Millions, billions: Judge tosses Trump's lawsuit over his worth
CAMDEN, N.J. -- Donald Trump says a judge was wrong to dismiss his lawsuit over how much he's worth.
Trump sued Timothy O'Brien, author of the 2005 book "TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald" for writing that Trump is worth $150 million to $250 million.
Trump said that was inaccurate — he claims he's worth between $5 billion and $6 billion — and that O'Brien knowingly published a wrong number to try to damage him and sell more books.
Superior Court Judge Michele Fox dismissed the lawsuit Wednesday, ruling that O'Brien was not trying to defame Trump.
Camden County Courts Civil Division Manager George Coan says the judge did not address how much Trump is actually worth when she gave her ruling from the bench. Rather, he said, her analysis ended when she found that O'Brien, who cited sources for his figures, was not acting maliciously.
The celebrity real estate developer and reality television star said Thursday that he would appeal the ruling.
And even though the judge did not rule on the issue, he said his lawsuit proves his net worth is in the billions, not merely the hundreds of millions.
"That's what it is; it's indisputable," Trump said. "If it wasn't, I wouldn't have brought the lawsuit."
Trump lawyer William Tambussi said the ruling "condones (O'Brien's) gross negligence and lack of professionalism and bias."
In a statement, O'Brien, now an editor at The New York Times, said the ruling backs him up. "I am deeply gratified that the court's decision has vindicated the reporting in TrumpNation," he said.
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