Report: Donald Trump passed on buying Patriots in 1988

Real estate mogul and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reportedly passed on an opportunity to add another lucrative venture to his business empire: owner of the New England Patriots.

In 1988, Trump was approached by then-Patriots owner Billy Sullivan about purchasing the team. But after consulting with his team of financial advisers, Trump decided not to pursue the offer, according to the Boston Globe (via Boston.com).

"Donald had a real interest and he felt the Sullivan family was honorable in their dealings with him," a source close to Trump told the Globe. "But his people told him between the team and the stadium there was $104 million in debt, and that was too much for him to handle."

Sullivan instead sold the team to Victor Kiam for $85 million.

Today, the Robert Kraft-owned Patriots are ranked by Forbes as the sixth most valuable sports franchise in the world at $2.6 billion.