His businesses were on the verge of collapse, and banks were seizing his assets.

In 1990, Donald Trump was personally owed $900 million.

His businesses were on the verge of collapse, and banks were seizing his assets.

But instead of bankruptcy, he led to one of the greatest business revolutions in history.

Here's how Trump used debt to rebuild his empire:

By the late 1980s, Trump had built a large portfolio of properties, including iconic properties such as Trump Tower and Plaza Hotel.

But his empire was heavily leveraged, and he was borrowing billions of dollars to fund the project.

When the economy went into recession in 1990, the real estate market collapsed.

The value of Trump's assets has plummeted, his casinos in Atlantic City have been making huge losses, and loan interest payments have reached unmanageable levels.
•Trump had a personal guarantee on nearly $1 billion in loans.
•His three casinos were in huge deficits.
•Banks seized his yacht, the Trump Princess, and other luxury assets.

For most people, this situation would have meant the end.

But Trump saw it as an opportunity and started rewriting the rules of the game.

Trump's first move was negotiating, not declaring bankruptcy.

He realized that the banks had an interest in keeping him from bankruptcy.

If Trump failed, his assets would not be worth enough in the bankruptcy market, costing banks billions of dollars.

Trump has convinced banks that his name and ability to attract public attention is vital to his asset value.

He negotiated an extension of loan terms, low interest rates and additional credit limits to secure funds to run his business.

It also laid off employees, sold off non-core assets, and aggressively cut costs to cut costs.

Trump has turned his financial crisis into partnerships with banks, positioning himself as "too big to fail."

Realizing that traditional real estate profits weren't enough, Trump began to focus on his brand business.

The biggest breakthrough for Trump came in 2004 when he was selected to host NBC's The Apprentice.

The program reintroduced Trump to global audiences as a business icon.

The Apprentice ran for 14 seasons, and Trump is said to have made about $213 million from the show.