Donald Trump denies big tip claims
December 7, 2007

After an earlier story this week that suggested celebrity real estate mogul and Apprentice star Donald Trump left a $10,000 tip for a waiter at a California restaurant, Trump has fired back at the claims, stating it was an apparent publicity stunt by the restaurant. Earlier in the week, online reports surfaced that suggested Trump left a $10,000 tip for a waiter on a bill that came to $82.27 at Santa Monica's high-end Buffalo Club. But as E Online reports, Trump told the popular Page Six column that it had to be a forgery, "This was done by the stupid restaurant to get publicity... It's not my signature."

After a year of self-promotion and squabbles that included Donald Trump's public spat with former View co-host Rosie O'Donnell, it appears someone might have been trying to garner a bit of publicity of their own. However, given Trump's history as a shrewd businessman and appropriate tipper, the $10,000 tip claim doesn't seem to add up, as many believe. After the news broke, Trump even admitted that he wasn't even in California at the time of the alleged tip.

As FOX News reveals, the original outlet (derober.com) where the story first picked up steam features a tipping section where people can share their celebrity tipping stories, "Blogger 'Dee Rober' said his site is strictly a 'satirical celebrity gossip blog.' It does, however, contain a feature called 'Celebrity Gratuity,' in which readers are asked to share 'celeb tipping stories - good and bad.'"

After all of the gratuity buzz and seemingly much-ado-about-nothing, neither parties, Donald Trump or the Buffalo Club, could be reached for comment.