In "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by Michael Wolff, the author highlights the contrast between Donald Trump's self-image and the reality of his business operations. Trump often described his business ventures as a grand empire, but in truth, they functioned more as a specific holding company and a smaller enterprise focused on a select range of properties and branding opportunities.

This distinction reveals a deeper understanding of Trump's management style and his approach to business, suggesting that the narrative he crafted was more about perception than the actual scale of his operations. This portrayal plays a significant role in understanding Trump's identity and his actions during his presidency.