie 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

And I'm not interested in repeatedly defending against a wholly fictional version of what I've said and moved goalposts, so stopping is fine by me. Have the day you deserve.

[–] FlyingSquid -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Have the day you deserve?" Wow. Yeah, that was warranted over an internet argument. I don't wish you "have the day you deserve." Whatever people who insult over the internet when they wouldn't do that if they were in the same room with that person deserve. I wish you have a good day. Because I don't want people to have bad days.

[–] Viking_Hippie 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well you've made my day worse with your strawmen and your goalpost moving and your stubborn condescension, so why should I wish for yours to be good?

[–] FlyingSquid -1 points 1 year ago

I made your day worse? Seriously? This is the internet. Why are you letting a silly argument about Trump affect your day?

And you should wish for everyone's day to be good even if yours isn't because that's called being a compassionate person.

I still hope you have a good day.

[–] Viking_Hippie 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Again, says it's a death blow for the corporation, not him. Also doesn't say that he doesn't get to profit.

None of what I've said has contradicted anything that she said, so it's not the "either or" situation you're imagining it to be.

The fine itself is less than what he raised in 8 weeks to pretend to investigate imaginary election fraud.