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Don Hankey, whom Forbes estimates has a fortune valued at $7.4 billion, reached out to Donald Trump when he heard that the former president needed help finding a company to underwrite a bond for his civil fraud trial judgment. While speaking with CNN, Hankey asserted that his company would have extended the same deal to anyone. “It’s what we do,” he explained. “I’m happy to do it. … It was an easy transaction. It was put together very quickly.” Hankey also confirmed Trump’s previous assertion that he’d be paying the hefty bond with cash. “Ultimately, he put up all cash,” said Hankey, even though the president initially toyed with the idea of leveraging investment-grade bonds.
Hankey angled his decision to intervene as a business move. “This is what we do at Knight Insurance, and we’re happy to be able to accommodate the ex-president in this situation,” Hankey told ABC News. However, he also has a political interest in the presidential hopeful. “I’d say it’s more of a business decision, but I happen to be a supporter also,” explained Hankey, who has previously donated to Trump’s campaign.
Trump previously sought a $100 million loan from Axos Bank — where Hankey is a shareholder — to refinance the mortgage on Trump Tower. Axos Bank also loaned Trump $225 million as he weathered the professional fallout from the January 6 Insurrection.
