Born into a life of luxury and instant fame, Ivanka Trump has lived in some sensational homes over the course of her 39 years in the limelight. Having gone from pampered socialite and part-time model to hotshot businesswoman, reality TV judge and political advisor, the former first daughter has lived in some enviable places. Click or scroll to take a look at the places she has called home and tour her jaw-dropping recent buys...
The second of three children, Ivanka was born in Manhattan on 30 October 1981 to Donald and Ivana Trump. Raised in the Big Apple, where she was enrolled in the prestigious Chapin School on the Upper East Side, as a young girl she was given the taste of the high life, spending weekends and vacations at her parents' lavish properties in Connecticut and Florida.
Ivanka's very first home was an apartment in Manhattan's upscale 800 Fifth Avenue building. By the time she was three, the family had decamped to the triplex penthouse in the newly-built Trump Tower. Just a year before, the family had also acquired a sprawling estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, and in 1985, Donald snapped up the palatial Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida's Palm Beach.
Born into fabulous wealth, Ivanka has lived life in the lap of luxury from the get-go. Overlooking Central Park, her first-ever home in a swish apartment in the 800 Fifth Avenue tower is considered one of New York's most high-end and desirable residential buildings. With 33 floors, the skyscraper boasts 208 luxe units and a slew of billionaire-worthy amenities, including a fitness center, a concierge and a doorman.
In 1982, Donald and Ivana dropped $4 million on their first proper trophy home, an eight-bedroom Georgian Revival mansion in the affluent area of Greenwich, Connecticut. Located on its very own peninsula jutting out into Long Island Sound, the Trumps decorated the 19,773-square-foot waterside property in their usual flashy style, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The couple were renovating New York's Plaza Hotel at the time and opted for a similar look for their weekend getaway: think wall to wall gold leaf, enormous crystal chandeliers, extravagant frescoes and Grecian-style statues galore. Together with the other Trump children, her older brother Donald Jr and younger sibling Eric, who was born in 1984, Ivanka enjoyed many happy weekends and holidays at the splendid manse.
A young Ivanka is shown here in 1988 helping her mother prepare the Thanksgiving feast in the home's very 80s-looking kitchen. In 1992, when the Trumps divorced, the house was awarded to Ivana, who went on to sell it in 1998 to financier Robert Stein and his wife Suzanne for $15 million.
In 1983, the Trumps relocated from 800 Fifth Avenue to a magnificent triplex penthouse in nearby Trump Tower, Donald's recently completed flagship development at numbers 721 to 725 Fifth Avenue. According to Forbes, the apartment spanned over 6,096 square feet but was extended a decade later by merging two neighboring apartments, to make a huge 10,993 square foot space. The décor was relatively restrained at first, but in typical Trump style, he opted for a blingtastic revamp.
As you can see from this pic of Ivanka and her mother taken sometime during the early 90s, the décor is no-holds-barred Louis XIV, with just about everything dripping in 24-karat gold – at least on the bottom two levels, which house the apartment's living and entertaining areas and master bedroom suite.
In contrast, Ivana's bedroom on the upper floor rocked a pretty pink color scheme with very little in the way of bling. The Trump scion showcased the space in the 2003 documentary Born Rich, revealing a somewhat surprising penchant for metal and rock music – the walls were plastered with Mötley Crüe, Poison and Bon Jovi posters – as well as her Madonna clock and Beverly Hills 90210 merchandise.
In 1985 when Ivanka was four years old, her property-savvy father bought the magnificent Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida for a bargain $8 million. As well as housing an exclusive members' club and resort, the 128-room Spanish-Moorish-style palace provided the Trump family with a glamorous holiday home.
Donald splurged millions renovating the historic estate, which was built in 1927 for cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, and is said to have spent a staggering $7 million covering the 20,000-square-foot ballroom in 24-karat gold leaf. Pictured here from the outside, the owner's suite and adjacent Baby House were restored for the family to live in.
Ivanka lucked out big-time at Mar-a-Lago and landed the adorable Baby House, which was created for Post's daughter Dina Merrill. A dream come true for any four-year-old it was inspired by Sleeping Beauty. The fairytale space features a charming silver-plated four-poster bed with cute squirrel motifs, as well as an elaborate fireplace decorated with garlands of plaster roses.
As well as getting the Connecticut mansion as part of the divorce settlement, the New York Times reported that Ivana was awarded an apartment in Manhattan's Trump Plaza, the right to stay at Mar-a-Lago for one month a year, a $14 million payout and $650,000 a year to support the three children. The moneyed divorcée put her settlement to good use, splashing millions in 1992 on a grand New York townhouse.
