Donald Trump once tried to sell a luxury condo to a journalist at a dinner party

Donald Trump beside an artists rendition of Trump Tower Chicago.
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Writer Peter Manso was working on a story about Roy Cohn for Playboy in 1981 when Cohn invited him to a dinner party he was hosting. The guests included Estee and Joe Lauder, the Baron and Baroness Ricardo "Ricky" di Portanova of the Cullen oil fortune, and, of course, Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana.

Writing for Politico Magazine, Manso recalled how he was seated beside the real estate mogul at dinner, only to be given a Trump Tower sales pitch complete with forceful encouragement to buy a luxury apartment he couldn't possibly afford:

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.