---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Theory 2: Trump was part of a…"
description: "\"“Theory 2: Trump was part of a less-than-blue-chip (much less) international business set, feeding off the rivers of dubious wealth that had been unlea..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-wolff-423_business_theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-b_923549.jpg"
---

#  Theory 2: Trump was part of a less-than-blue-chip (much…

![“Theory 2: Trump was part of a less-than-blue-chip (much less) international business set, feeding off the rivers of dubious wealth that had been unleashed by all the efforts to move cash, much of it from Russia and China, out of political harm’s way. Such money, or rumors of such money, became an…” quote by Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-wolff-423_business_theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-b_923549.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-wolff-423_business_theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-b_923549.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-wolff-423_business_theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-b_923549.jpg)

> ““Theory 2: Trump was part of a less-than-blue-chip (much less) international business set, feeding off the rivers of dubious wealth that had been unleashed by all the efforts to move cash, much of it from Russia and China, out of political harm’s way. Such money, or rumors of such money, became an explanation—still only a circumstantial one—in trying to assess all the Trump business dealings that largely remained hidden from view.””

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote suggests that Trump’s business ties involve opaque, potentially illicit international money flows, making it hard to fully understand his dealings.

**In simple terms:** Trump’s business is linked to shady foreign money, creating uncertainty.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the limits of what can be known about hidden financial networks.

Themes

politics finance transparency

Mood

skeptical critical

Type

analytical informative

When to use this quote

- journalistic investigation
- policy analysis
- public discourse

Key Concepts

corruption geopolitics information gaps

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we verify such financial claims?
- What impact does speculation have on public trust?

A Different Perspective

The claim relies on circumstantial evidence and may overstate certainty.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [International business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international-business/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/)

## Related quotes

> [“I love supporting the blue-chip companies’ revival. Shows wise when you are on the top and you are still not ignorant &amp; arrogant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/csaba-gabor/i-love-supporting-the-blue-chip-companies-revival-shows-wise-when-you/)

[Csaba Gabor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/csaba-gabor/)

> [As an accountant by trade, my work for blue chip companies took me all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marta-andreasen/as-an-accountant-by-trade-my-work-for-blue-chip-companies-took-me-all/)

Marta Andreasen

> [ I suppose \[my life\] has most resembled a blue chip stock: fairly stable, more ups than downs, and gradually trending upward over time. A… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-suppose-my-life-has-most-resembled-a-blue-chip-stock-fairly-stable/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“He never addressed it as infidelity. To Jordan Belfort and his men, sex with a Blue Chip was a reflex of sorts – a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonella-gambotto-burke/he-never-addressed-it-as-infidelity-to-jordan-belfort-and-his-men-sex/)

[Antonella Gambotto-Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonella-gambotto-burke/)

> [I think I was attracted to Trump because he was a business man first. He isn't a politician. He spoke with common sense and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-think-i-was-attracted-to-trump-because-he-was-a-business-man-first/)

[Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/)

> [ \[Donald\] Trump's business conflicts are big enough and have come up throughout various aspects of this transition. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/donald-trump-s-business-conflicts-are-big-enough-and-have-come-up/)

[Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/)

> [Donald Trump business connections, which are really horrifying. I mean, they make Hillary Clinton look like small change when it comes to influence peddlin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/donald-trump-business-connections-which-are-really-horrifying-i-mean/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [President Trump has had business leaders at the table. He's listening; he's engaging and making decisions that will help us grow the economy and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muilenburg/president-trump-has-had-business-leaders-at-the-table-he-s-listening/)

[Dennis Muilenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muilenburg/)

> [When we talk about Donald Trump business, he has taken business bankruptcy six times. There are a lot of great businesspeople that have never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-we-talk-about-donald-trump-business-he-has-taken-business/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [For Donald Trump's business partners around the world, including the developers of this luxury golf course in Dubai, what some in the U.S. may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ross/for-donald-trump-s-business-partners-around-the-world-including-the/)

[Brian Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ross/)

> [I would deal with President Trump's business no different than I would deal with any other business that comes before the committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mnuchin/i-would-deal-with-president-trump-s-business-no-different-than-i/)

[Steve Mnuchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mnuchin/)