Since Ivana was granted custody of the children, the townhouse became Ivanka's primary home in New York, where she was still attending school. It was decorated in a suitably showy Louis XIV style much like the other Trump properties, albeit a little more toned down compared to the Greenwich mansion, Trump Tower penthouse and Mar-a-Lago estate.
In 1994, Ivana acquired another wow-factor property, the stunning nine-bedroom, 11-bathroom Concha Marina in Palm Beach, where Ivanka would spend many childhood holidays. Built in 1926, the Spanish-Moorish oceanfront estate is simply divine and was decorated in a relaxed boho style.
Ivanka was packed off to the elite Choate boarding school at age 15, around the same time she embarked on a part-time modelling career, which saw her walk for top designer names like Versace, Thierry Mugler and Vivienne Westwood. With her children all grown up and flying the nest, Ivana ended up offloading Concha Marina in 2014 for $16.6 million.
After high school and growing tired of the cutthroat modelling industry, Ivanka decided to focus on her studies. After graduating from Choake in 2000, she spent two years at Georgetown University before moving to Philadelphia's Wharton Business School, where her father attended until 1968. The go-getting heiress left in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in economics and returned to New York where she took her first step on the property ladder in the form of a 1,549-square-foot apartment at Trump Park Avenue on the Upper East Side.
Ivanka paid $1.5 million for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom property, using money gifted to her from Donald's parents. Finished to an exceptionally high standard right down to the finer details, the apartment is small but perfectly formed, with oversized windows, solid oak parquet flooring and a vaulted ceiling.
Ivanka clearly doesn't share her father's lavish taste, swapping glitzy gold for subtle period-style pieces, a calming light blue color scheme and minimal decoration. Shown here is the second bedroom, which doubles up as a cozy den. A year after she bought the property, Ivanka joined the Trump Organization as executive vice president of acquisitions and development.
The apartment was put up for sale in 2016, long after Ivanka had moved out. It failed to attract any potential buyers, who may have been put off by the hefty $4.1 million asking price. With nobody willing to purchase the property, Ivanka decided to rent it out instead for up to $15,000 a month.
In 2007, Ivanka started dating real estate developer Jared Kusher. That same year, she became a judge on The Apprentice and launched her eponymous jewelry line. The couple tied the knot in October 2009 after Ivanka had converted to Judaism, her husband's faith. Following their nuptials, the newlyweds moved into Jared's bachelor pad, a hip two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom loft in Noho's red-brick 21 Astor Place building.
Jared bought the 2,042-square-foot duplex several months before the wedding for $3.2 million. Before Ivanka moved in, he converted the upper-level den into a capacious closet, as reported in The Wall Street Journal. The property has all the trappings of the quintessential Manhattan loft with high ceilings, exposed brick walls and a roomy open-plan layout.
Other standout features of the apartment include the slick kitchen with its minimal cabinetry and marble countertops, the statement designer staircase, a state of the art surround sound system and a unique arched window.
With Ivanka pregnant with the couple's first child, the duo went on a house-hunting spree at the end of 2010 and the loft was put on the market in January 2011. It sold four months later for $3.9 million, $200,000 under the listed price, but still a good $700,000 more than what Jared paid for it.
By the time the couple's daughter Arabella was born in July 2011, the couple and their first child were happily ensconced in a far more spacious and family-friendly four-bedroom penthouse in the Trump Park Avenue building, several floors above the bijou apartment Ivanka bought in 2004. Also in 2011, Ivanka launched an apparel line, having started up her shoe brand the year prior.
According to an investigation by Forbes, the couple either leased the 4,164-square-foot property or were granted free use of it from Donald himself. Ivanka hired interior designer Kelly Behun, a friend who also attended Wharton, to refresh the penthouse and went on to showcase the stylish makeover in Elle Decor magazine in 2012.
Ivanka told Elle Decor she wanted “a home where kids can live happily and my husband can put his feet on the table or lie on the sofa watching TV and not be worried.” Her designer friend didn't disappoint, creating a relaxed space brimming with understated glamor, a vibe Behun calls 'modern warm'. Highlights of the revamp include the carefully curated artworks and mid-century furniture, which Ivanka regularly showed off on her Instagram account.
Javanka welcomed their second child Joseph in 2013 and Theo was born in 2016. The family of five vacated the penthouse in early 2017 and sold it to a woman with links to the Chinese state for an inflated $15.9 million, according to Forbes. While it raised eyebrows, the transaction was cleared by an external ethics counsel.
Ivanka is so fond of the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, that she chose the property as the venue for her wedding in 2009 and snagged a cute cottage within the grounds once she and Jared were hitched. Since the property was pretty basic and crying out for an overhaul, the pair embarked on a much-needed refurb.
The perfect place for family life, even when she's enjoying her downtime at the cottage Ivanka still finds time for work. In this image taken in 2015, she can be seen toiling away on her laptop while relaxing on a lounger, together with her friends.
