On all of Trump’s projects, when it came time to buy the prinicple subcontractors prime contracts under his construction managers, he wanted to be there himself to do the buying is my understanding from multiple sources.
He always felt that major trade subs ought to do it for the mere glamour of claiming his big job on their list of completed projects.
If you look in the dictionary under “chiseling developer’ you should find a picture of a guy with big hair.
Reminds me of ol’ Ross Perot saying, “We’re jus’ gonna call a town hall meeting and straighten out this stuff” as his answer for everything. He has no ability to run something complex and delegate — he is a George Steinbrenner type in all its glory. Trade one detached ego for another.
The guy sold his modest home, bought a huge mansion, sent his kids to private school. All the while the other partner replaced old lady's hot water heaters, leaky pipes, and such. He worked a 24 hour day on call, lived in his row home, drove an old van, his wife did the billing, and paid the plumbing supply house on a weekly basis.
One year later, the guy who grew big was broke and the guy who stayed modest was solvent and happy with his kids in public school and a row house.
I guess it's a know your own limitations thing.