The Infamous Trump Family And What You Need To Know About Them
Before he became the 45th president of the United States, who was Donald Trump? There was a time when he was no more than a little boy from Queens. His story begins with the success of his grandfather many decades before our time. The family continued to enjoy more success when his father took over the family business. We hope you are ready to hear more about the history of the Trump family. Trust us when we say that this will give you a better idea of the man that we now call the POTUS.
A Little Boy
Mary Anne MacLeod and Fred Trump welcomed Donald John Trump to the family on June 14, 1946. The couple walked down the aisle a decade before this, and Donald was their fourth child. He was born in Queens at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. He was of German descent from his father’s side and Scottish on his mother’s side. His grandfather Frederick Trump moved to the United States in 1885 at the tender age of 16 and became a citizen in 1892. A talented businessman, he kickstarted the family fortune with the operation of “boomtown” restaurants and boarding houses. Donald himself posted this old photo of his on Facebook as a throwback. The caption said, “Who knew this innocent kid would grow into a monster?” Just so we are clear, he meant that as a joke.
A Little Boy
Siblings
The Trump family earned a lot of money thanks to Frederick Trump. In 1902, he got married to a woman called Elisabeth Christ. Together, they settled down in New York in 1905. That also happens to be the year that they gave birth to Fred Trump, Donald’s father. Fred started to help with their real estate business at only 15 years old. In 1923, he launched E. Trump & Son with his mother. They did their business primarily in the Brooklyn and Queens areas of New York City. In 1936, Fred got married to Mary Anne MacLeod. Together, they had five children. Ever since he was young, Donald earned a reputation for following his own rules. Below is a photo of him with his siblings. From the left to right, we have Donald, Fred Jr., Elizabeth, Maryanne, and Robert.
Siblings
Boarding School
Donald spent kindergarten until seventh grade at the Kew-Forest School. It is a college prep school in Queens. However, his parents sent him to a Cornwall private boarding school called New York Military Academy when he was 13 years old. It was his punishment when they found out that he had been going to Manhattan frequently without asking for their permission. When he changed schools, he became a big man on campus. He also shared this photo on his Facebook account with this caption: #TBT My confirmation picture at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, N.Y.”
Boarding School
Love of Sports
When he was at the military academy, Donald Trump played a number of sports. With his 6’2” stature, he participated in tennis, golf, squash, and football. Photos from the school also showed that he was on the varsity baseball team. Even though he eventually lost interest in these sports, he did not ever lose his passion for golf! One could even say that it is a staple in his life.
Love Of Sports
Football
During his time at NYMA, Donald Trump was a football player. He was such a big fan of the sport that he ended up buying a football team of his own in the future. He even tried to run an American football league. It was set up in a way that it competed with the popular National Football League.
Football
Proud Parents
Donald Trump also shared this photo on Facebook page and added this caption: “#TBT Myself with mother and father at New York Military Academy. See, I can be very military. High rank!” While he has said that he was “very military,” he actually had to defer five separate drafts during the Vietnam war. Of these, four were for his time in college. The fifth one, meanwhile, was for a bone spur diagnosis in his heels. Fairly recently, people have paid attention to this piece of information. The daughter of the man who diagnosed him said that it was nothing more than a “favor” to his father, Fred Trump. Apparently, Donald’s father was the landlord of the podiatrist!
Proud Parents
The Beat Of His Own Drum
We are sure that you have heard many things about Donald Trump. If so, you must know that he prefers to do things in his own way. In yet another “Throwback Thursday,” he posted a photo of his younger self in the NYMA uniform. He previously said that this look made him seem “very military,” although he had never served. He would even get into a controversy after he made a criticism about U.S. Senator John McCain. The former senator was captured and became a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Trump said that he was no war hero and explained, “I like people that weren’t captured.”
The Beat Of His Own Drum
Graduate
Donald Trump graduated from the military academy in May 1964. After that, he went to Fordham University. However, he decided to transfer to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania two years later. In 1968, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in economics from the Ivy League school. This is his senior yearbook photo from 1964. Right after he declared his plans to run in the presidential race, the New York Daily News published this photo on the front page. It happened after he criticized McCain. The newspaper shone a light on the medals on the uniform and mockingly said that they must have been given to Trump for “being neat.”
Graduate
College Graduate
The photo below shows Donald during his graduation from Wharton. The man beside him is Fred Trump, his father. This photo was posted on his Instagram account. The POTUS talked about the way his father made the company even more successful by building and then selling “thousands of houses, barracks, and apartments” in New York City. Donald would become the president of E. Trump & Son three years after that. However, they eventually changed the name of the company to the Trump Organization.
