Stanley Chera, a New York real estate mogul and friend of Donald Trump, has died of the coronavirus
- Stanley Chera, a New York City real estate developer and friend of President Donald Trump, has died of the novel coronavirus.
- The news of Chera's death was broken by real estate publication The Real Deal and confirmed by CNN.
- Trump has spoken of Chera's illness at a white House briefing, saying he had a friend who had fallen into a coma after becoming ill and remarking on the "speed and viciousness" of the virus.
- Chera was the founder of real estate firm Crown Acquisitions, and a longstanding supporter of Trump's political ambitions.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Stanley Chera, a New York real estate developer and friend of President Donald Trump, has died of the novel coronavirus.
Chera's death was first reported by real estate sector publication The Real Deal on Saturday, and sources close to Chera later confirmed the news to CNN.
The businessman was the founder of Crown Acquisitions, and had begun his career in the family retail business before refocussing on real estate.
According to his company's website, it owns high-profile Manhattan properties including the St Regis New York and the Cartier Mansion.
He was an old friend of Trump - with the president having made his fortune in real estate before moving into entertainment and then politics.
Trump had spoken of a friend who had fallen ill with the virus, later confirmed to be Chera, in a March 29 briefing.
"I had a friend who went to a hospital the other day. He's a little older, and he's heavy, but he's tough person," Trump said. "And he went to the hospital, and a day later, he's in a coma ... he's not doing well."
"The speed and the viciousness, especially if it gets the right person, it's horrible. It's really horrible," he said.
A White House source confirmed Chera's relationship with Trump to the Associated Press.
According to Federal Election Commission records, between 2016 and 2019 Chera donated $402,800 to groups working to secure Trump's election.
At a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last year, Trump had praised Chera for his support and loyalty.
Trump described Chera as "one of the biggest builders and real estate people in the world." He also called him a "great guy" who has "been with me from the beginning."
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