Looks like it actually was possible to bond the whole amount.
Don Hankey, the billionaire chairman of Knight Insurance Group, told NBC News he was negotiating to post a far heftier bond of $557 million with the Trump Organization when the state Appellate Division lowered the size of the required bond to $175 million.
Possibly the most eye opening quote is at the end of the article:
Some billionaires expected Trump to be able to post the bond, but Trump could not. If Trump is fooling billionaires, do you really think he’s not fooling you?
“Hey bro, can you lend me $450?”
“Yeah maybe man. You don’t have it?”
“Nah. I’ve got almost enough though.”
“Hey man, I actually don’t need the full amount now. Just $175.”
“Bro, I thought you said you had that money.”
“Uhhh…”
It’s just… like, what the actual fuck does this insurance company think is gonna happen? He’s gonna stiff them, and tie it up in court indefinitely. It’s not a mystery. He’s done it before. He will do it again. It’s a pattern and practice.
It’s interesting that he went and got the bond anyway, even though he had the cash to cover the full amount. The fee the bond company is charging is significant. I suspect the better financial decision would have been to just hand the cash over. Even in the unlikely event the judgement is vacated on appeal, the Court would give back the money and he’s just be out the interest he would have made.
Also interesting the guy went and blabbed that they were in talks with Trump for the full amount. One of his justifications for getting it reduced was the idea that it would be impossible to get the full amount. But althat appeared to be yet another lie.