Donald Trump's real estate empire begins, and in many ways ends, with his name, and most aptly with Trump Organization. It is the extension of Donald's father's firm, Elizabeth Trump & Son, which in 1971 Donald renamed to the current Trump Organization. It has since flourished into a major player in the real estate industry, albeit one whose profitability is constantly in flux (or completely unknown) and with a protean portfolio.

Headquartered at 725 Fifth Avenue, Trump Organization runs and manages buildings in real estate havens such as Manhattan and Hawaii, as well as in far-flung outposts in Turkey and the Philippines. It also has stakes in completely unrelated properties, such as the Miss Universe pageant, "The Apprentice" television show, and various lines of Trump clothing, fragrances, bottled water, and vodka.

Over-leveraged deals and licensing has gotten Trump Organization in trouble over the years, but it (like its eponymous founder) has managed to reinvent itself time and again. In 1990, Trump Organization folded under an enormous $2 billion debt, forcing divestment of several of its high-profile properties. Its casinos have seen stock prices dip precipitously over the years, and Trump Entertainment Resorts has filed for bankruptcy four times. In 2011, Trump Organization was accused of using the Trump brand to mislead investors that Donald Trump was the developer, only to have the name pulled after some projects went belly up.

Currently, Donald is the CEO, but three of his children Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka are the heirs apparent to carry the Trump name into new corners of real estate and other industries.

-NR