Also in 2015, the couple were given permission to expand the cottage by 2,500 square feet. A basement and side extension was added, along with a fireplace sitting room and chimney. Ivanka documented the project on her Instagram, posting some shots of the end results, including this one of the homey stone fireplace, which makes the room look cozy and inviting.
Seemingly not content with her 2015 renovations, last year, Ivanka applied for permission to extend the property further. The businesswoman decided to expand the master suite, create two new bedrooms, a study and more according to The New York Times.
Following the election of her father as US president in January 2017, Ivanka and her husband were both appointed senior West Wing advisors. The first daughter resigned from the Trump Organization in January 2017 to assume her new role and the family upped sticks to Washington DC and their new home: the historic Waddy Wood mansion in the city's upmarket Kalorama neighborhood.
Located a stone's throw away from the Obamas' post-White House home, the elegant six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom mansion was designed in 1923 by distinguished architect Waddy Wood, hence the name. Rather than purchase the 7,699-square-foot manse, the couple chose to rent it. Over the course of its history, the property had been home to a senator, fur heiress, top naval officer and other VIPs.
After serving as the residence for the ambassador from Gabon, the property was extensively remodeled in 2016 by DC architect Christian Zapatka, according to The Washington Post. The designer kept things minimal with a gray color scheme throughout punctuated by soft purples and beiges, effortlessly fusing contemporary decor with period touches.
Given her plum position in the Trump administration, Ivanka shut down her fashion brands in 2018 to avoid a conflict of interests and focus more on her political role but was of course relieved of her duties when Donald Trump's presidency ended. In January, the family moved out, making a beeline for Miami, and the mansion was listed for rent at a pricey $18,000 a month.
A month before the family vacated the DC property, Javanka parted with a whopping $32.2 million to secure a 1.8-acre waterfront plot on Miami's private Indian Creek Island, a high-security enclave dubbed the 'Billionaire Bunker'. Home to fabulously wealthy tycoons and A-list stars, the couple are building their dream home and future base on the site.
The seller was legendary Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, who owns an additional three empty plots on the island, plus a luxury home and is the enclave's leading landowner. Intriguingly, the Miami Herald recently reported that the Pandora Papers leak revealed Iglesias used shell companies to purchase the properties and avoid tax. Other A-listers who currently own or have owned or rented a property in the past include Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, as well as fellow Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima and her now ex-husband, the former NBA player Marko Jarić.
No doubt impatient at the prospect of having to wait for their dream home to be built, Ivanka and Jared dug deep in April and paid $24 million for this spectacular 8,510-square-foot Neoclassical palazzo-style mansion on the opposite side of the island. The seller was Cuban-American billionaire Alex Meruelo, the majority owner of the Arizona Coyotes NHL team.
The 1.26-acre estate had been on the market for six months before Javanka got hold of the deeds. The original listing photos are really quite something, from the shots of the exterior, which seriously impresses with a resort-style swimming pool, reflecting pools and perfectly manicured gardens, to the gorgeous interior pics. Just check out the ravishing double staircase and domed ceiling.
The manse rocks spacious open-concept living and entertaining areas, a family/screening room, wood-paneled office, gym, and a chef's kitchen and eight-and-a-half bathrooms brimming with expensive marble. There are six bedrooms in the property, including a massive master suite, which has not just one but two generously sized bathrooms.
The property may have been turnkey-ready when it went on the market, but as these recent aerial shots show, it has since deteriorated dramatically, at least on the outside. The drained resort pool is now filled with green water and the patio appears to be partially tiled. It will clearly be some time yet before the family are able to move into their extreme fixer-upper.
Fortunately, the couple are renting an apartment in the super-stylish Arte building, which was designed by Italian architects Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel and completed in 2019. Located close to Indian Creek Island in Miami's Surfside neighborhood, the pyramid-shaped residence has just 16 units in total.
Each of the plush units offers private lift access, along with breathtaking ocean vistas and expansive penthouse-style wraparound terraces, which are clad in exquisite travertine marble with top-quality ipe decking that merge seamlessly with the interior, making for the last word in indoor-outdoor beachfront living.
The kitchens in the 12-storey building are equally as impressive. They feature Poliform cabinetry, wall-to-wall marble and Gaggenau appliances. Javanka appears to have bagged a four-bedroom residence in the building, which was listed for $39,900 per month – significantly more expensive than the rent they paid for their DC mansion.
Amenities in the building are second to none. They include two swimming pools, a rooftop tennis court, plush resident's lounge, gym and yoga studio, temperature-controlled parking spaces and even a meditation pond, where Javanka can ponder their next move – rumor has it that Ivanka may even run for office in 2024, according to The Independent.
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