Name:   copperline - Subject:   The week in Trump Date:   6/2/2016 12:53:15 PM

Trump University

Here again is a good example of Trump’s approach to business that illustrates his methods and should tell observers something about his ethics & tactics.   Now it is true that Trump sold his name to be used by a corporation calling itself a University, and did not have day to day management responsibility.   However, he did appear as their spokesman, endorsing the product and encouraging people to sign up in return for seminars that were allegedly taught by his right-hand men in the real estate business.   It was a get-rich quick scheme.

In the end, what customers got was a high-pressure sales job that was more about getting them to max out their credit cards than learning about real estate.   Up-selling was common, motivational speakers ginned up enthusiasm but delivered very little useful content.   Students were led to believe they would either get the expert advice of Trump’s close associates or (if they dropped enough coin) get to benefit from Trump’s personal supervision.  It was a scam, and tuition was up to $35,000.

The Trump Network

Another scam.  This one sold ‘custom made’ vitamin products based on a fraudulent claim that a person’s urine sample would be analyzed and a specially designed cocktail of vitamin supplements would be created for each individual.   As it turns out, there is no science at all behind the claims and the idea that a uniquely individual daily dosing of vitamins would be created was completely baseless.   Trump appears in promotional videos urging customers to buy the ‘product’ and continue to subscribe to the service with monthly fees.  As with any multi-level marketing scheme, customers sold to other customers & made money on the subscribers they enlisted.   The Trump Network went bankrupt after a few years of raking in monthly subscriber fees for fake vitamin suppliments.

Trump’s reputation is that he made his fortune from real estate deals, but it looks like he was eagerly branching out into various marketing ploys made possible by name recognition, which he used to generate additional income for himself.   In each case, he sold his name & directly contributed to sales & marketing with no regard for the fairness of business practices involved.

And that’s the point:  Donald Trump’s world view is that if he sells you a product that is empty of value, it is your fault because you are a loser.   He does not concede that fraudulent claims are, well, fraudulent…. Because, business ethics be damned, he feels that winning is all important.