Selling the Trump name

What is Donald Trump's name worth? To one developer it was rated at $4 million (Dh14.6 mn) plus a share of the profits from a 52-storey apartment tower in Baja California that would carry the Trump name, according to court records.

In recent years, Mr Trump has largely ditched developing his own projects in favor of licensing his name to third party developers, a practice which has caused him more than a few heartaches. As detailed in a new New York Times article, more than 300 people are suing Mr Trump, alleging they bought apartments in projects in failed projects in Baja and Florida only to discover he was not directly in the developments.

There is not much new in the article, but it is still a good read.

Mr Trump actively promoted the projects, in the same way he marketed a now-cancelled project in Dubai that bore his name. The suits allege Mr Trump deceived the buyers by not fully disclosing his limited role, a charge he denies. Contracts spelled out his participation, his lawyers claim.

But the litigants, who have lost millions in the failed projects, say they invested based on Mr Trump's good name, which they didn't realize was for sale.