Donald Trump profited quite a bit by running for president. CNN reported on Friday that federal campaign finance documents show Trump’s businesses, as well as those owned by his his sons, were paid $12.5 million by the Trump campaign. Those businesses include Trump Grill, which Vanity Fair called possibly the “worst restaurant in America.” Trump responded to the review via Twitter (of course) where the president-elect called Vanity Fair “dead.”
After reviewing the campaign finance records, CNN concluded Trump’s plane operating company Tag Air Inc. got the biggest payday with $8.7 million. The second-largest sum went to Trump Payroll Corp. and Trump Tower Commercial LLC, which got $2.2 million.
A list of other Trump-related businesses that were paid in descending order:
- Trump hotels and golf clubs: $1.4 million
- Trump’s Palm Beach Estate: $423,371
- Trump restaurants and food services: $238,000
- Son Eric Trump’s Wine Manufacturing: $32,196
- Trump Ice (bottled water company): $2,085.
- Trump Grill, also famous for Trump’s “I Love Hispanics” taco bowl: $607
- Trump Cafe: $94
General counsel of the Campaign Legal Center Larry Noble said it was the most a candidate had spent through his businesses.
"If he did it legally and it was in the ordinary course of business, you have to say that he's allowed to do that," Noble said. "If he was doing it to make a profit off of it, and he charged more than he was supposed to have charged, then there is a problem."
During his campaign, Trump was also reported to have spent $55,000 worth of campaign donations to buy his own book, which he gifted to Republican National Convention attendees.
