How Much Is Ivanka Trump Worth?

A Family of Firsts

This country was built on a rebel cry; ‘down with the monarchy!’ they screamed. We may have a new system of government but here we are, 245 years later, still infatuated with our rulers and their clan. Obsession with the first family is a national pastime, so most first families try to steer clear of controversy and gossip. The Trumps, though, are unlike any former occupants of the White House. They never back down from a good deal, or a chance to serve their own best interests.

Donald Trump’s legacy, besides his many bankruptcies, is his 5 children, from his 3 wives. He has shown unabashed favoritism towards his daughter, Ivanka (if you want to be creeped out, here’s an exhaustive article about his inappropriateness towards her) and it’s easy to see why. Her entrepreneurial endeavors and foray into writing, prove she is eager to follow in his footsteps.

But when questioned about her relationship with her father, Ivanka said; “People ask me, do I disagree with my father? It would be a little strange if I didn’t”

Let’s take a closer look at what they have in common and what sets them apart.

1) Make the Family Great Again!

Before we do a deep dive into Ivanka’s career and fortune, we should discuss some of the other members of the first family. Contrary to their boastful father, the Trump children are tight-lipped about their many financial holdings. A lot of their finances are tied up in private investments and are hidden through loopholes and dummy corporations. There isn’t very much in the children’s names, though they are cited as consultants, VPs and Executive Presidents for several of Trump companies, a trick he seems to have learnt from his late father.

Trump International Hotel in Washington is the only venture where the siblings have a 7.5% stake each, which amounts to about US$6 million apiece. Though Trump’s progeny hasn’t inherited anything yet, they have been employed at his various companies, drawing hefty salaries, he does pay well. In the past two decades, the three siblings have earned roughly $ 35 million in pre-tax salaries, commissions and bonuses.

Donald Jr. is the oldest of the Trump siblings, and has been a fixture at Trump’s various firms. He helped manage the company portfolio, but when Trump assumed the presidential office, Don Jr. and Eric were put in charge of all Trump corporations. Jr. also owns lucrative real estate all over New York, from midtown Manhattan, to the Hamptons and upstate NY. He has been tied to business ventures with dubious names like MSMDF Agriculture LLC and Future Venture LLC. One of his ventures led to a loss of $200,000.

In Charleston, South Carolina, Don Jr. banded together with several other investors and bought an old navy hospital for $5 million. The plan was to have it renovated so it could be leased back to the county. Due to various complications the deal went kaput and the group suffered a setback. Don Jr. then claimed to be a minor investor in the project with no voting rights, to avoid any blame.

A rusting old warehouse in North Charleston Industrial Park, was another project Jr. got involved in. The idea was to revolutionize low-cost home building, but the venture never took off, leaving Jr. with a debt of $3.65 million. Trump Sr. bought the debt off of his son, foreclosed on the warehouse and sold it for $4.1 million in Feb 2018. Donald Jr.’s worth is valued at about $25 million.

Eric Trump, the youngest of Ivana’s children, draws a salary as the Executive VP for the Trump organization, overseeing the golf clubs and resorts. This seems to be his main source of income.

He has stake in the Trump International hotel, as we mentioned before and serves as the president of Trump winery. Though Eric Trump related companies handle the winery website and the daily operations, Trump Sr.’s financial disclosure cites him as the owner.

Trumps books are convoluted, citing members of his family as VPs, Managers and Consultants for his various ventures, to get tax breaks and ensure that the money stays within the family, one of Fred Trump’s old tricks.

Mother of the three siblings, Donald’s first wife Ivana, is worth about $100 million. She got $14 - $25 million in the divorce settlement, which she used to launch a clothing line and beauty products. She has also authored books and cameoed in a few movies. She famously said in the movie “The First Wives Club” “Don’t get mad, get even”

Melania is worth about $50 million. Before she met Trump, she was a model and also had her own jewelry and skincare collection.

