Hilton and trump: A pivotal first meeting.

• Author: Taraborrelli, J. Randy
• Position: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The Hiltons - Book review

From The Hiltons by I. Randy Taraborrcili. Copyright [c]2014 by Rose Books Inc. Published by Grand Central Publishing (www.hachettebookgroup.com).

J N EARLY MARCH 1984, Benjamin Lambert, one of the Hilton board members with whom Donald Trump was friendly, suggested that Trump attend a party he was hosting for the Hilton board of directors at his New York home, just prior to its annual meeting in Manhattan. He suggested that Donald and Barron Hilton should take the opportunity to meet, and, he added, who knew what might result from such a meeting? "So I went to the party," Trump recalled, "and I finally had the opportunity to meet Barron Hilton. Right away, I felt he was an amiable fellow, if not also extremely cautious. We went out onto the patio to chat:'

Many years later, Donald Trump would observe, "My experience is that sometimes in business it's good to just sort of lay back and see where the tide can take you. So that's what I did with Barron. Later, my friend Ben Lambert told me that Barron felt comfortable around me.

"I understood Barron," Trump...