> [President Trump, who made his name in the business world and built a brand as a successful CEO via a reality TV show that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-soltis-anderson/president-trump-who-made-his-name-in-the-business-world-and-built-a/)

[Kristen Soltis Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-soltis-anderson/)

> [ \[Donald\] Trump continues to dismiss those concerns though, even as some Republicans, like Lindsay Graham, are making the case that Trump's business ties deserve… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/donald-trump-continues-to-dismiss-those-concerns-though-even-as-some/)

[Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/)

> [Here's a guy who says he's a great businessman. But it seems like a lot of Trump's business is built around stiffing small businesses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/here-s-a-guy-who-says-he-s-a-great-businessman-but-it-seems-like-a/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ He \[Doanald Trump\] had no business being president of the United States. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/he-doanald-trump-had-no-business-being-president-of-the-united-states/)

[Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/)

## More by Michael Wolff

> [Donald Trump doesn't necessarily stay mad for very long. He's a transactional guy. If you can offer him something, he will take it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-doesn-t-necessarily-stay-mad-for-very-long-he-s-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“he could yet make a case for a straight line from Nixon to Trump.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/he-could-yet-make-a-case-for-a-straight-line-from-nixon-to-trump/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“it confirmed Bannon’s worst fear: Trump, in his true heart, was a marshmallow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/it-confirmed-bannon-s-worst-fear-trump-in-his-true-heart-was-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york-observer-and-its-self/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“The candidate who billed himself as a billionaire—ten times over—refused even to invest his own money in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-candidate-who-billed-himself-as-a-billionaire-ten-times-over/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [If institutions don't grow, they... well, I don't know what happens to them, because they always grow. I suppose the point is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/if-institutions-don-t-grow-they-well-i-don-t-know-what-happens-to/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Even though Trump liked to portray his business as an empire, it was actually a discrete holding company and boutique enterprise,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/even-though-trump-liked-to-portray-his-business-as-an-empire-it-was/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“the organizational premise of the Trump White House: the family would always prevail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-organizational-premise-of-the-trump-white-house-the-family-would/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Trump, who referred to the Chinese leader as “Mr. X-i”; the president was told to think of him as a woman and call him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-who-referred-to-the-chinese-leader-as-mr-x-i-the-president-was/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Donald Trump, even more than his father, was perceived as a vulgarian—after all, he put his name on his buildings, quite a déclassé thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-even-more-than-his-father-was-perceived-as-a-vulgarian/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your e-book. Please use the search function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-index-that-appeared-in-the-print-version-of-this-title-does-not/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Trump liked to say that one of the things that made life worth living was getting your friends’ wives into bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-liked-to-say-that-one-of-the-things-that-made-life-worth-living/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“The kids”—Jared and Ivanka—exhibited an increasingly panicked sense that the FBI and DOJ were moving beyond Russian election interference and into family finances. “Ivanka…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-kids-jared-and-ivanka-exhibited-an-increasingly-panicked-sense/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [I am old enough to think the word 'journalist' is not all that noble a designation. Journalist - that record keeper, quote taker and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/i-am-old-enough-to-think-the-word-journalist-is-not-all-that-noble-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Politics had seemed to become, even well before the age of Trump, a mortal affair. It was now zero-sum: When one side profited, another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/politics-had-seemed-to-become-even-well-before-the-age-of-trump-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

[Explore all 570 Michael Wolff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Theory 2: Trump was part of a less-than-blue-chip (much less) international business set, feeding off the rivers of dubious wealth that had been unleashed by all the efforts to move cash, much of it from Russia and China, out of political harm’s way. Such money, or rumors of such money, became an explanation—still only a circumstantial one—in trying to assess all the Trump business dealings that largely remained hidden from view.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Wolff"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-blue-chip-much-less/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-blue-chip-much-less/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-wolff-423_business_theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-b_923549.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-wolff-423_business_theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-b_923549.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-wolff-423_business_theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-b_923549.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Theory 2: Trump was part of a less-than-blue-chip (much less) international business set, feeding off the…” — Michael Wolff",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Michael Wolff",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Theory 2: Trump was part of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-blue-chip-much-less/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/theory-2-trump-was-part-of-a-less-than-blue-chip-much-less/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