Tiffany is worth about $10 million. She recently graduated from Georgetown with a degree in Law. Unlike her other siblings, she doesn’t enjoy the limelight and has a rocky relationship with her father.

Marla, wife no. 2, is worth about $5 million. She got somewhere between $1 - $5 million dollars in her divorce settlement.

• 2) Ivanka Has Her Thumbs in Many Pies

Ivanka is the most business-minded of the Trump kids, she knows how to diversify her portfolio. She has launched a fashion line, books, dabbled in modeling and formed various business alliances, all while holding a post in the Trump administration.

Like her siblings, she has served as an executive vice president for the Trump Organization, which allowed her to travel the globe to broker deals while also handling the interior design of the Trump hotels (she’s the one you should thank for that gaudy gold aesthetic). Her salary from these jobs helped her cross the $25 million threshold.

She’s also invested in various side hustles, her jewelry line, shoes, handbags and other accessories. A NYT article estimated the combined sales were around $75 million. Then came her line of women’s work wear which quickly crossed $100 million in revenues. Her name was licensed to manufacturers, which means her cut was about 7% of revenues. That amounts to about $10 million before taxes. But the brand has since seen a massive loss on sales and in 2018, she shut down the operation.

While she works with her father’s team at the White House, (there has been repeated speculation about what it is that she does, exactly) she continues to earn revenue from the various posts she holds at Trump offices. This may not be illegal but it is definitely unethical.

• 3) Their Notoriously Evasive Financial Disclosures

Ivanka made a lucrative decision in her choice of partner. Jared Kushner, a real estate heir himself, brings a lot to the table. It’s hard to determine their combined worth because they have omitted required information on disclosures. New information is revealed only if the misinformation has already become public, so there is no real way of knowing the extent of their misrepresentation.

Their approximate worth is $786 million, the figure reported in their 2018 financial disclosures. The income they reported for the year was a range, it could be as high as $135 million and as low as $29 million. That is a pretty huge margin of error.

They might have learnt this trick of misrepresentation on disclosures from Trump. His former lawyer, Cohen has confirmed that in essence Trump’s companies maintain two accounting books, one for the investors, where numbers are padded, and one for the auditors and tax officials, where the numbers are shown as less profitable. An expert calls this a version of fraud. Looks like the kids have inherited SOMETHING from dear ol’ dad!

• 4) Ivanka Made Some Money in Her Modeling Days

Ivanka went to boarding school at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut. She attended Georgetown for two years but ultimately transferred to Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. She graduated in 2004 with a Bachelors in Economics.

While still at boarding school, Ivanka dabbled in modeling. On the weekends she modeled for well-known brands like Thierry Mugler, Marc Bouwer, Versace, Sasson Jeans and Tommy Hilfiger.

But she ultimately gave up the glitz and glamor of that life, “Modeling was not an endgame for me. I didn’t particularly enjoy the act of it.”

• 5) She Had a Fledgling Career

Ivanka was employed at Forest City Enterprises, which she quit to work for the Trump Organization and eventually, the White House. She collaborated with Dynamic Diamond Corp. to launch a line of diamond jewelry under the name Trump Fine Jewelry. They went slightly coy with the name of the flagship store for the brand, choosing to call it “Ivanka Trump on Madison Avenue”. It was eventually relocated to Soho and then closed down in 2015.

We’ve already mentioned her line of accessories and women’s work wear, which was quite popular until 2018, when the production was put an end to, due to lack of sales.

In 2017 she resigned from her position at Trump Organization and was appointed “First Daughter and Senior Advisor to the President”, which is still considered a fairly unorthodox move. She is now a government employee, although she doesn’t draw a salary. She was one of the members of the delegation that attended the first W20 women’s summit in 2017. In 2019 she attended the G20 Osaka summit and has been part of the team that visited North Korea the same year. “Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative” is a cause championed by Ivanka, she traveled to the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Columbia, Argentina, Paraguay and Morocco for this initiative and promoted the same at the 74^th United Nations General Assembly.

