• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jamie Dimon and his wife, Judith, donate $12 million to 12 HBCUs—betting they're the 'springboard to success' for the next generation

2

Dolly Parton’s philanthropy inspiration was her father who couldn't read or write: 'I saw how crippling that could be'

3

Less than 300 million barrels left: the engineering limits threatening the American Strategic Petroleum Reserve

1

Jamie Dimon and his wife, Judith, donate $12 million to 12 HBCUs—betting they're the 'springboard to success' for the next generation

2

Dolly Parton’s philanthropy inspiration was her father who couldn't read or write: 'I saw how crippling that could be'

3

Less than 300 million barrels left: the engineering limits threatening the American Strategic Petroleum Reserve
FinanceDeutsche Bank

Trump’s banker at Deutsche Bank resigned amid a property deal probe

By
Sonali Basak
Sonali Basak
,
Sophie Alexander
Sophie Alexander
, and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Sonali Basak
Sonali Basak
,
Sophie Alexander
Sophie Alexander
, and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 4, 2021, 6:23 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Rosemary Vrablic, the longtime banker for Donald Trump, left Deutsche Bank AG in December after an internal investigation found she engaged in “undisclosed activities” related to a real estate deal.

Vrablic was “permitted to resign” as a result of the probe, according to a disclosure by the bank on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s BrokerCheck service. The activities included “the purchase of the property from a client-managed entity, and the formation of an unapproved outside entity to hold the investment,” the bank said in the disclosure.

Vrablic’s colleague, Dominic Scalzi, also resigned in December for the same reason, according to a separate Finra disclosure.

A representative for Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank declined to comment beyond the information it shared with Finra, and Vrablic and Scalzi didn’t immediately respond to calls requesting comment. The New York Times reported the reason for Vrablic’s departure earlier Wednesday.

The firm in August began reviewing a real estate transaction between Vrablic and Scalzi and a company partly owned by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

Vrablic, who worked in the private-banking division, helped manage Trump’s relationship with the bank as it loaned hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump’s company over several years. That relationship subjected Deutsche Bank to pressure from lawmakers and prosecutors for information during Trump’s presidency.

Cutting Ties

Deutsche Bank cut ties with Trump in January following the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol, but the former president still owes the bank more than $300 million. The total includes $125 million for Trump’s Doral golf resort in Miami due in 2023 and about $170 million for the Trump International Hotel in Washington due in 2024.

Vrablic, who grew up in the Bronx and then Scarsdale, New York, graduated from Fordham University in 1982 with an economics degree during the recession. The only job she could get was as a bank teller, according to David Enrich’s “Dark Towers,” which details the links between Trump and the German lender.

A chance meeting on a train with a Bank Leumi executive secured Vrablic a position on the Israeli bank’s credit-training group. A few years later she landed at Citicorp’s private-baking division, where she built a reputation providing large loans to wealthy New York real estate families.

Deutsche Bank recruited her in 2006 to bolster its private-banking division, handing Vrablic a guaranteed $5 million a year, according to Enrich’s book.

One of her clients was Jared Kushner, who after his marriage to Ivanka brought Trump and Vrablic together to provide financing, even as Trump was fighting with Deutsche Bank over another loan. This made Vrablic a controversial figure within the bank. In 2012, Trump tapped Deutsche Bank to finance his acquisition of Doral against the objections of the lender’s investment bankers, the book details.

About the Authors
By Sonali Basak
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Sophie Alexander
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Finance


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.