We are seeing why Trump is a billionaire. It takes a high level of charisma and savvy to amass such a fortune, and be a TV star to boot. Trump is a natural leader. He does not have to play by the same rules as regular politicians.
What about fortune of Donald Trump, Donald Trump’s father Fred was a real estate tycoon, so Donald just succeeded his fortune and multiplied it. Thus there is no reason to call him a "self-made man". By the way, his own business, the so-called empire, has been bankrupt for 4 times.