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T HE T RUMP T OUCH

not Kandell was right regarding how much Trump would be willing to
pay for the easement he wanted from Kandell. So I called him and teas-
ingly said, “Donald, Len will give you the easement you need but it’s
going to cost you.” Trump asked me, “How much?” I asked him,
“Would you pay one million for it?” Without hesitation he said, “Yes.”
I then said, “Would you pay two million for it?” Donald replied,
“That’s a high price for just an easement but if that’s what Kandell in-
sists upon, I’ll pay it.” I pushed further and asked, “If I can’t get Kan-
dell to do it for less than three million would you still do it?” At that
price, Trump exploded and said, “That’s outrageous and nothing but a
holdup. I’ll build Trump Tower without the easement.” I countered
with, “Donald, this is George, not some novice. The column you want
to put on Len’s property holds up the corner of the whole building.
Don’t tell me you don’t need it. Would you pay three million if I can’t
get Kandell to accept less?” After much grumbling, Donald reluctantly
agreed to the three million dollar price but said he was furious that
Kandell would hold him up for this amount. When I confessed that
Kandell had agreed to give it to him for nothing, he was ecstatic. He
asked me, “Why would Len do that?” I told him that Kandell felt Don-
ald had treated him fairly when he made a lease that was good for both
parties and he considered Donald to be a friend. Trump’s ability to
build relationships saved him $3 million.
As I mentioned, when Trump Tower was completed in 1983, the
concept of a mixed-use building like this was still relatively new.
Only the Olympic Tower which had been built in a comparable
area, 51st and 5th Avenue, was similar in concept. It was successful
but, of course, Trump went one better. He built a building that’s
unique from an architectural standpoint. By creating an irregular
saw-tooth facade, he ended up with rooms with light and views com-
ing from two directions, rather than having rooms with just one win-
dow exposure that are found in a typical building with a flat facade.
This feature also meant he could plant beautiful trees midway up the

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