Ivana Trump was a Czech-American businesswoman, media personality, fashion designer, author, and model, who rose to prominence as the first wife of Donald Trump. She was a prominent figure in New York’s social scene in the 1980s and played a significant role in the Trump Organization during her marriage. After her high-profile divorce, she successfully built her own brand, launching lines of clothing, jewelry, and beauty products. She also authored several books, including novels and a memoir, and was a celebrated fashion icon. Her life was marked by her resilience, business acumen, and glamorous style, leaving a lasting impact on both the business and fashion worlds.
Ivana Trump Overview
| Full Name | Ivana Marie Trump (née Zelníčková) |
| Date of Birth | February 20, 1949 |
| Age(as of 2025) | Would have been 76 |
| Birthplace | Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia (now Zlín, Czech Republic) |
| Profession | Businesswoman, media personality, fashion designer, author, model |
| Husband/Wife | Alfred Winklmayr (m. 1971; div. 1973), Donald Trump (m. 1977; div. 1990), Riccardo Mazzucchelli (m. 1995; div. 1997), Rossano Rubicondi (m. 2008; div. 2009) |
| Family | Miloš Zelníček (Father), Marie Zelníčková (Mother), Donald Trump Jr. (Son), Ivanka Trump (Daughter), Eric Trump (Son) |
| Relationship/Affairs(GF/BF) | George Syrovatka, Jiří Štaidl, Roffredo Gaetani dell’Aquila d’Aragona Lovatelli |
| Net Worth | Estimated $100 million at the time of her death |
Early Life and Education of Ivana Trump
Ivana Marie Zelníčková was born on February 20, 1949, in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia (now Zlín, Czech Republic), to Miloš Zelníček, an engineer, and Marie Zelníčková, a telephone operator. Her father recognized and nurtured her athletic talents, particularly in skiing, from a young age. She began skiing competitively at the age of six and by twelve was enrolled in a national training program. Her dedication to the sport continued throughout her teenage years as she competed in various tournaments across Europe. This early focus on athletics instilled in her a sense of discipline and determination that would characterize her later endeavors.
For her higher education, Ivana attended Charles University in Prague, where she continued to ski. She earned a Master’s degree in physical education and languages. During her time at the university, she witnessed the political turmoil of the Prague Spring in 1968. In 1971, she married Austrian ski instructor Alfred Winklmayr, a platonic friend, to obtain an Austrian passport. This allowed her to leave Czechoslovakia without defecting, thereby protecting her family from potential repercussions from the communist government. The marriage was dissolved in 1973. After leaving Czechoslovakia, she immigrated to Canada, where she initially worked as a ski instructor before embarking on a modeling career in the 1970s.
Ivana Trump’s Career
Ivana Trump’s career was multifaceted, marked by significant success in business, fashion, and media. Her professional journey began in Canada, where she worked as a ski instructor and later as a model. It was her modeling career that brought her to New York City in 1976, where she met Donald Trump.
After her marriage to Donald Trump in 1977, Ivana became a prominent figure in The Trump Organization. She held several key executive positions, including Vice President of Interior Design, where she was instrumental in shaping the aesthetic of signature Trump properties like the Grand Hyatt Hotel and Trump Tower, with its iconic pink marble interior. Her business acumen was further demonstrated when she was appointed CEO and president of Trump’s Castle Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, a role she held for five years. Subsequently, she became the manager of the prestigious Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Under her leadership, The Plaza was recognized as one of the best luxury hotels in the United States.
Following her highly publicized divorce from Donald Trump in 1990, Ivana embarked on a new chapter of her career, successfully building her own brand. She established two companies, Ivana, Inc. and Ivana Haute Couture, through which she launched popular lines of clothing, fashion jewelry, and beauty products, often sold through television shopping channels like the Home Shopping Network and QVC. She also ventured into real estate, with projects in both the United States and Europe, and in 1998, she purchased a significant stake in Croatia’s second-largest daily newspaper.
Ivana Trump was also a published author, having written several books, including the novels “For Love Alone” and “Free to Love,” and the self-help book “The Best Is Yet to Come: Coping With Divorce and Enjoying Life Again.” She later penned a memoir titled “Raising Trump.” For over a decade, from 1995 to 2010, she wrote an advice column for the Globe called “Ask Ivana.” Her media presence extended to television with a cameo in the 1996 film “The First Wives Club” and her own dating reality show, “Ivana Young Man,” in 2006. She also appeared on the British version of “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2010.
Ivana Trump Personal Life & Family
Ivana Trump’s personal life was as dynamic and newsworthy as her professional career. She was married four times. Her first marriage to Austrian ski instructor Alfred Winklmayr in 1971 was a “Cold War marriage” of convenience that allowed her to leave communist Czechoslovakia. They divorced in 1973.
