Page 94 - How To Get Rich

Melania Knauss
WEDNESDAY
9:00A.M. Melanie Griffith was terrific inChicago last night, and we
visited her afterward to tell her so.

I take a call regarding placing antennas on The Trump Building at 40
Wall Street. Since the World Trade Towers are gone, 40 Wall Street is once
again the tallest building in lower Manhattan. It’s not a fact that
particularly appeals to me, but it is a fact. Whatever will best serve the
Financial District is fine with me.
I have to say one thing about New Yorkers, and that is that after
September 11, they just continued to move forward and do their best. That

took courage, and I think it shows what makes New York City such a great
place.
I place a call to Governor Pataki, and take a call from John Myers,
president of GE Asset Management. We’ve done some deals together and
he’s a great guy—and a very smart one.
9:30A.M. Kevin Harris, a supervising producer for Mark Burnett, is

ready to take me on a tour of the sets built in Trump Tower forThe
Apprentice. He has on some sort of a new vintage bowling shirt,
deconstructed jeans with more holes than fabric, and some very original
footwear that I can’t begin to describe. This guy could make Helmut Lang
look old hat, but we make a quick getaway before Norma can see him.
The construction site also includes living quarters for the sixteen
contestants, which is an incredibly stylish ten-thousand-square-foot loft,

probably the only such living space in midtown. I am pleasantly surprised
at the quality of the work, and my trust in Mark Burnett is again
confirmed.
10:00A.M. Back in my office, I begin returning calls. People are
surprised at how many hours I put in at my office each week, since I seem

to have a busy social life as well. I also like to plan my business trips for
the weekends whenever possible, to avoid missing office time. I love what
I do, so it doesn’t seem like I’m missing out on any fun. Last year I took a
transatlantic weekend business trip that included breakfast in London with
Mohamed Al Fayed and dinner in Slovenia with Melania’s parents before
flying back to New York. We were back in time for me to be in the office
by 9:00A.M . Monday.