This ability to blag people into believing he was a commercial genius was most vividly illustrated in a helicopter ride we took over New York. Pointing to the Empire State Building, he told me he owned it.
'What all of it?' I asked.
'Yes, 100 per cent,' he replied.
Later, forgetting he had told me he wholly owned the building, he said he only owned 50 per cent of it which he then considerably reduced. It was the same story with the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City.
'It's wholly owned by me,' he said. 'Are you sure?' I asked. 'Well maybe 80 per cent,' he demurred. 'Are you quite sure?' I pressed. He replied: 'Well it's actually 50 per cent...'
I showed both assertions in my film with many other inconsistencies with the telling soundtrack It Ain't Necessarily So.
Trump went ballistic. Over many years he sent me a series of intimidating letters branding me 'sleazy, unattractive, obnoxious and boring.' He said I was 'totally uptight', and that I had begged him for a date. In his dreams!
It is also revealing how Trump used to mail fanzine clippings with insults scrolled on them. Just like he does these days except on Twitter.
“Look at how great I am and what a loser you are.”