In 1976, while on a modeling assignment in New York City, she met Donald Trump. They married in 1977 and became one of New York’s most prominent power couples of the 1980s. Together, they had three children: Donald Trump Jr. (born in 1977), Ivana Marie “Ivanka” Trump (born in 1981), and Eric Trump (born in 1984). Ivana became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1988. Her marriage to Donald Trump ended in a highly publicized divorce in 1990, finalized in 1992, following his affair with Marla Maples.
In 1995, Ivana married Italian entrepreneur and international businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli. This union ended in divorce in 1997. Her fourth marriage was to Italian actor and model Rossano Rubicondi in 2008. The lavish wedding was held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. They divorced in 2009, though they maintained an on-again, off-again relationship for several years.
Ivana was a grandmother to ten grandchildren. She was known to be fluent in five languages: Czech, English, German, French, and Russian. She reportedly split her time between New York City, Miami, and Saint-Tropez. On July 14, 2022, Ivana Trump died at the age of 73 in her New York City home. The New York City medical examiner’s office determined her death was the result of blunt impact injuries to her torso sustained in an accidental fall down the stairs. Her funeral was held at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan.
Awards and Achievements of Ivana Trump
- Received the Hotelier of the Year award in 1990 for her work as president and CEO of the Plaza Hotel.
- Successfully launched multiple business ventures, including Ivana, Inc. and Ivana Haute Couture, with her lines of clothing, jewelry, and beauty products becoming multi-million dollar enterprises.
Ivana Trump Net Worth and Income
At the time of her death in July 2022, Ivana Trump’s net worth was estimated to be around $100 million. A significant portion of her wealth came from the divorce settlement she received from Donald Trump, which was reportedly worth around $25 million in cash, their Greenwich, Connecticut mansion, and annual child support. When adjusted for inflation, this settlement was equivalent to approximately $100 million in today’s dollars.
Following her divorce, Ivana built a successful business empire of her own. Her companies, Ivana, Inc. and Ivana Haute Couture, generated substantial income through the sale of clothing, jewelry, and beauty products on television shopping channels. She also earned money from her writing career, which included several books and a long-running advice column, as well as from various media appearances and endorsements. Her estate, valued at $34 million upon her death, included a New York City townhouse and other properties, with the bulk of her assets left to her three children.
Legacy and Influence
Ivana Trump’s legacy is that of a determined and ambitious woman who carved her own path to success. She is remembered not just as the first wife of a future U.S. president, but as a savvy businesswoman, a fashion icon, and a dedicated mother. During her marriage to Donald Trump, she was a crucial partner in his business, playing a significant role in the development and design of some of the Trump Organization’s most famous properties.
After their divorce, she demonstrated remarkable resilience, reinventing herself and building a successful independent brand. Her business ventures in fashion, beauty, and writing showcased her entrepreneurial spirit. As an author, she offered advice on navigating divorce and living a full life, empowering many women in similar situations.
Ivana was a survivor who fled communism and embraced the opportunities she found in the United States. She instilled in her children a strong work ethic and values of “grit and toughness, compassion and determination.” Her life story serves as an inspiration, demonstrating how one can overcome adversity and achieve success on their own terms. Her influence persists through her children and the narrative of resilience she embodied.
Interesting Facts about Ivana Trump
- She was a talented skier in her youth and was reportedly an alternate for the Czechoslovakian ski team for the 1972 Winter Olympics, although this claim has been questioned.
- In 1970, she had a minor role in the Czechoslovak children’s television series “Pan Tau.”
- She made a memorable cameo appearance in the 1996 film “The First Wives Club,” where she famously tells the main characters, “Don’t get mad, get everything!”
- Ivana was fluent in five languages: Czech, English, German, French, and Russian.
- She was an accomplished author, having written novels, self-help books, and a memoir about her life and experiences raising her children.
- Her first marriage to Alfred Winklmayr was a platonic arrangement to gain Austrian citizenship and leave communist Czechoslovakia.
Controversies
Ivana Trump’s life, particularly her marriage to and divorce from Donald Trump, was the subject of intense media scrutiny and controversy. Their divorce in the early 1990s was a tabloid sensation, fueled by Donald Trump’s affair with Marla Maples. During the contentious divorce proceedings, Ivana accused Donald Trump of assault in a deposition, though she later clarified that she did not mean it in a “literal or criminal sense.”
Social Media Presence
Ivana Trump was not known to have public social media accounts such as Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube in the years leading up to her death. Her public presence was primarily through traditional media outlets, her published works, and public appearances.
Final Words about Ivana Trump
Ivana Trump’s life was a testament to her strength, ambition, and flair for the dramatic. From her athletic beginnings in Czechoslovakia to her rise as a New York socialite and businesswoman, she consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and thrive. She played an integral role in building the Trump empire and, after her high-profile divorce, successfully reinvented herself as an independent entrepreneur and media personality. She left behind a legacy of resilience and a family that continues to be a major force in American business and politics. Remembered as a “wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman,” her story is one of a survivor who lived life to the fullest. Her influence continues to be felt through her children and the lasting impression she made on the worlds of business and fashion.
