Page 113 - Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

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T R UM P: N E V E R G I V E U P

luxury pivot point of the Palm Jumeirah, should be an extraor-
dinary example of design and innovation. We both had the
experience, the credentials, and the desire to do something
amazing.
One thing that attracted me to Nakheel, aside from their
proven record of success and expertise, was their innovative
approach to whatever they did. Our original design for the
hotel garnered a lot of publicity. It was a tulip design that
would have a state-of-the-art exoskeleton frame. We were
excited about this iconic design. The price tag would be $400
million to complete it.
However, after reviewing the design, we realized there were
some problems with it, and we agreed it looked a bit heavy. So
we decided to start over. We just scrapped it. Don’t ever be
afraid to change your mind about something. There is nothing
wrong with that. Yes, we’d spent time and money on the first
design, but when you’re going after the extraordinary, some-
times you have to take extraordinary pains to achieve it.
The new design we came up with was stunning: a split
tower, with an open core design. It would cost $600 million for
48 stories and would be constructed with glass, stainless steel,
and stone. It would definitely be worth it. We expect the tower
to be finished in 2009.
There are considerations beyond the usual when you are
developing internationally, and sure enough, in February 2006,
we were hit with a political/global trade controversy involving
Dubai that threatened the viability of the project. Major world
events can crop up at any time, and sometimes I feel like saying,
now what? However, that’s part of the deal. It can be a chal-
lenge—but it’s always enlightening.
Anyway, the controversy was over the sale of shipping port
management businesses in six major U.S. seaports to a company
that was based in the United Arab Emirates. This received huge
attention as a national security debate in the United States. The

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