The Liar's Ball

Inside the world of the real Great Gatsby of New York real estate Harry Macklowe is one of the most notorious wheelers and dealers of the real estate world, and Liar's Ball is the story of the gamblers and thieves who populate his world. Watch as Harry makes the gutsy bid for midtown Manhattan's famous GM building and put almost no money down, landing the billion-dollar transaction that made him the poster child for New York's real estate royalty. Listen in on the secret conversations, back-door deals, and blackmail that put Macklowe and his cronies on top—and set them up for an enormous fall. Vanity Fair contributing editor Vicky Ward skillfully paints the often scandalous picture of the giants who owned the New York skyline until their empires came crumbling down in the 2008 financial crisis. Based on more than 200 interviews with real estate moguls like Donald Trump, William Zeckendorf, Mort Zuckerman, and David Simon, Liar's Ball is the never-before-told story of the egomaniacal elites of New York City. Read about: The epic rise and fall of one of the richest American real estate barons Outlandish greed and cravings for power, attention, and love Relationships built and destroyed by vanity and gossip The bursting of the real estate bubble and its aftermath This is no fiction—this is a real life tale of extravagance, ambition, and power. Harry Macklowe ruthlessly clawed his way to the top with the help of his loyal followers, each grubbing for a piece of the real estate pie. Liar's Ball reveals their secrets and tells the tale of business as usual for this group—lying, backstabbing, and moving in for the kill when things look patchy. From the bestselling author of The Devil's Casino comes an expos??? on the real estate elite that you'll hardly believe.

Preface ix Cast of Characters xi Introduction xv Chapter 1 Stealing the Spotlight 1 Chapter 2 Alpha Males 11 Chapter 3 The Rigged Bid 21 Chapter 4 Harry’s Hero 37 Chapter 5 The Odd Couple: The English Lord and the Housewife Tycoon 49 Chapter 6 The Age of the Wolf 65 Chapter 7 Donald Trump’s Bag Man 79 Chapter 8 The Money Hunters and the Salesman from Indianapolis 91 Chapter 9 Donald’s “Force Majeure” 103 Chapter 10 Paradise, Briefly 109 Chapter 11 Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride 117 Chapter 12 Tick Tock—A Year on the Clock 129 Chapter 13 The Fall That Wasn’t 145 Chapter 14 Aftermath 153 Note about the Sources 157 Acknowledgments 159 Notes 161 Bibliography 231 About the Author 233 Index 235