UPDATE: NBC has denied reports of Donald Trump's huge new salary.
In a statement, NBC says:
"The financial information reported today in regards to 'The Celebrity Apprentice' is grossly inaccurate and has been significantly overstated. While it is our policy to keep financial information strictly confidential, neither the production costs of the show nor what Mr. Trump makes personally is in the realm of reality. Donald Trump and 'The Apprentice' franchise remain a key part of the NBC primetime lineup and we are looking forward to another compelling cycle next season."
ORIGINAL POST: Donald Trump has said that the reason he didn't run for president was the money NBC was offering him to stay as host of "Celebrity Apprentice." If a report in the New York Post is anything to go by, it's understandable why Trump stayed put.
The Post reported Wednesday that Trump was given a mega-raise to continue working for NBC--to $130 million over two years. That would make him the most highly-paid reality star on television.
"Celebrity Apprentice" has been one of the more highly-rated shows on NBC, and the network is desperate to hang on to any hits it can. Indeed, its refusal to publicly sever ties with Trump in the wake of some of his more controversial statements about President Obama led NBC stablemate Lawrence O'Donnell to savage the network repeatedly for months. NBC finally forced Trump to announce that he was not running for president during its yearly upfront meeting.