Critics gloated over President Donald Trump’s newly revealed tax details from the New York Times. But his economic struggles in the ’90s were no surprise for fans of his hit NBC TV show The Apprentice.

“It wasn’t always so easy. About 13 years ago, I was seriously in trouble. I was billions of dollars in debt,” Donald Trump said in his opening narrative of the main titles of the show in 2004. “But I fought back and I won, big league.”

The New York Times reported new tax information about Trump’s real estate businesses, in a widely reported expose, showing a $1.17 billion loss in his various businesses between 1985 and 1994.

Trump also detailed his debt struggles in the ’90s in his 1997 book the “Art of the Comeback.”

“Trump’s story begins when many real estate moguls went belly-up in what he calls the Great Depression of 1990,” the book’s description reads. “Trump reveals how he renegotiated millions of dollars in bank loans and survived the recession, paving the way for a resurgence…”

President Trump’s career is full of important setbacks as well as successes, ultimately making his brash business brand a valuable asset.

His branding success earned him the role as a business tycoon on The Apprentice — which also earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk and Fame — and made him a global celebrity.