Real-estate mogul Donald Trump (R) is now the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee. Although Trump has yet to attain the necessary 1,237 delegates to the Republican National Convention, his last two opponents—Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Governor John Kasich (R-OH)—suspended their campaigns after Trump’s landslide win in Tuesday’s Indiana primary.
The meteoric rise of Trump—a brash, center-left outsider with virtually no connection the Republican Party machine—has baffled political observers in the United States and abroad. His campaign has successfully tapped into widespread popular frustration both within and outside of the Republican Party, particularly revolving around illegal immigration and the economy. He has received more primary votes than any Republican candidate in history, a statistic partly driven by his ability to draw new voters into the primary process. Many Trump supporters had never voted in a presidential primary before.
Trump is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization, a ninety-three year old conglomerate with interests in—among other things—real estate, investing, and property management. It is composed of more than five hundred subsidiaries, the majority of which are named for Trump. The Trump Organization is based in New York City and employs about 22,000 people. It is owned entirely by the Trump family. Forbes Magazine estimates that Trump’s net worth is about $4.5 billion.
The Trump Organization also owns a television production company that produces The Apprentice for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Trump himself starred in the show from 2004 to 2015. It now stars former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA).