Hodinkee Podcasts Summary (Part 4)

Episode 10 with Philippe Defour

Defour is a master watch-maker, who is a master in the industry. His ‘Simplicity’ is one of the most sought after 3 handers. He was on the jury of the GPHG. He is more familiar with only the high end segment.

We need to put the human back into watchmaking. The level of service has to step up, for instance, allow buyers to visit the watch factory and see the artisan making it. Brands try to drop the quality in order to cut costs etc, and that can be quite alarming. Young watchmakers are bored nowadays, and may not have the right mindset for the job. It is because the tasks given to them are too repetitive in nature. Hand-finishing is beautiful and is different from a CnC machine.

He still enjoys finishing a watch. Such a watch may give someone tremendous pleasure and that what keeps him going. Defour doesn’t see the industry shrinking although some brands have declined in their standards of watchmaking. Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable as well. Also, the modern generations are less likely to buy a Swiss watch because there are many other competitors.

Defour recommends a brand like Nomos, Lange and Sohne, Rolex etc. Rolex has a good quality for the price and are extremely reliable. Watches are not exactly affordable for the majority of people. Young people need to learn to wear better watches, as some are only keen on Smartwatches. The smartwatch provides a different experience to a mechanical watch.

Episode 11 with Tony Fadell

Tony is a tech guy who helped out in the creation of the iPhone, who is a die-hard watch collector. He used to wear a 5980 for an event. Throughout the years, he has collected 20 or 30 smartwatches and understand their differences and study the trends. He wants a stylish and functional watch instead of a computer. Most people don’t use the Apple watch as just for something that keeps time.

He also worked on the Ressence e-crown type 2 concept watch, which is a function to help tell the time better. The e-crown helps to set the time automatically. If you have a product where people both like and hate it, it’s fine, you can tweak the product accordingly. There is certainly a beauty of winding and setting the watch. The AP RD-2 was a hot release with awesome specs, and admired much by Tony. To me, he felt there was love and care in every aspect of the watch. Watch proportions are the key. You will need to embrace new technologies, in the past, people only carried pocket watches. He looks innovation at every level.

When smartwatches were first released, there were many executives who panicked as they saw it as a threat. Watches will have to evolve, embrace smartwatches or else you will die. JCB eventually created the best smartwatch with Tag Heuer. Tony got his first watch, a Tag, in the 90s. After that, his grandpa gave him his watch. Later, he went to buy a Panerai in Italy. After that, he was hooked on watches. There was a little community in Apple who were into mechanical watches as well. The Apple watch uses a strap-changing technology and allows people to swap straps easily. Since the talking watches, his watch collection has improved further.

He has collected some of the first Pateks in the market. One of his best watches is the Patek 2526. Is society ready to adopt new products? If no, sometimes it could be too early. Technology released to the market too soon, may not work, right thing but wrong time. The watch industry needs to get better in the watch design and production cycle.

Episode 12 with Spike Feresten

Spike is a legend in the comedy world, and is a comedy writer. Ted Gushue helped to connect Spike and Ben together. Spike loved the writing and photography from Hodinkee. He has also been on talking watches previously. Spike contacts Ben and Spike updates Ben when he needs advise on Porsches. His first watch was a Tag 2000 chronograph, which he had bought in a store. This was his first and only watch for a long time. Swatches were popular in the past, and they would climb in value, but eventually there would be a bubble. Later on, Spike used to get Heuers. He bought a 1960s Tonneau Heuer, and he simply loved it. His career involved getting some luck and breaks. Spike is wearing a 6263 PN Rolex Daytona for the show.

He managed to land some internships in the comedy space, including at Letterman. Most people don’t think that comedy writers can make a living. If you have things you are angry about, talk about that for stand-up comedy. Now, he hosts Car Matchmaker programme. Ben thinks about watches that could match the cars he drives. Ben is wearing a yellow gold 6263 PN Daytona. Spike also has a podcast with Ben, on cars and entertainment.

Spike believes in watches that are affordable, like Autodromo. For instance, another brand is Unimatic. James would like an early Explorer 2 as his grail.

Hodinkee Podcasts Summary (Part 3)

Episode 7 with Scott Dadich

Scott works in the media industry. He was firstly the creative director at Texas Monthly and contributed to the Hodinkee magazine previously. He used to work for Wired magazine and is now with Godfrey Dadich Partners, a creative agency in California. During the show, he is wearing an Apple Watch. Vintage Rolexes are his soft spot. He is really in the deep end, and notices the intricacies of vintage Rolex. His first watch was the 1969, 1675 GMT. It can be really fun going to hike with a vintage Rolex Explorer. His gold Sub was one of his memorable purchases. A gold sports watch belies its original intention, but it doesn’t lose its appeal.

There is really something appealing about an Apple Watch, and it is largely because of its design, which has an interesting industrial design. Sneaker collecting can be really addictive and expensive. Scott does collect a few design books and art pieces as well. His top career moments include working with President Obama.

Episode 8 with Adam Scott

He is a professional golfer who has won the Masters previously. He finished 3^rd in the 2018 PGA championship. Wingfoot is a historic golf club, with a rich history. Adam can’t afford to play badly even if it’s social golf. A pro who plays badly is very happy, no matter what occasion. Adam has much admiration for Tiger Woods and his massive achievements, although they are fierce competitors. It was an awesome experience winning the Masters. The Masters has one of the most appeal in terms of a golf tournament.

He is wearing a Rolex 2018 GMT Master II in two-tone Rolesor with a Root Beer bezel. Since 2001, Adam has been a Rolex ambassador and has been into vintage watches in recent years only. Rolex is definitely his kind of thing at the moment. He eventually managed to tour the Rolex factory and that completed changed his perception of the brand. Rolex usually only picks the winners from sports, so that they can wear the watch while they hold the trophy.

His favorite models are Subs and Sea-dwellers as they can be banged around. He has a Comex 16800 and the right provenance and history. Adam has a 6241 Paul Newman Daytona in his collection, and is planning his next Daytona purchase. Other things that he is interested in are furniture and chairs, surfboards etc. His wife wears some of his watches also, and is fine with his hobby. His family is golf crazy as well and introduced him to golf when he was young. The reception at home when he won the Masters was crazy.

When you’re playing good, you think you’ll never play bad. But when you’re playing bad, you don’t know when you will play good again. – Adam Scott

Episode 9 with Keegan Allen

He is an actor/photographer. There is a talking watches episode with him previously. He is wearing a 1675 Blueberry dial Rolex GMT Master II. Avoid using the watch in a pool etc. James is wearing the Tudor Black Bay GMT.

To Keegan, how the way a watch ages matters a lot. It’s hefty, but it wears extremely well on the wrist. An interesting thing about Keegan is that he wears a watch when he sleeps. He loves the ticking of the watch in his ear, like the tonal ping. He has written numerous photography books that reflects his history etc. The Hodinkee Talking watches episode has led to some strangers coming up to him and say hi.

Keegan uses his Leica M6 most of the time. His focus is definitely on street photography and stories. Using images to tell stories are simply awesome. You don’t know what you want until you touch and feel it. It was such an honour for Keegan to be on talking watches.

Watches isn’t an elitist hobby, but it’s a passion. One of his most important watches are the Patek 5164A Travel Time. Watches are one of the only main accessories that you can get as a man. If the watch hobby is not fun, don’t continue and do it. When you wear your favorite watch piece, it simply feels good. It used to be seen as tools in the past. Although Keegan has his grail, he still feels passionate about watches.

Watches can definitely outlive you, and take on a life of its own. A travel watch (GMT) suggests freedom, adventure etc. It is extremely hard to get a steel Rolex at the AD nowadays. Who you know at the AD matters. It is extremely hard to get a steel sports Rolex at the airports at the current moment. It can be scary to scratch up your gold Rolex, and one needs to be careful with it.

Hodinkee Podcasts Summary (Part 2)

Episode 4 with Om Malik

He is a partner at True Ventures, a Venture Cap firm. He is wearing a beautiful Grand Seiko SBGR301. He and Ben went shopping in Paris and Wempe. True Ventures is one of Hodinkee’s biggest investors. Om does not appreciate people talking down on others’ collections. To him, to his each own, and is it important to respect someone’s collection.

Affordable watch coverage is important. Om has watches like Grand Seiko and Nomos (Nomos Zurich etc). Grand Seiko is really under-rated in the industry but it is gaining prominence. Even the Seiko Presage range is outstanding. Watches are an emotional product and means more to you rather than anyone else. His preference is for smaller brands, likes Ochs Und Junior, which are incredibly innovative. People who know watches will recognize Grand Seikos and realize that their finishing is outstanding. Some Swiss executives see the Grand Seiko as a threat.

Swatch did not see the Apple watch coming and should have innovated more. For the Apple watch, it’s more about its functionality and not so much about the time. The Apple watch has potentially health features. There are some who do not like quartz watches.

Quartz watches don’t have the same feel, charm, fun factor as a mechanical watch. The outstanding GS 9F Quartz, Longines VHP watch is something to aim for. Dismissing quartz watches is what some watch guys do. There is a certain pseudo-intellectualism in the watch community, which is to show off something that you know, even though you don’t know much. The pursuit of watches can be incredibly rewarding.

Om bought a Moser. It can be fun to save a bit every day before buying a watch. Do your watches bring joy to you? If no, please stop. The line between collecting and hoarding is very thin.

Om is working on a book of photos actually. He aims to slow down time by going on long photography trips. Hodinkee provides the platform for people to engage in their watch fanaticism. It gives people networking opportunities etc. Many of the employees working in Hodinkee really loves it. The Hodinkee meetups are heavily oversubscribed and provide so much joy to people who attend. Om loves PSM (Speake Marin) watches. Ben places a lot of emphasis on the dial, more than the case, like his Patek 2526, his Eberhard chronograph.

When you buy watches, you need to wear them, and not simply keep them in a safe. Watches need air. If you wear it often, price-per-wear definitely reduces a lot. Most people end up acquiring things for no reason. For everything that you buy, think about its happiness quotient? What is the happiness that the object can bring? Never live your life based on what others think. Remember that happiness definitely comes first.

 

Episode 5 with Eric Ku

Eric is well respected watch dealer/collector in the industry. He is the guy to go to for vintage watches. He is wearing a Patek 3939, which is an enamel dial, minute repeater tourbillion. Since young, he had a fascination with mechanical watches.

In the 1990s, the Daytonas and Explorers grew in popularity. In the past, arbitrage for Rolex Explorers could be done. His first vintage was a Red Sub, in 1998. In his early days, he made some mistakes, but gradually he started learning from his mistakes. Watch knowledge and nomenclature was not documented on the Internet yet. Dealers will try to push the prices on something if they find something rare, but it is the market that dictates the pricing. Five digits Rolex prices are shooting up, even though they are not rare. As time passes, there are more vintage watches that are coming up, due to them ageing. This is also known as the ‘New Vintage’. People appreciate the smaller sizes of the older Rolexes.

Many retailers are not getting good allocation of steel sport Rolexes. Prices are shooting through the roof, but will they collapse one day? Pre-own watches are getting more common nowadays. Things are cyclical and prices will drop someday. What comes up, must come down, but there might be a slight upward trend. The pool of vintage keeps shrinking, as watches get lost/damaged etc. Auction records is like navel gazing and you can compare with previous auction prices. In a way, auction prices help to reflect the enthusiasm of the product. The truth is that there are so few that can afford 7 figure watches, so the auction records don’t mean much. Prices crashed in 2007/2008. In every business, there are good and bad times. The ultra-rich class has grown a lot more.

It’s very difficult for a newbie to get into vintage watches, 1675 and 5513 as they are more than $10,000 or more. Someone like that could consider other brands, like Cartier, Universe Geneve. Nomos makes a good watch for the price. The modern Rolex is now out of reach to most people. His first watch that cost over $10,000 was a Vianney Halter Antiqua. Eric really supports independent watch-makers. He appreciates brands like Gronefield and Cartier. Cartier produces timeless designs, like the Cartier Tank Cintree. Early Cartiers are really rare and desirable. Bubblebacks were popular, but fell out of favour recently. Large watches are over-rated. There is a trend nowadays, where brands are making smaller watches.

Rolex 36mm are the best fit. Good design is always timeless. Eric recommends 34mm Rolexes from the past, for about 2 to 3k. The good thing about Rolex is that they can retain their value well. Vintage gold Rolex watches are undervalued at the moment. Two important lessons are (i) condition of the watch (buy the best version based on your budget); (ii) buy what you like. Spend time to research about what you like.

Eric is really into food and trying our excellent restaurants as well.

 

Episode 6 with Todd Snyder

He is the founder of Todd Snyder brand of clothing. Cara has worked with Todd and has provided vintage watches for them to sell. Todd’s store is to be the one stop shop for a guy. Everything in the store is really edited and curated well. You can get everything in Todd’s. There are over 2,000 books for sale in the store.

Todd got inspired and worked for Ralph Lauren eventually. He brought a few Timex, Tudor Black Bay Chrono, Tudor Ranger and a Rolex as well. Since young, he has always worked in clothing stores and with tailors. He has always been interested in how garments were made etc. If you want to be the best, work for the best. Knowing the basics of clothing is the key. Working for Ralph was a dream come true for Todd. Todd even offered to work for free just to get to work for Ralph, and it worked. His advice for kids are to ‘work hard, innovate and be nice’. If you have poor attitude, you won’t go far in life. Todd has also worked in GAP and JCrew, key American brands. Ralph always reinvents iconic fashion and created their own styling to it. Todd tries to reinvent the basics and improves on them, making them very desirable.

He is also rather big on collaborations, like with RedWing etc. Todd would love to collaborate with an interior designer/architectural firm. The Timex Marlin collaboration was a huge success. Timex is one of his favorite brands, as his Dad owned one previously. He is definitely planning some more collaborations in future.

Tudor is definitely the value for money brand, as compared to Rolex. For clothes, it is really important to start off with great basics which fit well.

Hodinkee Podcasts Summary (Part 1)

Episode 1 with Ben Clymer

He was not interested in finance/consulting career and realized that after his role in banking. Started writing about grandfather’s watch on Tumblr and then Squarespace. It started off as a hobby. Back then, finance was the place where everyone wanted to be.

The first Hodinkee post was about the Eric Clapton’s Paul Newman Daytona. Gandhi’s watch, Einstein’s watch started coming up for sale at that time. He definitely has a flair for writing/photography and wanted to marry the two things together. The whole journey has been fun, especially meeting the press, going on press trips etc. Not many believe that one can start a career in the watch industry. The press trip by AP in 2009 was exceptional and really eye-opening, and it was really surreal. The hyper-lux world isn’t something that many are familiar with and can relate to.

Meeting Jay Z and writing for him, as well as meeting John Mayer were moments he knew that times changed and that Hodinkee was for real. Hodinkee started selling straps with vintage feel at the start. John Mayer also started writing for Hodinkee in 2012. He was also the first to be filmed for the Talking Watches series. The moment Stephen and Will joined were also massive highlights.

Hodinkee has a staff strength of 28 now, including full-time designers and engineers. In 2014, a large company offered to purchase the brand. In 2015, Watchville was launched. Other editors that were hired included Jack, Cara, John, James etc. Hodinkee’s audience is really educated and sophisticated.

Most of the time, it isn’t the best idea to get a cheap version of a certain watch model and it’s better to get the best version of a particular watch. Some of the common questions that people ask are what are the good investment pieces? Can you get me a discount on a watch? How does the name Hodinkee come about? Hodinkee means wristwatch in Czech.

Hodinkee is good at being the bridge between the hyper-lux world and reality. There could certainly be room for improvement in the watch boutique experience. As people decided to buy watches because of Hodinkee’s articles, this showed other watch brands the power of marketing. This proves that Hodinkee has plenty of might in terms of marketing and their e-commerce site. Almost all their limited editions have been sold out. Hodinkee propagated the love for vintage watch and new watches that had a vintage vibe. The ideas behind the limited editions are truly an organic process and fun. Almost all the limited editions have been great successes.

Ben’s grandfather gave him a Mark 40 Omega chronograph when he was 16, and that started Ben’s love for watches. Cars and cameras are a big thing for Ben as well. He plans to stick around to grow Hodinkee further. Success is not guaranteed even if you were successful before with a previous venture. Success is never easy.

Episode 2 with Gary Shteyngart

He wrote an article on watches for the New Yorker in 2017. His upcoming book is ‘Lake Success’. Gary is an author and watch collector and a strap tanner. His watch collection started in 2016 and he was originally from Russia. One of his first few watches is the Junghans Maxbill (Bauhaus design), Nomos. Mid 20^th century was an awesome period. He grew up with an electronic Casio musical watch. His taste isn’t gaudy, but is anti-ostentatious and doesn’t want people to notice them. In the past, watches for most appeared to be too large.

The signaling of watches is very important, especially in rich cities like Singapore. It is a natural breeding ground for luxury watches. The watch community is so small, but meeting someone who is into watches is incredibly inspiring. Watches are certainly a very pricey hobby, especially if you are vintage Rolex. If you are bad at driving, a Rolex Daytona just doesn’t fit your image. Gary loves GMTs and divers. Desk divers are great as well and it helps to aspire to things. The Omega Speedmaster has a rich heritage as it has been to the Moon and is commonly known as the Moonwatch. William Gibson is one of Gary’s inspirational writers.

Gary bought a Rolex Explorer 1016, which is simply a lovely watch. He owns a 1675 GMT-Master II, and a Patek 3445. The vintage market is kind of heated, unfortunately. To him, movements are important but they are more difficult to understand, unlike dials. Seamasters with the 321 movements are super rare and desirable. The one watch man is simply a dream to many, like an aspirational goal, like a unicorn. As a matter of fact, faux-patina is not something that he fancies.

Nostalgia is a big thing in the watch industry nowadays. With a trend of nostalgia, how will brands create anything new and appealing to the market?  Oak and Oscar borrows vintage cues, but makes it modern as well.

When you own a mechanical watch, you believe in the traditional craft and the beauty of time. However, when you check the time on a phone, you are constantly distracted. It’s like physical books, there will still be a market for it. The apple watch does different things as compared to mechanical watches, and is unlikely to displace them. It probably isn’t a good idea to treat watches as investments. There are plenty of good vintage watch finds in El Paso.

Episode 3 with Rian Johnson

He directed the latest Star Wars film. Twitter is like a war. Rian is wearing a beautiful Rolex Explorer 1016 (1965) with a tropical dial (caramel colour). There is an element of engineering to screenplay. He doesn’t like writing, but he is a producer and director at times. Rian obviously prefers being the director. He bought a Speedmaster (pre-moon, 1969) when he was picked for Star Wars. Each of his watches has a story, and says a bit about particular moments of his life. Sometimes, you even know the history of the watch that you own if it’s pre-owned. Now, he has appreciated vintage watches. He wore his dad’s watch during film shooting, in order to re-connect with him as he passed away. Patek’s 3417 Amagnetic is one of his grail pieces.

Great Again by Donald J. Trump (How to Fix Our Crippled America)

You Gotta Believe. I realized that there were many naysayers in my life. These include some politicians and lobbyists. Unemployment has been at a high. Congress has been deadlocked and can’t make decisions easily. 45 million Americans are stuck in poverty. President Putin is putting together a coalition in Syria. Our leaders are failures in the military front and wasted trillions in the Middle East. I want to do something great for our country. I have an outstanding business track record. My brand is associated with success. I strongly aim to stop illegal foreign immigrants into our country. I persevered to fight a strong campaign despite all the odds. I say the truth and do not mince my words. In this book, I will state some of my plans for the US. What the US is better leadership. This book will give me a better understanding of my future. It is time to turn America around.

Winning Again. America needs to start winning again. America shouldn’t be bullied. We need to walk away from unfair negotiations. The nuclear treaty with Iran is just one example. Also, we are bringing in too many refugees from Syria to destroy our country. How can we start winning again? Congress hasn’t done much for the people. We need smart people to run things and manage things. Many journalists cast doubts on my abilities. My job is to prove people wrong. Even Hispanics, black people and women are listening to me because they are frustrated with the current regime. I create jobs, build buildings etc. I do not need to make anyone happy. Winning matters a lot.

I’m a practical businessman who has learned that when you believe in something, you never stop, you never quit, and if you get knocked down, you climb right back up and keep fighting until you win. That’s been my strategy all my life. – Donald Trump

Our ‘Unbiased’ Political Media. The media loves me. People sincerely need to hear the truth. Megyn Kelly is certainly one that was against me. Throughout my life, I am known to be a winner. Some people question my temperament. The more the press flames me, the more attention I get. With this attention on me, I can use it to my advantage. I give viewers what they want. My relationship with the media is mutually profitable. There are of course journalists who are decent and whom I respect. Criticism doesn’t affect me much. Sometimes, the media exaggerates on the wrong aspects of things. I deeply respect Hispanics and black people. I am not afraid of the political media.

I learned a long time ago that if you’re not afraid to be outspoken, the media will write about you or beg you to come on their shows. If you do things a little differently, if you say outrageous things and fight back, they love you. – Donald Trump

I find the people who are the best in the world at what needs to be done, then I hire them to do it, and then I let them do it… but I always watch over them. – Donald Trump

Immigration: Good Walls Make Good Neighbors. My immigration policy certainly attracted a lot of attention. A lot of countries were dumping their bad people on us. I later said that I would build a great wall to stop them from coming. We need to take greater action. We need to stem the flow of illegal immigrants. Too many people have been ignoring the problem. Immigration is good if the people coming in are of quality. We have problems tracking who is coming into our country. There is a need to stop illegal immigration. Some of the Mexicans in our country are up to no good. The Chinese had the courage to build the Great Wall of China. The wall will be a superb one. Construction will begin and Mexico will pay for it. The trick is to get the criminals out. I would also increase the number of immigration officers. Also, there is a need to enforce visa regulations. I want to make it clear that legal immigration is okay. Our immigration policy needs to make our country great again.

Foreign Policy: Fighting for Peace. Our foreign policy is messed up. We need to learn to operate from a position of strength. We need to push for what we want to create alliances. To protect others, we need to be paid for it. We need to better fund our military budget. There is a need to better pay our military and give them better benefits. Many of the wealthy countries are being defended by us for free. We spent too much money in Iraq without reaping the benefits. If you want to fight a war, there needs to be a clear objective. We should only fight to further national interests. To me, Iraq is of no threat and our plan to leave was a failure. Without Iraq, Iran would dominate. We need to fight the Islamic State. To get rid of ISIS, it would be useful to bomb their oil fields. That oil is the source of their wealth. Iran is a threat to us, because they are a threat to Israel. President Obama negotiated a horrible deal with Iran. The US cannot allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon. I want to shut down their nuclear program. China is also quietly building up their military strength. They also hold a lot of our debt. They also devalue their currency, upsetting the balance of trade. We need their trade more than we need them. How are going to compete with them? To me, they have destroyed entire industries by using of low wage workers. I would like them to stop devaluing their currency. We buy almost 20% of all their exports. Now, we need to get tough with them. It is important to hold our cards and not to reveal our plans so soon. It is better to remain unpredictable. One should learn to keep the cards close to the vest. Everything begins with a strong military.

Education: A Failing Grade. My father understood the value of education. I also understood the value too and studied at the Wharton School of Finance at uPenn. How do we give the best education to our kids? Common Core doesn’t seem to work and the one size fit all approach doesn’t work. I believe in locally run education instead. Leave no student behind. We cannot fail our children anymore. In the military academy, I understood the meaning of discipline. We need a kid who can win. Teachers and students need to want more and not keep lowering the standards. Students need to learn persistence. Competition makes you stronger and I believe it is useful. Let the schools compete for the right to admit kids. Fostering competition improves the quality of education. Charter schools have also better performance than ordinary schools. The schools in the urban areas have a lot of work that needs to be done. The unions have a monopoly and I am not a big fan of them. We need to pay teachers more so as to attract them to the profession. There is a need to instil better discipline in schools to make it a safe environment for learning. The cost of education is also skyrocketing and needs to be controlled. Our society is also becoming more paper-chase in nature and many aspire to have a degree. The federal government should not be taking profit on student loans.

The Energy Debate: A Lot of Hot Air. The experts are not clear what they are doing. They can’t predict extreme weather accurately. There are many more pressing issues than climate change. To be honest, most Americans do not bother about climate change. Not every natural disaster is man-made. We are also spending a few billion dollars to develop technologies which we don’t need. Oil prices are too high. The fact is that there is still a lot of natural energy underground, sufficient for us to use for a few centuries. We are highly dependent on oil. We are often held hostage by the OPEC and then oil cartel. The US needs to drill our own oil. The Middle East is also unstable and all the more, we need to rely on our own sources of oil. Our priority is to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. To me, solar panels do not make economic sense and the cost exceeds the benefits. At least at the current stage of technology, it is not viable to be considered. Wind turbines are also troublesome. Bill Gates wants to invest in renewable energy research. Even wind power can emit more carbon dioxide if it is powered by gas-fired generation. To extract more oil, we will need fracking as well. This is also a great way to create new jobs for our economy.

Health Care is Making Us All Sick. I know how to buy good medical coverage at reasonable costs. Our ‘affordable care’ act was not very useful. Obamacare was too complex to be understood. The premiums are always increasing and it will get worse. It has to be repealed and replaced. Deductibles are way too high and even doctors are not happy. The paperwork is a nightmare. There is definitely a need for real healthcare reform and the single-payer system should not work. We should not cut either Social Security or Medicare benefits. The best way forward is to let people purchase different insurance companies across state lines. Increased competition will help to drive down prices.

It’s Still the Economy, Stupid. Many people doubted me. I am filthy rich. Most politicians do not have commercial experience and do not know how to pass a budget. That is really embarrassing. Many of them do not have the requisite leadership qualities. What we need is tough leadership to keep us going. Obama plays golf, but not with the right people. I love to shake up the status quo. This is leadership. Free market works, but only with good leadership. I will re-look at the tax code and ensure it should be biased towards the rich. Our national debt is too high and cannot afford to be any higher. Some people have suggested cutting social Security to reduce debt. We should not touch that money as many people rely on it. However, some of the rich people will not need Social Security. Jobs are being lost and the ‘real’ unemployment rate is over 20%. Whole industries have simply moved overseas because they could not compete. I sure know how to create jobs for the people. For instance, I do this via construction of golf courses, hotels etc. We shall start by negotiating better trade agreements. We have to bring back the jobs which we have lost along the way.

Our country is going through a bad time – I get it, and I know how to solve it. I’m a fighter. Knock me down, and I come back even stronger. I love it! – Donald Trump

Nice Guys can Finish First. I don’t mince my works. I will only do what is right for my country. I am very loyal to my family and friends. Terry Lundgren was not a loyal guy. I have an on-going lawsuit with Univision. Illegal immigration is a big issue and I am not afraid to talk about it. The American people seem to love me because I stand up for what I believe in and stand for their interests. A great leader should hold his principles and yet be savvy at negotiations. Many of the politicians can’t speak freely because they have to protect their own interest groups etc. My dad was a special man, who I learned a lot from.

That has always been my philosophy: If my critics attack me, then I’ll fight back. – Donald Trump

Lucky to be American. I won the ovarian lottery to be born in the US. With US citizenship, it conferred many rights. I fly the American flag in front of my house. The US flag is a symbol of equality, hope and fairness. Our soldiers are not being given enough protection in combat situations. We need to treat our war veterans better. The Department of Veterans Affairs is too political and not run competently. We will take good care of our veterans.

Being born in this country is a matter of luck. Being grateful and proud of this country and what it represents and honouring the people who have protected it is a privilege I am proud to share with all Americans. – Donald Trump

The Right to Bear Arms. In the second Amendment, people have the right to keep and bear arms. The government should trust the people with arms and the right to use them to defend themselves. I feel safer when I own guns. I also have a concealed-carry permit with me. There should be tests and people need to pass before they can carry guns. We need to start prosecuting violent criminals. Violent crime is bad in our inner cities. The Project Exile program, where if a criminal gets caught committing a crime with a gun, he would get 5 years jail at a minimum, worked. This project will help our community to become safer. Protecting ourselves is a big responsibility. We have to be vigilant when we spot crimes. People with mental issues should not be allowed to carry guns. For mass murderers, there are usually red flags that were not picked up before they committed the crimes. We need to revamp our mental health care system. The right to keep and bear arms is essential for law-abiding citizens.

Our Infrastructure is Crumbling. The conditions of our airport are simply horrible. Our infrastructure is deteriorating badly. It is falling apart and bridges have collapsed. Some of them might even be dangerous. LAX is a disaster as compared to airports in other cities. The power grid is out of date and can’t meet our power needs. The roads are filled with potholes. We really need to improve the infrastructure in our country. I have the ability to transform dilapidated buildings and make it better. It will be a massive undertaking but our infrastructure needs to be solved and improved for all Americans. In the process, jobs will be created. This will be one of my main priorities, to repair the infrastructure. This will help brings the jobs back.

Values. Rich people may not be nice. To me, family and religion make a big part in happiness. My parents were big influences in my life. I am always there for my kids. The church also had a strong influence on me. To me, the Bible is the most important book ever written. I try to visit church every Sunday. I have given women employees much freedom and treat them as equals.

I’m not going to pretend that being rich doesn’t offer a lot of wonderful opportunities, but it doesn’t necessarily make you happy. I’ve learned that wealth and happiness are two completely different things. – Donald Trump

A New Game in Town. The White House needs business acumen. We should be winning and not losing. I put my names on the products etc. We need to step up and make America brave again. Putin ignores Obama now. I am committed to the nation. You must not be away from walking away from a bad deal. When I make business deals, I keep pushing and pushing. We need to restore law and order in our courtrooms. My main message is ‘To America Great Again’.

Stand behind your word, and make sure your word stands up. – Donald Trump

Teaching the Media Dollars and Sense. Our media is hardly ‘objective’. Our media is very dishonest. Reporters like to twist the words and change what I want to say. However, it doesn’t bother me. I really respected my father as a friend and a mentor. I am the richest President in US history. I try my best to be accurate when filing my financial statements. Our country needs to stand up and fight.

A Tax Code that Works. Our tax system doesn’t work and is too complicated. I would want to provide tax relief for middle-class Americans. I want to provide security for its people. We need to eliminate deductions and loopholes for the very rich. I will also simplify the tax brackets. We need to grow the US economy and cannot let it standstill. I will make repatriation of money back to the US at a lower rate. This will ensure our country will be successful. Many of our US businesses are leaving the country and setting up shop outside the country. SMEs are the engine of our economy. How will you pay for this tax plan. This be largely paid via tax on the rich. We throw away billions of dollars each year and it is time we stop it. We want to bring the jobs back, for good this time.

Making America Great Again. I revived Commodore, a horrible building in a struggling city. I saw that it had potential. I never gave up persuading leads in order to secure the rights to build it. I worked with the cities and banks etc. The hotel was named the Grand Hyatt. This is my Trump quality brand. We can make our country great again. I have a vision where we need to accomplish our goals and ensure that we stand up to our enemies. I always emerge from our challenges and come up stronger. I will really do what it takes to make America great again. There is also a need to stop illegal immigration into our country. We also need a viable energy policy to use resources to power us back into economic prosperity. I have a proven track record. It is definitely important to learn to dream big. For the deals I have made, it certainly wasn’t easy and involved a lot of liaising work. Full employment is very important. Our best days have not passed us yet.