Updated at 1:34 p.m. ET

Donald Trump says he is not running for president next year, ending weeks of speculation in which he dominated headlines about the 2012 race for the GOP nomination.

The real estate mogul and reality TV star said: "Business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector."

His decision comes the day after NBC announced it would continue Trump's show, The Celebrity Apprentice, with or without the real estate mogul as its host. The show will resume in January.

Trump said in a statement that he was confident he could beat the Republican field and, eventually, President Obama. He also vowed to continue to speak out on key issues such as the nation's debt and its ability to compete with China in the global marketplace.

"I will continue to voice my opinions loudly and help to shape our politicians' thoughts. My ability to bring important economic and foreign policy issues to the forefront of the national dialogue is perhaps my greatest asset and one of the most valuable services I can provide to this country," he said.

Trump rose in early presidential polls in part because of his high name identification. For weeks, he made an issue of President Obama's birthplace -- taking up the mantle of those who believe Obama was born outside of the United States and not eligible to be in the White House. Trump took credit for Obama's surprise decision last month to release the long form of his birth certificate that showed he was born in Hawaii.

The race for the GOP nomination has been reshaped in recent days, particularly by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's decision to also skip a White House bid for next year.

Huckabee's decision leaves the Republican race essentially wide open, especially in Iowa where voters will hold the nation's first presidential caucuses in February. Ex-Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is considered the front-runner, having placed at the top or near it in major polls conducted by Gallup and other organizations.

Trump has flirted previously with politics, considering a White House bid in 2000 as a third-party candidate. At various times in his life, Trump has been registered as a Democrat and made political contributions to candidates in both parties.

He registered as a Republican in 2009 and several times this year proclaimed himself to be a conservative.

USA TODAY has put together this media gallery of potential GOP presidential candidates. Our colleague Gary Levin has this post about Trump's decision to continue with the TV show.

(Contributing: Jackie Kucinich)