Melania Trump is known for being the former first lady and wife of former President Donald Trump. We know about Donald Trump’s purported wealth (or lack thereof), but how about his wife, Melania?
Donald Trump is reportedly worth an estimated $3 billion, but his wife, Melania, isn’t so bad off herself. Melania is worth an estimated $50 million on her own.
A Modest Upbringing
Compared to her lifestyle today, Melania came from modest beginnings. She was born in Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia. Her father worked as a car salesman, and her mother was an employee at a children’s apparel company.
Melania began commercial modeling when she was 16. She studied design and architecture at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. She dropped out after her freshman year to pursue modeling full-time.
She moved to New York City in 1996 and landed in magazines like GQ and Sports Illustrated. She met Donald Trump at a fashion event in NYC in 1998. They dated for several years and married in 2005.
Flirting With Scandal
When Trump was first elected to office, photos began surfacing of a photoshoot Melania did for Max magazine in 1996. Donald publicly defended his wife, saying, “Melania was one of the most successful models, and she did many photo shoots, including for covers and major magazines. [The Max photo] was a picture taken for a European magazine prior to my knowing Melania. In Europe, pictures like this are very fashionable and common.”
Following in Trump’s Footsteps
Melania took after her businessman husband and launched her own jewelry brand in 2010. The collection included faux diamond rings, quartz watches, and gold-plated chains. She then launched a skincare brand in 2013. The collection included caviar-infused creams sold in the Lord and Taylor department store.
The products sold for between $50 and $150.
Still Got It
It is estimated that Melania receives between $100,000 and $1 million in royalties from her photos on Getty Images. She ensures that her photos are only used for positive purposes and ensures that any use of her photos to paint her and her husband or family in a negative light is immediately dealt with.
Melania also recently launched her own collection of NFTs. These pieces included a digital watercolor of her eyes, done by artist Marc-Antoine Coulon.
