Trump's new social network could fit an old business model: Lending his name to make low-risk profits
Former president Donald Trump is pitching his new social network as a mold-breaking "media powerhouse" set to challenge Big Tech, but the venture could also echo an old Trump strategy - lending his name and reputation to other people's businesses, producing revenue for Trump with little work or overhead.
At a time when the Trump Organization is facing unprecedented challenges - including mounting losses at some businesses and an indictment of its chief financial officer - the social media venture could allow Trump a way to enter the tech sector without much risk.
"Avoiding being responsible, in any ultimate sense, is a constant in his strategy," said Michael D'Antonio, who has written biographies of Trump. D'Antonio said he saw the new social-media venture as an extension of that strategy: "If you think of him always looking for ways to try businesses without being truly responsible - combined with his sense that he can do anything - then this is kind of natural."..