(CNN) Assuming that he's telling the truth -- and with this President this may be a leap -- Donald Trump made at least $434 million last year before expenses. His newly-released financial disclosure form shows much of this money came in the form of rent payments, asset sales, and golf course operations -- with numerous other income streams coming from as far away as the Philippines and Turkey.

Michael D'Antonio

What do the numbers really tell us? Aside from the fact that Trump seems very rich, they indicate that business is down at the President's Mar-a-Lago resort, but slightly up at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, where one is likely to find sycophants from all over the world. The report, which Trump filed to comply with federal rules, also shows massive liabilities, including five loans of $50 million or more, one in excess of $25 million, and eight in the range of $5 million to $25 million.

On Thursday, Eric Trump issued a statement saying, "Our company [Trump Organization] had an exceptional 2018. Our iconic hotels, golf courses, commercial buildings, residential projects and other assets are the best in the world and unrivaled by anyone."

The most tantalizing figure that can be gleaned from the Trump filing is the aggregate of loans owed to Deutsche Bank, which total at least $130 million. And since many of the figures in the form are reported as a range, that number could be significantly higher. The bank is now embroiled in a dispute in the United States after President Trump (along with his three eldest children and private company) filed a lawsuit against both Deutsche Bank and Capital One in an attempt to prevent them from responding to congressional subpoenas.

Secrecy has always been a high priority for Trump, whether it's his refusal to release his tax returns, or his fight against House Democrats who want a look behind the wizard's curtain. During his fifty-year career, Trump depended on the fact that the public had little access to information about his wealth and income in order to build the myth of his self-made success . It was only until the New York Times obtained tax documents from 1985 to 1994 (which are far more reliable than the financial disclosure forms) and published a report earlier this month , that we learned Trump was in the middle of a decade-long struggle that saw him lose more than $1 billion while he was publishing books like "Art of the Deal."