Melania Trump, born in Slovenia, is a former model and the First Lady of the United States. Her net worth is estimated to be around $50 million. She became well-known as the third wife of Donald Trump, whom she married in 2005. During his presidency, she served as the First Lady.
Apart from being First Lady, Melania made a brief appearance in the 2001 movie Zoolander and appeared on Donald Trump’s NBC reality show The Apprentice from 2004 to 2015. Before moving to the U.S. in 1996 to pursue her modeling career in New York City, she worked in Paris and Milan.
Throughout her career, she appeared on the covers of many famous magazines, such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Vanity Fair, and Glamour. In 2016, she faced criticism after giving a speech at the Republican National Convention, as parts of it were similar to Michelle Obama’s speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention.
Early Life
Melania Trump, born Melanija Knavs (later Germanized to Melania Knauss), was born on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. Her mother, Amalija, worked as a patternmaker for a children’s clothing company, and her father, Viktor, managed car and motorcycle dealerships.
Growing up, Melania often took part in fashion shows organized by her mother’s employer, Jutranjka. She was raised in Sevnica with her sister Ines and has a half-brother whom she has never met.
Though Viktor was involved with the League of Communists of Slovenia, which promoted state atheism, both Melania and Ines were baptized into the Catholic faith.
Melania attended the Secondary School of Design and Photography in Ljubljana and later began studying design and architecture at the University of Ljubljana. However, she left the program after one year.
Career
Melania started her modeling career when she was just five years old. By the time she turned sixteen, she was working with fashion photographer Stane Jerko and appeared in many commercials.
At the age of eighteen, she signed a contract with a modeling agency in Milan and was a runner-up in the “Look of the Year” competition held by Jana Magazine in 1992. In 1995, she met Paolo Zampolli, a co-owner of Metropolitan Models, who offered to represent her if she moved to the United States.
After moving to Manhattan in 1996, she lived in an apartment at Zeckendorf Towers with photographer Matthew Atanian, thanks to Zampolli. In January 1997, the French men’s magazine Max published daring photos of Melania with another model, and she appeared on the cover of GQ magazine in January 2000, wearing only diamond jewelry.
In 2010, Trump launched a jewelry line called Melania Timepieces & Jewelry on QVC and created the Melania Skin Care Collection. However, in 2017, the companies that made these products ended their business relationships with her. A 2016 financial disclosure revealed that her business ventures earned royalties ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 that year.
First Lady of the United States
Melania, whose Secret Service code name was “Muse,” became the First Lady of the United States on January 20, 2017. However, she did not move into the White House until June 11, 2017, because her son was attending Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School.
During her time as First Lady, Melania managed a staff of 11 and was only the second First Lady born outside of the United States, after Louisa Adams, who was born in London.
Her first official event at the White House was a luncheon in March 2017 to celebrate International Women’s Day, where she talked about gender equality and shared her experiences as a female immigrant.
Throughout her time as First Lady, Melania focused on addressing online bullying through her “Be Best” initiative, which faced criticism because of her husband’s frequent aggressive behavior on social media.
In April 2018, she played a key role in organizing a state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron and visited the National Gallery of Art with his wife, Brigitte, the day before the event.
Later that year, in October, Melania went on a solo trip to four African countries. During the trip, she bottle-fed baby elephants, spent time at a school in Malawi, and visited an orphanage in Nairobi.
In June 2018, Melania spoke out about the Trump administration’s policy on illegal immigration, which caused many children to be separated from their parents.
She said, “We need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart,” and called for “successful immigration reform” while opposing the separation part of the administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy.
On June 17, 2018, she visited the Upbring New Hope Children’s Shelter in McAllen, Texas, where 55 immigrant children were staying. She met with social workers and medical staff, and expressed her desire to help reunite the children with their families.
Personal Life
Melania Trump first met Donald Trump at a social event in 1998, and they got married on January 22, 2005. For their wedding, Melania wore a Christian Dior dress worth $200,000. They had their son, Barron, on March 20, 2006, and he was baptized at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, the same place where Melania and Donald had their wedding.
Melania became a permanent resident of the United States in 2001 and became a naturalized American citizen in 2006. In 2018, she received treatment for a non-cancerous kidney condition, which included an embolization procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
In February 2017, Donald Trump filed a $150 million lawsuit against the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, for publishing an article that claimed Melania had worked as an escort during her modeling career.
Melania said the article caused her to lose “multimillion dollar business relationships,” but she later changed the focus of the lawsuit to highlight her emotional distress. In April 2017, the Daily Mail took back the claims in the article, and the lawsuit was settled for $2.9 million.
Real Estate
In January 2016, Melania bought a 1-bedroom apartment on the 33rd floor of Trump Tower for $1.5 million. At the time, the Trump family already owned a large penthouse that covered the 66th, 67th, and 68th floors of the same building. There has been speculation that Melania planned for the 1,052 square foot apartment to be used as a library.
Melania Trump’s life and career show her determination, ambition, and ability to handle both the modeling industry and the challenges of being First Lady. From her early life in Slovenia to her success in the U.S., she has built a successful career and made a name for herself.
Through her business ventures, charitable work, and her roles as a mother and wife, Melania has shown a strong sense of purpose. Despite facing controversies, she remains a figure of influence and inspiration, proving that with determination and grace, success can be achieved on a global level.