• 6) Television & Other Projects

Ivanka has made the odd TV appearance or cameo as well. In 2006 she replaced Carolyn Kepcher as the guest judge for the 5^th season of The Apprentice, and permanently took over the position in the next season of the show. She also served as one of the judges for the celebrity spin-off of the show; Celebrity Apprentice.

She was the host for Miss Teen USA pageant in 1997, and has been a guest on several talk shows. She was offered the coveted spot on the Bachelorette, which she declined.

Ivanka has written two books; “The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life” in 2009 and “Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules of Success” in 2017. Since becoming advisor to the president, she has expressed interest in donating some of the money from her second book to “the National Urban League” and “The Boys and Girls Club of America”.

• 7) On the Personal Front

She got married in 2009 to Jared Kushner, an heir himself. They now have three children together

In 2005 Ivanka Trump met Jared Kushner, a real estate mogul. They had friends in common that introduced them and they began dating. It was not all sunshine and rainbows, though. They broke up in 2008 for a brief period, but October 2009 saw them back together and getting married. They now have three children together. Jared is also a senior advisor in the Trump administration. Trump sure needs a lot of advice!

Anyway, back to Ivanka and her dating life. Before she got serious with Jared, she also dated investment banker, Greg Hersch and James ‘Bingo’ Gubelmann.

Ivanka was born a Catholic but in 2009 she converted to orthodox Judaism.

This is what she had to say about her taste in men “I like very strong guys. Successful guys. Not necessarily financially. But that said, I’m not one of those people who would be with somebody who didn’t have their finances in order, because that’s not a way to live. I’m just not interested in that. I’m not interested in paying for anyone. Honestly, I have a tendency to date dorks. Which means that a lot of times, I date guys that no one else would deem to be a hunk.”

• 8) How Much is the Power Couple Worth?

Ivanka and Jared are quite the power couple. Ivanka brings her many millions earned through her salary at the Trump Organization and her side hustles, but Jared is no slouch either. He is a real estate heir and brings quite a lot to the table. Together the couple is worth about $786 million. This is the figure they have reported themselves in their 2018 financial disclosure, we’ve mentioned before the evasive tactics the family employs, though.

The lion share of the money comes from Jared’s side of the family. Ivanka has earned somewhere between $6.7 million and $10.7 million. $4 million of this has come from her 7.5% stake in the Trump International Hotel. The rest is a combination of the salary she drew and profits from her various business ventures.

Business Insider has reported numbers as high as $41.1 billion in total assets, while tabloids put them over $800 million.

• 9) Bean There, Done That!

Ivanka’s stunt with the Goya Beans, the tweet that was seen around the world, is likely highly illegal. Even if we ignore the sudden love for the Latins after Trump has made it a point to use them as a fear mongering tactic among his rabid fan base, it’s still against the law.

So, 5 CFR 2635.702 clearly states that “An employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity”. Clearly both POTUS and the first daughter have been in violation of this rule.

This isn’t the first time she has come under fire like this. When she made an appearance on “60 Minutes”, the bracelet she wore, worth $10,000 was being touted by her company. The move came under fire and the company backtracked, blaming an overzealous but well-meaning employee for making the mistake.

• 10) “Let Them Have Cake”

Ivanka has led a very privileged life because of the family she was born into. It’s fair to say that she has had to shoulder a lot of responsibility from a young age. Being in the tabloids because of her father’s many affairs, constantly having your life splashed across the covers of tabloids, it’s to their credit that she and her siblings turned out to be relatively normal human beings.

“I don’t have a problem if someone who has never met me wants to say that I wouldn’t be where I was today without my family because you know what? They might be right!”

“You can be born into privilege or you can not be born into privilege. You can be born into the opposite extreme and into poverty. I think from there on, though, you really have to make your own luck”

Well, looks like Ivanka has made almost $800 million dollars’ worth of her own luck.