The two New York Times reporters who uncovered Donald Trump's tax returns have collaborated on a new book that offers new details on how Trump got rich off other people's money.
"Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success," by Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig was released on Tuesday and identifies the three main sources of Trump's wealth, adding up to more than $1 billion.
Buettner and Craig fully debunk Trump's lifelong boasts, which started in the 1970s, that he was "worth hundreds of millions" when he was simply working with his father's money and telling people it was his.
None of the sources of Trump's wealth appear to have anything to do with his self-proclaimed success as a real estate tycoon or entrepreneur:
--the roughly $400 million Trump inherited from his father, as the authors first reported in 2018. Trump lost the bulk of his fortune thanks to multiple failed businesses, including bankrupted casinos and a quickly grounded airline.
--the money he received from his reality TV game show "The Apprentice," by both being on the show and then licensing deals where he endorsed various products. The book states that Trump's appeal to advertisers was embellished based on the portrayal of him manufactured by the TV show's producers.
--a New York real estate deal that he tried, and failed, to get out of ultimately wound up being profitable
The authors joined MSNBC's Alex Wagner on Tuesday to discuss Trump's early years in business supported by his father's money and a lot of lying.