The Case Database
Every entry below is sourced individually — click a source link to verify it yourself. GREEN means independently confirmed; YELLOW means reported but not independently re-confirmed. See About & Methodology for the full standard.
Trump Taj Mahal CONFIRMED
Opened 1990, filed Chapter 11 within a year. Roughly 253 subcontractors were owed about $69.5-70 million combined; most recovered about 33 cents cash plus 50 cents in convertible bonds per dollar owed, or less.
Triad Building Specialties / Forest Jenkins CONFIRMED
Installed toilet partitions and bathroom accessories. Claimed $231,000; recovered about $70,000 (~30%) after the Taj bankruptcy. Company had to lay off Jenkins' brother.
Claimed: $231,000 Recovered: $70,000
Molded Fiber Glass / Robert Morrison CONFIRMED
Supplied the Taj's decorative domes and minarets. Sued for $3 million owed; accepted 33 cents cash plus 50 cents in convertible bonds per dollar in a negotiated settlement with 47 other creditors, and wrote off $2 million, per Morrison's own 1994 book.
Claimed: $3,000,000 Written off: $2,000,000
Michael MacLeod (elephant statues) CONFIRMED
His roughly 40-person studio made the giant elephant statues at the Taj's entrance. "We got next to nothing," MacLeod said. "I took a big hit." No firm dollar figure is documented.
John Millar (Carrara marble) CONFIRMED
Supplied Italian Carrara marble through his business, Avalon Commercial. Laid off staff, closed retail stores, borrowed $73,000 from a friend, and filed personal bankruptcy in 1996 after the Taj job.
Central Metals (Camden, NJ) UNCONFIRMED
Sued in 1990 alleging Trump failed to pay about $1.6 million on an almost-$5 million ornamental metalwork contract. Contemporaneous lawsuit; final disposition not independently re-confirmed.
Claimed: $1,600,000
Perini Construction CONFIRMED
Construction manager on the Taj Mahal; owed about $1.6 million by June 1990, with no payment made since March. Union officials warned workers' health/pension payments were jeopardized.
Claimed: $1,600,000
Trump's Castle / Trump Marina CONFIRMED
Opened 1985; renamed Trump Marina 1997; sold to Landry's in 2011 for about $38 million and became Golden Nugget Atlantic City. Near-default on bonds in June 1990 (see 'Fred Trump's Illegal Chip Loan').
Fred Trump's Illegal Chip Loan CONFIRMED
Trump missed about $45 million in scheduled bond/loan payments in June 1990. In December 1990, a lawyer for Fred Trump bought $3.35-3.5 million in casino chips at Trump's Castle -- never used to gamble -- letting Trump make an $18.4 million bond payment the same day. New Jersey regulators later ruled it an illegal loan and fined the casino $30,000.
Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino (Atlantic City) CONFIRMED
Opened 1984; Chapter 11 in 1992; continued operating for years under Trump Entertainment Resorts; closed September 16, 2014; demolished 2021. Carl Icahn ultimately controlled the debt; the casino was never reopened.
The $4 Billion Personal Debt Restructuring CONFIRMED
Trump personally guaranteed about $800 million of roughly $4 billion owed to more than 70 banks. A 1992 agreement forgave about $1.3 billion of the $3.5 billion owed; Trump personally shed $770 million of $885 million in Citibank-led guaranteed loans. In exchange, banks seized the Trump Shuttle, the Trump Regency Hotel (Atlantic City), and his 28% stake in Alexander's department stores, and placed him on a $450,000/month personal allowance.
Disputed narrative: Trump's book 'The Art of the Comeback' claims banks 'enthusiastically agreed' to his terms after he threatened bankruptcy; bankers and lawyers interviewed by Newsweek dispute this account.
Trump Plaza Hotel (New York City) CONFIRMED
Bought in 1988 for about $407.5 million; entered a prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring in 1992 that gave creditors a 49% interest; Trump sold his remaining stake in 1995. Not the same property as the Atlantic City Trump Plaza casino.
Trump Shuttle CONFIRMED
Bought Eastern Air Lines' shuttle for about $365 million in 1988; renamed Trump Shuttle; never became profitable. Heavy debt led to default; creditors (banks) took control in the 1990-92 restructuring; USAir went on to operate it as USAir Shuttle.
Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (2004) UNCONFIRMED
Filed Chapter 11 in 2004 with roughly $1.8 billion in combined note debt. Notably, about 1,900 small unsecured creditors with roughly $45 million in claims were reportedly paid 100 cents on the dollar under the plan -- a counterexample to the pattern of unpaid small creditors elsewhere in this database.
Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009) UNCONFIRMED
Filed Chapter 11 with about $488 million in first-lien debt and $1.25 billion in second-lien notes. About $39.3 million in general unsecured claims received $0 under the plan, while a $21 million critical-vendor program paid select trade creditors needed to keep casinos running.
Trump Entertainment Resorts (2014) UNCONFIRMED
Filed Chapter 11 with about $286 million secured debt. General unsecured claims exceeded $232 million; the proposed distribution was about $1 million total -- less than half a cent per dollar. Carl Icahn acquired the casino assets; the Trump name was eventually removed from the properties. About 2,953 employees worked at the Taj at filing (1,467 unionized), with $3.5M+ annual pension and $10-12M health/welfare contributions at stake in the restructuring.
Trump Mortgage CONFIRMED
Launched 2006; ceased operations 2007 as the mortgage/housing market deteriorated. Trump later described his role as principally a licensing arrangement rather than direct ownership.
