“Taxes are for the little people.” — Leona Helmsley
“Almost no one knows Leona Helmsley better than Donald Trump.” — Donald Trump
https://twitter.com/AnnTelnaes/status/1126560258254692360
TAKE THAT, LEONA! TRUMP FIRES MISSIVE AT HOTEL RIVAL HELMSLEY
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post, April 20, 1989
Excerpt...
"Without the veil of Harry Helmsley, you would be a non-entity. You would not be able to randomly fire and abuse people in order to make yourself happy," The Donald declares in the letter, which mysteriously made its way into the pages of the New York Post today. "What has happened to the legendary Helmsley reputation is indeed sad -- but I am not surprised because I know you so well. When God created Leona, the world received no favors."
Snip...
The letter to Leona (more juicy excerpts in a moment) stems from (surprise) a financial dispute. To wit, casino magnate and multibillionaire developer Trump recently purchased a chunk of Atlantic City real estate from Penthouse International Ltd. for $56 million, and plans to convert an unfinished casino into a noncasino hotel. Included in the property is a small parcel owned by the Helmsleys that had been leased to Penthouse for 100 years. Trump charges that Leona Helmsley has refused to transfer the lease to him, in what should be a routine transaction, out of sheer animosity. "I'm taking her to court," Trump said in a telephone interview today from Atlantic City. "In the real estate business you don't do that ... The woman is a total disgrace to the industry and humanity. This is a bad woman."
Snip...
"Over the last number of years," Trump wrote, "I have watched as you have virtually destroyed my friend and a once-great and respected man, Harry Helmsley. Almost no one knows Leona Helmsley better than Donald Trump, but when the press (and others) would ask about you, I would always try to speak of your few (in my opinion) normal or positive traits ... I am holding back no longer." Trump's letter depicts Leona Helmsley as a rival seething with jealousy. "When you sold me the St. Moritz Hotel and I was able to increase the gross operating profit almost five fold ... I heard you were very upset. Recently, after I sold the hotel for substantially in excess of $100 million more than I paid you, rumor was that you were beside yourself."
Continues...
Source:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/04/20/take-that-leona-trump-fires-missive-at-hotel-rival-helmsley/95327a60-2d7f-4bde-b30c-665abe861358/
All fail Queen Donald.