Trump: The Game

Lore & Background

Jeffrey Breslow pitched the game to Donald Trump in his office at Trump Tower. Trump interrupted to say, 'I like it—what's next?' Trump chose Milton Bradley Company, calling it 'the Rolls-Royce of game companies.' Breslow initially suggested splitting profits equally, but Trump replied, 'I don't do 50–50,' and received 60 percent of the profits. Breslow said, 'The game wasn't sellable without Donald Trump. He could have squeezed me for even 80–20.' Trump agreed to promote the game at the American International Toy Fair and at Trump Tower.

The game was unveiled on February 7, 1989, at Trump Tower. Trump said his undisclosed percentage of revenue would be donated to charities helping homeless people. Milton Bradley executives were surprised, as they had not been aware of Trump's charitable intentions. Trump said, 'I didn't want a game based solely on chance. I wanted a game based on talent.' The game sold poorly; by August 1990, Trump acknowledged it may have been too complicated. The rulebook was 8 pages long.

In 2004, Milton Bradley re-released the game after the success of Trump's reality television series, The Apprentice. The updated version implemented Trump's catchphrase 'You're fired!' and featured simplified rules. Hasbro expected stronger sales, but Breslow said the game did not sell well. As of 2016, the game is considered a collector's item.

Reader's Guide

Trump: The Game is significant as a cultural artifact reflecting Donald Trump's brand in the late 1980s and early 2000s. Its initial release in 1989 capitalized on Trump's business celebrity, but poor sales—800,000 copies against a two-million target—highlighted the gap between marketing hype and consumer reception. The game's failure was attributed to its complexity, misleading marketing as a Monopoly knockoff, and public fatigue with Trump. The 2004 re-release, tied to The Apprentice, similarly underperformed. The game's legacy includes its role in Trump's business ventures and its later status as a collector's item. Critically, it received mixed reviews: Games International gave it 4 out of 5 in 1989, while Time listed it among Trump's 'Top 10 Donald Trump Failures' in 2011. The game also sparked a lawsuit from Stuart Ross, who claimed he was promised 25 percent of royalties; Trump won the suit, stating royalties had been donated to charity, though no records were provided. The game's charitable donation claims were later questioned in 2016.

Did You Know?

• Jeffrey Breslow pitched the game to Trump, who interrupted to say, 'I like it—what's next?'
• Trump received 60 percent of the game's profits, while Breslow received 40 percent.
• The 2004 re-release featured Trump's catchphrase 'You're fired!' from The Apprentice.
• As of 2016, the game is considered a collector's item.