Drama and Controversy

08.03.2022

Long before he was a contender for the US presidency, Donald Trump was America’s most famous and colorful billionaire.

Donald John Trump, the fourth of five children of Fred and Mary Trump, was born on June 14, 1946, in New York City’s Queens borough. The family lived in the upscale community of Jamaica Estates, reflecting the success of Fred’s company.

Trump began his career working for his father’s real estate development firm, taking over its leadership in the 1970s. In the ensuing decades, he acquired and built hotels, office towers, casinos and golf courses and also appeared on 14 seasons of “The Apprentice.” He is the first person ever elected to the U.S. presidency without any previous government or military experience.

He has written several books, and owns a line of merchandise that sells everything from neckties to bottled water. According to Forbes, his net worth is $2.5bn.

Mr Trump has been married three times, though his most famous wife was his first – Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech athlete and model. The couple had three children – Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric – before they filed for divorce in 1990.

The following year Trump wed actress Marla Maples, with whom he has a daughter, Tiffany Trump. After Trump’s second marriage ended in 1999, he tied the knot with Slovenian model Melania Knauss in 2005. His son with Melania Trump, Barron Trump, was born in 2006.

Mr Trump expressed interest in running for president as early as 1987, and even entered the 2000 race as a Reform Party candidate.

Under the banner Make America Great Again, Mr Trump ran a controversial campaign built on promises to strengthen the American economy, build a wall on the border of Mexico and the US, and to temporarily ban immigration by Muslims “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on”.

His 2020 election year has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. He has faced intense criticism for his handling of the crisis, as the US leads the globe in deaths and infections which led to his defeat by opponent Joe Biden in November 2020.