He says it’s a “factor of life”.
Eric Trump has said that family connections have got him to where he is right now, and that nepotism is simply a “factor of life.”
Forbes sat down with Eric Trump and spoke to him about his and his siblings’ relationship with their father and how it applies to their role in the family business. Some of the focus of the interview centered on nepotism, which is the practice among those with power of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.
Eric Trump, along with his brother Donald Trump Jr. took over the family real estate business when their father became President of the US.
“Nepotism is kind of a factor of life. We might be here because of nepotism, but we’re not still here because of nepotism,” Eric Trump told Forbes. “You know, if we didn’t do a good job, if we weren’t competent, believe me, we wouldn’t be in this spot.”
Donald Trump has come under criticism in recent times after he appointed his daughter Ivanka as an unpaid White House advisor with some people arguing it breaches federal nepotism laws. Trump has also appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner as an unpaid advisor.
But Eric Trump also spoke of how he and his siblings’ advances in the world of business meant that their father was given the scope to run for President, when previously, it would have been impossible for him.
Because of their growth, Donald Trump had no qualms about leaving his sons in charge of the business.
“I don’t know if he could have done the presidential thing four years ago,” Eric Trump said. “Certainly eight years ago, he couldn’t have. I think we probably would have been too big of question marks for him. I think in so many of the deals that we’ve done…hopefully we earned our stripes. And I think that’s ultimately why we’re in the seat we’re in.”
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