When
Tiah Joo Kim arrived at the Manhattan headquarters of the Trump
Organization to pitch a hotel and condominium project in Vancouver,
British Columbia, he expected the famous company with ventures across
the globe to come with capacious offices and a staff of hundreds.
Instead, he was led through a mere two floors with what appeared to be
no more than a few dozen employees. “Lean,” Mr. Tiah, a young Malaysian
developer, remembers thinking as he walked the halls.
The
first stop was a conference room, where Mr. Tiah was required to sell
his vision to the boss’s three oldest children. Only after securing
their support did he advance to the inner sanctum, with its sweeping
views of Central Park.
Mr.
Tiah was not sure what to expect from the man whose face was beamed
around the world through the reality television show “The Apprentice,”
but the conversation that afternoon in 2012 was casual and warm. Donald J. Trump
spent more time showing off a Shaquille O’Neal shoe and a Mike Tyson
championship belt — prize artifacts from his display of sports
memorabilia — than interrogating Mr. Tiah on the details of his business
plan. “You’re a good-looking guy,” Mr. Tiah recalled Mr. Trump telling
him as he gave the project his blessing.
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Source: The New York Times (via The Empire Report)
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