Fact check: What percentage of The Art of the Deal did Donald Trump actually write himself?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, Donald Trump wrote essentially 0% of "The Art of the Deal" himself. The evidence consistently points to Tony Schwartz as the sole author of the book ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Schwartz claims he wrote the entirety of the book and that Trump had very little involvement in its writing ^[1]. Multiple sources confirm that Schwartz was paid to write the book and that Trump had very little input in its creation ^[2]. Schwartz has been explicit about his role, stating that Trump did not write any part of the book and that he wrote the entire book ^[3].

The ghostwriter has expressed significant regret about his work, calling writing the book "the biggest regret of his life" ^[4] and his "greatest regret in life, without question" ^[3]. Schwartz now considers the royalties he receives from the book to be "blood money" ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important context about the financial arrangements and ongoing consequences of this ghostwriting relationship. Schwartz continues to receive royalties from the book's success and has used these proceeds strategically - he has donated several hundred thousand dollars from the book's proceeds to causes that Trump would hate ^[5].

The analyses reveal that Trump has given conflicting accounts of his role in writing the book ^[1], suggesting there may be competing narratives about authorship that weren't addressed in the original question. Additionally, the question doesn't acknowledge that Schwartz was the one who created Trump's public image through the book ^[1], making this more than just a simple authorship issue - it's about the construction of Trump's entire business persona.

Missing is Trump's own perspective on the authorship claims, as the analyses primarily focus on Schwartz's statements without presenting Trump's counter-arguments or explanations for the conflicting accounts mentioned.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain misinformation, but it implies that Trump wrote at least some percentage of the book, when the evidence suggests he wrote none of it. The phrasing "what percentage did Donald Trump actually write himself" presupposes some level of personal authorship rather than asking whether he wrote any of it at all.

The question also fails to acknowledge the well-documented ghostwriting arrangement, treating the authorship as uncertain when multiple sources consistently point to Schwartz as the sole writer ^{[1] [2] [3]}. This framing could inadvertently perpetuate the misconception that Trump had meaningful involvement in the book's creation, when the evidence indicates Trump's role in the book's success was exaggerated ^[1].