The developer and reality-TV star said that, regardless of who buys his casinos, he hopes he won't be taking his final bow in Atlantic City. It would be difficult, he said, to walk away from the resort where he has been a fixture for 26 years.
"I've been here for so long," Trump said in an interview that night. "It's been really a wonderful journey.
"I'm one of the biggest developers in the world," he said. "But I have a great loyalty to Atlantic City."
But to play in the new Atlantic City, where at least four billion-dollar-plus gambling palaces are being built, and competitors are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into upgrades to lure younger, more affluent overnight customers, The Donald knows his name and fame won't be enough.
He needs money - lots of it - to exist and compete here.
"The casinos have never been a big thing for me in terms of dollars," Trump said. "It's not a very large part of my company, but it's an important part."
Trump said his share of the three Atlantic City casinos makes up less than 3 percent of his net worth, which Forbes magazine lists at $2.9 billion.
Trump is banking that his famous name and brand will stay on at least one of the casinos, and that the new owner will have a role for him, even if it's just to make an occasional appearance.
"Any potential buyer wants me involved," he said. "The name is the hottest name right now anywhere in the world."
But Trump's role in Atlantic City has been slowly diminishing over the years. A bankruptcy restructuring in the spring of 2005 reduced his stake in the casino company from 52 percent to 31 percent and stripped him of his CEO title. While he remains chairman of the board, he has not been involved in the day-to-day operations of the casinos.
