Because Trump admitted that some of the numbers are inflated. And that his net worth is based on what he thinks the value of his ābrandā is.
Trumpās ābrandā is never reflected on his balance sheets, nor should it be because itās not quantifiable. Bankers call it āGoodwillā.
If you own the best restaurant in town, where people are lined out the door every day, thatās worth real money to a prospective purchaser but itās not in your balance sheet. And if your chef quits, that line up could go away along with the value of your goodwill.
For tax purposes for both the buyer and seller, the purchase agreement will reflect various values - land and buildings/lease, equipment and fixtures, inventory and goodwill. The value of all of these items will appear on the balance sheets of the business, except the value of the goodwill.
Trump also lied big time when he said that his ābrandā and his name on the side of a building increased its value. It actually does the opposite because Trump is a crappy builder and an even worse project manager. And since January 6th, owners canāt get his name off their buildings fast enough.