The purchases led Trump and those in charge to believe that things were turning around in Atlantic City so THCR opened Trump’s World Fair in 1996. The company took over Trump Plaza and purchased the Taj Mahal. In 1995, Trump established the Trump Hotel and Casino Resorts (THCR) as a publicly-traded company. Underfunded, it was seen as a venture doomed to fail. Just one year later, the Taj Mahal was forced to go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Trump Plaza and Castle following suite in 1992. However, since he won the unfinished Taj Mahal from talk show host Merv Griffin, total debt on the casino exceeded $820 million. Seen as the crown jewel of Atlantic City, it brought in visitors from all over the world, including many celebrities.
This $1 billion project, opened in April 1990, was New Jersey‘s tallest building (at 42-stories) and one of the world’s largest casinos. Next, he began one of biggest projects of his career: opening Trump Taj Mahal.
