June 2005: Paul Manafort proposes that he undertake a consulting assignment for one of President Vladimir Putin’s billionaire oligarchs.It’s pretty spectacular.” But that early effort to develop a Trump Tower in Moscow fails. Trump’s office and tell him, you know, ‘Moving forward on the Moscow deal.’ And he would say ‘All right… I showed him photos, I showed him the site, showed him the view from the site. 2005: In a sworn deposition in 2008, Sater testifies that Trump gave Bayrock Group an exclusive deal to develop a project in Russia.In South Florida alone, members of the Russian elite invest more than $98 million in seven Trump-branded luxury towers. In addition to buying units in Trump World Tower, Russians and Russian-Americans flood into another Trump-backed project in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Also in 2002: Efforts to sell Russians apartments in Trump World Tower, Trump’s West Side condominiums, and Trump’s building on Columbus Circle expand with presentations in Moscow involving Sotheby’s International Realty and a Russian realty firm.Another development partner in Trump SoHo is the Sapir Organization, founded by Tamir Sapir.
Sater and his company, Bayrock Group - a Trump Tower tenant - begin working with Trump on a series of real estate development deals, one of which becomes the Trump SoHo. 2000: Roger Stone serves as chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential exploratory advisory committee.Meanwhile, Sapir makes a fortune as a New York City real estate developer. By the early 1990s, Kislin had become a wealthy commodities trader and campaign fundraiser for Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who in 1996 appoints him to the New York City Economic Development Corporation. In the late 1970s, Kislin had co-owned an appliance store with Georgian immigrant Tamir Sapir, and they had sold 200 television sets to Donald Trump on credit. Assisting Trump’s sales effort is Ukrainian immigrant Semyon “Sam” Kislin, who issues mortgages to buyers of multimillion-dollar Trump World Tower apartments. By 2004, one-third of the units sold on the 76 th through 83 rd floors of Trump World Tower involve people or limited liability companies connected to Russia or neighboring states. Donald Trump begins selling units in the skyscraper, which is scheduled to open in 2001 and becomes a prominent depository of Russian money. October 1998: Demolition of a vacant office building near the United Nations headquarters is making way for Trump World Tower.As the value of the ruble plummets, Russian millionaires scramble to get money out of their country and into New York City, where real estate provides a safe haven for overseas investors. August 1998: Russia defaults on its debt and its stock market collapses.Discussing ambitions for a Trump hotel in 2007, he declares, “We will be in Moscow at some point.” In 1996, he applies for his trademark in that country. Trump’s efforts to develop business in Russia date to 1987.By 1988, Stone is one of Trump’s closest advisers. In the 1980s, Trump hires Manafort as his lawyer on gambling and real estate issues. 1980: Roger Stone founds a lobbying practice with Paul Manafort Trump becomes one of Stone’s first clients.1979: Roger Stone is introduced to Donald Trump by notorious attorney Roy Cohn.