Here's your Forbes Daily Briefing for Thursday, September 12th.

Today on Forbes, how Trump lost millions on his DC Hotel,

years after he sold it.

In what seemed like a stroke of genius, or incredible luck,

Donald Trump sold his money losing D.C. hotel in 2022

and ended up with a handsome $127 million payday.

But what few knew is that in order for that deal to happen

Trump had to step in with a loan.

So when the lease's new owner got into trouble financially, he took a hit too.

Trump's ties to the former DC Post Office date back to 2012.

That's when Trump won a competitive bidding process to restore D.C.'s historic but dilapidated

old post office into a 263-room luxury hotel.

The U.S. government would continue to own the property, which sits on Pennsylvania Avenue just a few blocks from the White House.

But Trump spent $200 million restoring the 1899 Roman-esque revival building,

as well as committing to make monthly rent payments of at least $250,000 for 60 years.

In winning the contract, Trump bested a consortium that included Hilton worldwide and planned to develop the building as a Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

That group protested Trump's victory to the General Services Agency, or GSA, which oversaw the bidding process.

Along with submitting dozens of pages of newspaper clippings,

highlighting Trump's history of defaulting on loans,

failing to complete projects, and bankrupting hotels.

Hilton and its partners claim that the finances behind Trump's bid just didn't make sense.

The protest stated, quote, the minimum-based lease proposed by Trump would require Trump to obtain hotel room

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