GoTrump.com CONFIRMED
Travel website launched January 24, 2006, powered by Travelocity, listing about 60,000 hotels. Closed in 2007 after roughly one year; an analyst called it a 'vanity site.'
Trump Steaks UNCONFIRMED
Launched 2007, sold via The Sharper Image and QVC. Discontinued after about two months due to poor sales.
Trump Vodka UNCONFIRMED
Launched internationally in the mid-2000s; U.S. business disappeared and production reportedly ended around 2011.
Trump Magazine CONFIRMED
Publisher Sobe Life LLC's licensing agreement with Trump was terminated August 31, 2007; the company faced an involuntary-liquidation petition from creditors on September 20, 2007, and ceased publishing.
Trump Model Management CONFIRMED
Founded 1999; Trump Organization announced closure April 2017, citing a shift to focus on real estate and golf, amid scrutiny over foreign-model visa practices.
Trump Network CONFIRMED
Underlying company Ideal Health predated Trump; he licensed his name beginning November 2009. The license expired December 31, 2011 and was not renewed; Bioceutica acquired the assets around March 2012.
Trump University CONFIRMED
For-profit real-estate education business started 2005; not an accredited university. Shut down amid lawsuits alleging deceptive practices; litigation ended in settlement. No bankruptcy filing documented.
Trump Tower Tampa CONFIRMED
Planned 52-story waterfront tower; never built. Trump claimed 'substantial' equity but actually had none -- he licensed his name for $4 million upfront plus 50% of potential profits, under a confidentiality clause hiding this from buyers. Only 57% of units sold. Land foreclosed 2009; sold 2015 for $12.1 million; site remains vacant.
Miss Universe Organization CONFIRMED
Trump owned the pageant organization 1996-2015. NBC/Univision severed ties in 2015 amid campaign controversy; Trump acquired NBC's remaining interest and sold the organization to WME/IMG shortly after. Not a failed business -- sold, and continued under new ownership.
Trump Ocean Club Panama CONFIRMED
Independently owned; Trump's role was branding/management. Majority owner Orestes Fintiklis (Ithaca Capital, 202 of 369 rooms) had the Trump Organization evicted from management by court order and armed police in 2018. Building renamed Bahia Grande Panama, later JW Marriott Panama. Both sides sued (Fintiklis for $15M, Trump countersuing for $150M).
Trump SoHo (New York) CONFIRMED
Trump did not own the building. CIM Group took control via a 2014 foreclosure auction, then paid at least $6 million to terminate the Trump Organization's license/management agreement in 2017. Renamed The Dominick.
Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto CONFIRMED
Developer Talon International defaulted on its construction loan; JCF Capital ULC bought the property at a court-run sale in 2017. Trump Organization exited its branding/management deal via settlement; Marriott's St. Regis brand became the lead bidder to take over.
Trump International Hotel Vancouver UNCONFIRMED
Trump did not own the building. The owning company filed bankruptcy in 2020; the hotel closed during COVID and the Trump-branded operation disappeared.
Trump Parc Stamford CONFIRMED
Not owned by Trump; condo owners licensed the name. Trump Organization contract ended 2020; owners' board voted 7-0 on February 16, 2021 to remove the name; changeover to Park Tower Stamford effective July 2021. A successful property ending its Trump branding, not a failed company.
Joseph J. Magnolia Inc. (DC Hotel) CONFIRMED
Plumbing/mechanical/HVAC/site-work contractor; filed a $2.98 million lien December 21, 2016. Trump personally called Magnolia's attorney the day before his inauguration; a phone agreement was reached.
Claimed: $2,980,000
AES / Freestate Electrical (DC Hotel) CONFIRMED
Electrical subcontractor; lien of more than $2 million, dismissed March 2017 following settlement talks.
Claimed: $2,075,000
A&D Construction (DC Hotel) CONFIRMED
Small, Hispanic-owned Sterling, VA firm; filed a $79,700 lien for wall base, crown molding, and trim/millwork work performed June-October 2016. Agreement reached around February 22, 2017. Combined with Magnolia and AES/Freestate, the three liens totaled more than $5 million.
Claimed: $79,700
Edward J. Friel Co. CONFIRMED
Philadelphia family cabinetry business; $400,000 contract for Harrah's-operated Trump Plaza, finished 1984. Final bill of $83,600 was never paid; Trump cited alleged inferior work, though the casino manager had approved it. The company filed bankruptcy October 5, 1989. Predates the Taj Mahal bankruptcy.
Claimed: $83,600
Paint Spot / Trump National Doral CONFIRMED
Supplied paint/materials for Doral renovations; filed a lien for $32,535.87 in October 2014. Florida's Third District Court of Appeal affirmed judgment for Paint Spot in April 2017 -- PLUS $282,950 in attorney's fees, bringing the total cost to Trump's company to over $300,000, roughly 10x the original bill.
Claimed: $32,536
Larry Walters (Las Vegas draperies) UNCONFIRMED
Supplied draperies/fabric for a Trump Las Vegas hotel project; disputed additional-work demands and refused payment led to a standoff over the fabric as collateral. Settled for about $823,000, reportedly about $380,000 less than Walters said he was owed. Dollar figures not independently re-confirmed against a primary source this pass.
Nat Hyman / Landau Jewelry (Trump Tower) CONFIRMED
Operated the Landau Jewelry kiosk at Trump Tower for 14 years. Says Trump tried to force him out over alleged (disputed) merchandise-quality complaints, then retaliated by canceling his Atlantic City casino leases. Hyman says he spent over $1 million in litigation.