College Graduate
Brooklyn, 1975
Here is another photo that Trump put up on his Facebook profile: “#TBT With my father, Fred Trump, in Brooklyn,1975. A great Father’s Day gift—a stay at my 5-star hotel.” It must have been a great moment for both of them. However, there was trouble waiting for them. In the same year, the Trump family settled a case filed by the Justice Department. It claimed that the company had been systematically discriminating against prospective African-American renters. The Justice Department said that the Trump Organization racially profiled their clients. It was not even the first time that their company had to settle a racial discrimination case. In 1969, they got sued by the management of their property in Cincinnati, Ohio. The news reports claimed that Fred Trump wanted to settle the lawsuit quietly. Even if these things happened, the business only continued to grow.
Brooklyn, 1975
Father and Son
In 1982, Donald and Fred Trump made it to the list of the richest Americans released by Forbes. At the time, the father and son dup had a fortune of $200 million between them. In 1976, Fred created a trust fund of $1 million for each of his children and grandkids. This must be what Donald meant when he said he kicked off his career with a “small loan of $1 million” courtesy of his dad. However, he probably had access to the money made by his dad and grandfather. However, you are mistaken if Donald Trump was happy with his $200 million wealth!
Father And Son
The Business
Donald kept accumulating more and more money in the ‘80s. He eventually earned a spot on the list of billionaires that Forbes released in 1989. However, a reporter by the name of Jonathan Greenburg said that Trump tricked him about the family wealth to make it to the list. At any rate, Trump did not spend a long time on the billionaire list. From 1990 until 1995, he suffered business losses and lost his spot. In the photo, Trump talked about his failed bid to construct the New York City convention center: “#TBT As a young man when I proposed the Convention Center in New York City.”
The Business
Trump Tower
With his fortune growing, Donald Trump started to have ambitions of changing New York City history and its skyline. He wanted to develop the Trump Tower for years. In the end, the plan got approved. The construction of the building ended in 1982. Below is a photo of Trump holding a model of the Fifth Avenue Complex. A report said that “one of the apartments will sell for $11 million and [Trump] claims four bidders – none of them Americans – are bidding for it.”
Trump Tower
Ivana Zelníčková
As of 1978, Donald Trump already had his Manhattan real estate business going. It was what made him a billionaire. He got a 50% stake in the Commodore Hotel beside the Grand Central Terminal. In 1980, this hotel was relaunched under the name Grand Hyatt Hotel. It was built in partnership with the Hyatt chain of hotels. Back then, he was not all about business. In 1977, he and Ivana Zelníčková tied the knot. They had 3 kids, but the marriage ended in 1992 with the reveal of his affair with Marla Maples.
Ivana Zelníčková
First-Born Son
This is a photo of Donald Trump with his firstborn son, Donald Jr. This was taken in 1977, so his two other kids with Ivana were not yet born. Ivanka was born in 1981, while Eric was born in 1984. When Trump was still married and building his family, he got terrible news. His brother Fred Jr. died in 1981 after a battle with alcohol abuse. This had a great impact on him. In fact, Donald Trump decided to quit cigarettes and alcohol altogether after this terrible incident.
First Born Son
Team Owner
In 1983, Donald Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League. In that year, he also managed to recruit Herschel Walker, a Heisman Trophy winner, to the USFL. A few years later, he managed to bring over Boston College QB Doug Flutie. Sadly, the USFL had to fold after it lost an antitrust case against the National Football League in 1986. It seemed like Trump’s idea to move the USFL from spring/summer to fall/winter did not do the league any favors.
Team Owner
‘The Art of the Deal’
In 1988, Donald Trump made the Donald J. Trump Foundation. It was initially meant to be his way to give away the proceeds of his famous book called the Art of the Deal. As a matter of fact, the tax returns of the foundation show that the money was handed over to a lot of charities related to healthcare and sports. It also donated to conservative political groups. Trump captioned the photo below with, “Here with my father Fred, back in 1980. My hero, role model, and best friend. #TBT.”
‘The Art Of The Deal’
Wollman Rink Renovation
After dealing with overbudgeting, missed deadlines, and the bureaucracy, the city of New York gave Donald Trump the contract to update Wollman Rink in Central Park. This happened in June 1986, but the renovations were completed by December! No doubt, Trump succeeded in leaving his mark in that area. Yes, he added his logo to the rink railing. Trump also donated the proceeds to charity and public works.
Wollman Rink Renovation
Fred Trump
In 1999, his father Fred Trump passed away. Back then, the will indicated that $20 million should be split among his kids. Here is a photo of Trump and his dad posing outside the skating rink in Central Park after its renovation. The Trump team used this caption for the photo: “#PresidentTrump with his father Fred #Trump at the Wollman Rink in #CentralPark, #NYC – in 1987. #POTUS45 #ThrowbackThursday #TBT.”
Fred Trump
Marla Maples
Trump got married for the second time. He met his second wife Marla Maples in 1989. Their affair began when he and Ivana Trump were still legally bound together. Marla and Donald ended up having a child called Tiffany. They named her after the jewelry brand! Two months after she was born in October 1993, her parents tied the knot at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Trump bought this establishment in 1988. He converted it from a three-star hotel to a four-star one but eventually sold it in 1995.
Marla Maples
The Kids
Donald Trump sure likes sharing throwback photos! Here is one of him and his children 20 years ago. He can be seen standing over Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. Like him, they ended up inheriting a lot of the family money and working at the family business. It appears like the empire is in good hands.
The Kids
‘Lost City’
Here is Donald posing with his “Television City” model. It was a proposal for a huge commercial and residential complex in the Manhattan area called Upper West Side, right along the Hudson. Trump was hoping that it would house the headquarters of TV studios such as NBC News. The model in his hand was for a 150-story building meant to be the centerpiece of the area. It was supposed to be the tallest building on the planet! Sadly, things did not go as planned. First, there was a lot of criticism about the plan as many architecture critics said that the idea had “little connection to the varied pattern of streets” of New York on top of being “woefully simplistic.” On top of that, people living there did not approve of it after Trump increased the area of his original plan. It got even more out of control after Mayor Ed Koch said he would give tax breaks to NBC for moving its studios there, although Trump would not get any. True to form, Trump started name-calling him, much to the delight of the tabloids.
‘Lost City’
Branching Out
Is there a photo of Trump that would show how he branched out of the business built by his father and grandfather? It has to be this one! This photo of Trump shows him after the New York Board of Estimate gave him the go signal to purchase and refurbish the Commodore Hotel in Manhattan. Many would agree that this move set the precedence for Trump’s real estate business! It is not going to be all that accurate to say that he ventured out by himself. He got a $70 million construction loan with his father and the Hyatt Hotel chain as the guarantors. Donald Trump can claim that he is a self-made man as much as he wants, but it would be fairer to say that he continued the success of the family instead.
Branching Out
Trump Tower Completion
In the same year that the takeover of the Commodore Hotel was finalized, New York City also approved his rights to build Trump Tower in Manhattan. To finish it, he reportedly hired undocumented Polish workers for the demolition of the Bonwit Teller flagship store. The building was originally marked by the city for preservation thanks to its gorgeous art deco features. The construction of Trump Tower took 4 years. The last spaces were finally opened in November 1983. These days, you will find commercial and residential spaces in the building. The most famous ones are, of course, the Trump Organization HQ and the penthouse owned by the POTUS himself.
Trump Tower Completion
Trump Tower Opening
Here is a photo of Trump and the lawyer Roy Cohn taken during the launch of Trump Tower in 1983. The two men go all the way back. For one thing, Cohn was the counsel for Trump during the federal lawsuit in which the Justice Department claimed Trump of not following the Fair Housing Act at 39. According to the file, he quoted different rental conditions, terms, and statuses to African-American clients to stop them from renting the properties. Cohn was unable to win the case, which meant that Trump had to settle the charges in 1975. Three years after that, Trump had to return to court for the violation of the terms of his 1975 settlement. Anyway, he wanted more than just legal aid from his lawyer friend. It is said that he has similar public ‘counterattacks’ too. It might be the reason Trump likes to talk to the press so much!
Trump Tower Opening
Expansion
This photo of Trump inside Trump Tower was taken in 1984. He spoke to reporters and said, “What I have done is build the most beautiful buildings in the best locations.” During the ‘80s, he was able to renovate the Wollman skating rink as well as the Plaza Hotel. When the ‘90s rolled in, he refurbished the Gulf and Western Building and the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building on Columbus Circle and 40 Wall Street, respectively. After the extensive renovation, it became Trump Building. On top of that, he also wanted to rename the Empire State Building after buying shares of it from 1994 to 2002. He was hoping to rechristen it “Trump Empire State Building Tower Apartments” if he was able to get a majority share.
Expansion
Unhappy
This photo was taken from outside a federal court in 1986. Donald was leaving the building, and the unhappy look on his face might have to do something with his agreement to settle the antitrust lawsuit for a hefty $750,000. He did not notify the government before he bought voting stock worth more than $15 million in Holiday Corp. and Bally Manufacturing Corp. That might be a huge sum, but things were going well for Trump in those days. He was able to forget about these little issues since he just purchased a huge estate in Palm Beach, Florida. These days, that place is known as Mar-a-Lago estate.
Unhappy
A Gamble
Was Trump feeling unsatisfied with his acquisitions in New York City? If so, this might be the reason he started to do business in New Jersey. After legalized casino gambling was legalized in the state in 1977, Donald Trump moved in for the new business opportunities. He opened Harrah’s at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in 1984. In the mid to late ‘80s, he bought several more casinos in Atlantic City. However, these decisions did not prove to be good ideas in the financial sense.
A Gamble
Happier Times
Here is a photo of Donald and Fred Trump with Ed Koch, then the Mayor of New York City. Taken in July 1982, they appear happy in this photo. However, Trump would be devastated to see that his decision to buy casinos in New Jersey was not profitable. As he bought Atlantic City properties, the financial performances of these places started going downhill. Trump was left with no choice but to sell off Trump Shuttle, his airline. On top of that, he needed to restructure debt and bid adieu to Trump Princess, his mega-yacht. In 1995, he consolidated the casino properties under the name Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. It had to go bankruptcy restructuring in both 2004 and 2009.
Happier Times
Football Fan
Trump had another failed attempt in the Garden State aside from the casinos in Atlantic City. He also hired Walt Michaels to be the Head Coach for the New Jersey Generals, his United States Football League team. He purchased the team in 1983 and hoped to turn the league into a worthy contender against the National Football League. However, he made a huge mistake when he tried to run this league. Many teams were already losing money, and it did not help that Trump wished to move the schedule to fall/winter so that it could compete directly with the NFL. The USFL filed an antitrust suit against the more established league and won, although it only got $1 for it. Since it was a “victory in name only,” many teams could no longer afford the costs associated with running the teams. The league had to disband in the end.
Football Fan
The Penthouse
If you are familiar with the aesthetic preferences of the POTUS, maybe you will think that this is the interior of a property of his. He is a huge fan of gold, after all. However, the photo was taken with Ivana during a trip to St. Petersburg in 1987. Trump has a pretty long and interesting history with Russia. The visit was supposed to be an exploration of business opportunities in the country. Ambassador Yuri Dubinin invited him. Nearly a decade after this, in 1996, Trump tried his hand at more real estate deals. For many years, he asserted that he did not have business connections in Russia. This was proved to be false when they revealed that he was going after a deal to construct a building in Moscow just in June 2016. Not only that, but it was revealed that he received a lot of financial support from a Russian source when he was going through bankruptcy in the ‘90s. Donald Jr. said that Russia had a “pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. … We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”
The Penthouse
Red Carpet
It is true that Donald Trump has recently fallen out of favor with the stars of Hollywood. However, he used to be a staple during red carpet events. After all, he has been a part of the New York elite since his birth. He has also appeared in a number of films a few decades ago. Trump almost always played himself. He became an even bigger star when NBC had “The Donald” host The Apprentice. The 2003 show was a huge hit, and it was where he coined the catchphrase, “You’re fired.” There was also a spin-off series called The Celebrity Apprentice.
Red Carpet
Florida Friends
These days, Trump usually goes against stars who have criticisms about his politics. This was not always the case, however. Even though Trump has since distanced himself from many famous folks over the years, many people recently brought up a connection to a certain celebrity. Here is a photo of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein at the Mar-a-Lago in Florida back in 1997. They were friends for over a decade, and Trump even once told New York Magazine, “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
Florida Friends
Friends Like These
The comment he made about Jeffrey liking his ladies “on the younger side” received a lot of scrutiny in 2019. In July of that year, Epstein got arrested on charges of sex trafficking of minors in New York and Florida. For decades, there were rumors going around about his pedophilia. He and Trump spent a lot of time partying at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property. However, their friendship ended with a feud. They were both wealthy financiers and found themselves in a bidding war. In 2004, they both wanted the House of Friendship or Maison de l’Amitie in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump outbid him, which upset Epstein so much that they did not speak after that. Four years after that, Trump sold the property to Dmitry Rybolovlev.
Friends Like These
Dreams
Taken in 1983, this official portrait of the 45th POTUS brings us back to the days before he made headlines every single day. It was taken in the same year that he made it to the list of rich people by Forbes with the $200 million he shared with his father. In the ‘80s, he would be taken off the list after suffering financial blows. However, he was able to make a comeback. In 2019, Forbes listed his estimated net worth at $3.1 billion, making him the 259th richest person in the United States. Did you know that he is the first billionaire president? Despite this, Forbes claims that his wealth saw a 31% drop after he announced his presidential bid.
Dreams
‘Ladies’ Man’
When he was attending the New York Military Academy, Donald Trump attended a number of school functions. This photo came from his NYMA yearbook. It referred to him as a “Ladies’ Man” beside an unspecified woman. It took 50 years for people to identify who she was! Apparently, she was Fran Dunn, who was a secretary at the school that got asked to be in the photo. We all know that his reputation as a Casanova only continued after his graduation! This president has seen his fair share of scandals, after all.
‘Ladies’ Man’