Trump dey face $370m fine. How im go pay for am?

On Friday, one New York Judge go decide di future of Donald Trump family business wen im deliver im verdict for di former president civil fraud trial.

Already dem don find di former president, im adult sons and im namesake company guilty for mago-mago wey dem do to inflate di value of assets for statements to lenders.

Prosecutors bin ask di judge to fine Oga Trump $370m (£291m) and im put restrictions on im ability to conduct business for di state.

Dat na plenty money, even for a billionaire. Legal experts tell BBC say penalty like dat wey dey dis large, couple wit a potential final verdict wey fit greatly impact im real estate empire, fit deliver a serious blow to Oga Trump finances.

"Im no go suddenly become working class," na wetin former federal prosecutor Diana Florence tok. "But e go just be plenty of cash. Im wealth go reduce well-well."

Why Trump fit chop $370 million fine?

Di New York Attorney General Letitia James tell di court say na $370m be di right amount for di Trumps to pay in disgorgement, a financial penalty wey go involve paying back di money wey dem gain through fraudulent means.

She calculate am based on three factors: money Oga Trump allegedly make as interest rate savings on loans due to im misstating im assets; "bonuses" dem pay to Trump Organization employees wey participate for di scheme; and profit dem realise from two property deals wey Madam James allege say dem get fraudulently.

E dey up to Judge Arthur Engoron to determine di financial penalties wen im deliver im ruling.

Whatever di amount, Oga Trump go also get to pay annual interest on top dat fine, wey go back several years to wen di allege offences bin take place. New York 9% interest rate mean say Oga Trump fit get to pay an additional nine-figure sum on top of di penalty.

Oga Trump don deny di fraud accuse e add say no crime at all sake of say di banks make money on im investments. Im dey expected to appeal di mata, wey go put di verdict on hold until a higher court review di case.

But if im wan avoid to pay di fine or allow dem seize im personal assets while di appeal process dey go on, im go still need to deposit di full amount for di court to hold within 30 days.

Na ogbonge amount - but no be somtin wey dey disastrous

One calculation from Forbes Magazine put Oga Trump total net worth at $2.6bn. Di New York Attorney General Office estimate im annual net worth at $2bn for 2021.

Based on dose estimates, a penalty of $370m no go cost Oga Trump roughly 15-18% of im wealth.

On top of dis penalty, however, im dey already owe di writer E Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages from one separate defamation case wey dem bin conclude for January. Im legal fees also dey mount as im dey battles four criminal cases for di federal and state level.

Dis combined financial burdens fit constitute more cash dan Oga Trump get available. Legal experts say im get several options.

Trump fit secure bond, but e go cost am

To avoid to pay eviritin upfront, OgaTrump fit try to secure bond – dat na third-party guarantee wey im fit pay di full fine. Dat go cost am many more millions, wit added interest and fees. Im go also dey required to put up collateral.

To secure bond from bonding company, di pesin typically go need to put up about 10% of di total amount wey dem dey owe, na wetin Steven Cohen of New York Law School explain.

So if Oga Trump dey owe $370m for disgorgement, im fit pay di bond company $37m (£29m) to issue di bond. And im no get dat money back.

Trump fit sell assets to raise enough cash

For di deposition for dis case, Oga Trump say im bin get $400m cash for hand (BBC no bin fit verify dat sum independently). Wit im oda legal liabilities and fees, however, e no go dey enough to cover a new $370m fine.

"Im go need to tink about wetin to do wit im assets, how to perhaps liquidate businesses to come up wit dat money," Sarah Kristoff, a former federal prosecutor tok.

Most of Oga Trump fortune dey tied to im real estate ventures. Forbes say im New York real estate empire dey valued at $490m (£384m) including im flagship condominium skyscraper, Trump Tower, dey worth $56m (£44m) according to di outlet count.

Im portfolio include many oda properties around di kontri, wit golf courses, condominium towers, hotels and even a winery.

"Dem go need to sell somtin or realise somtin in order to get di money to pay for dat kind of cost," William Thomas, one professor for University of Michigan Ross School of Business tok.

Trump fit ask im loyal supporters for di money

Oga Trump fit also turn to di big fundraising engine im dey use to pay im tens of millions for legal fees. According to di New York Times, 10% of evri dollar wey im supporters raise dey go to pay for im defence for im civil and criminal trials.

Im don use two political action committees - Save America, na di one im dey use for legal fees, and Make America Great Again, na di one wey dey fund im presidential bid - to raise money to cover di costs of dis trials, even though such structures typically dem dey use am for political purposes. Dis entities dey separate from unofficial presidential campaign account.

Between im first indictment for March of 2023 to di end of di year, im Save America political action committee spend nearly $40m on lawyers and oda related fees, na wetin Forbes calculate.

Under federal campaign finance rules, Oga Trump fit potentially use Save America to pay for court-ordered penalty, na wetin Shanna Ports, one senior counsel for di Campaign Legal Center tok. Im no go dey allowed to make im payment wit official campaign funds, she add put.

But fundraising fit no dey practical for Oga Trump case anyway, attorneys tell BBC.

Big penalty fit "create a real cash-flow crunch for am to come up wit nine figures in cash for veri short order," former federal prosecutor Michel Epner tok. Im add say na ogbonge amount to fundraise from im supporters for a brief time period.

According to filings wit di Federal Election Commission, im Save America PAC bin start di new year wit $5m cash for hand.

Oga Trump go only get a clearer picture of wetin e mean for im business and personal fortune wen Judge Engoron deliver im final ruling. But no mata how he choose to pay, any major penalty go likely cause serious financial headaches for di former president.

"Trump, for all of im misrepresentations and lie-lie about im wealth, true-true na wealthy pesin," na so Oga Thomas, di business professor tok. "But most pipo no get $400m wey dey lie around."