How Donald Trump ‘lost’ $10 BILLION

In the 1980s, Donald Trump made a costly business decision by investing in the United States Football League (USFL) instead of the NFL. After failing to buy an NFL team, he purchased the New Jersey Generals for around \$8–9 million and pushed for the USFL to compete directly with the NFL by shifting its schedule to the fall. He also made aggressive moves like attempting to lure NFL talent and offering star linebacker Lawrence Taylor a \$1 million deal. Trump believed NFL team values would stagnate and declined the chance to buy the Dallas Cowboys for \$50 million in 1984, calling it a “no-win situation.”

However, the NFL rebounded financially, and the Cowboys are now valued at over \$10 billion. The USFL, on the other hand, collapsed before the 1986 season. Trump’s strategies, including pushing for a merger and suing the NFL for antitrust violations, backfired. Although the USFL won the case on some counts, they were awarded only \$3 in damages. The league folded shortly afterward, marking a massive missed opportunity for Trump and a financial decision that ultimately cost him dearly.