Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald and Ivana Trump, is a mother of three. She has reflected on her upbringing and the 5 a.m. routine that defines her approach to parenting. Her commitment to structuring her day demonstrates the values instilled in her during her formative years.
View this post on Instagram
Ivanka’s childhood was defined by a mix of structure and varied experiences, guided largely by her mother, a Czechoslovakian model who passed away in July 2022. “She was very much my cultural influence,” Ivanka shared during an interview, adding that her mom was also a disciplinarian, occasionally spanking her in public.
View this post on Instagram
“I guess it was for the typical stuff. I once broke a chandelier with a beach ball. That didn’t go over well. And then I blamed it on my brother,” the New York native, whose parents divorced in December 1990, recalled.
View this post on Instagram
Ivanka’s disciplined yet dynamic upbringing flew seamlessly into her teenage years, which brought their own challenges and opportunities. Though not a rebellious child, she admitted to having her moments.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
During her teenage years, she turned to modeling as a change of pace and a way to earn money, collaborating with renowned designers like Versace and Thierry Mugler. Ivanka also appeared on the cover of Seventeen magazine.
View this post on Instagram
Despite these achievements, she viewed modeling as a temporary endeavor rather than a career. “I didn’t particularly enjoy the act of it. It’s as ruthless an industry as real estate — the people you meet in that business are just as fricking tough,” she noted.
For Ivanka, the experience was more about exploring new opportunities and breaking up routine. Although she values what modeling brought to her life, she feels constrained by the lasting impression it left. “That’s how they remember me, and I want to be a little bit more serious than that,” she admitted.
The family also enjoyed an opulent lifestyle that included a 50-room triplex, a 45-room oceanfront estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the iconic Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach. At Mar-a-Lago, her personal bathroom—one of 33—was adorned with hand-painted tiles by Walt Disney.
Reflecting on her aspirations, she recalled, “I wanted to be a builder from my first cognitive thought,” a passion sparked early in life amidst such grand surroundings. During high school, Ivanka envisioned shaping New York City’s skyline after noticing a gap where a tower could stand.
After graduating summa cum laude from The Wharton School with an economics degree, she briefly worked for developer Bruce Ratner before joining the family business. Though initially reluctant, Ivanka appeared on “The Apprentice,” explaining, “For ‘Trump’ to be sustainable it couldn’t just be about my father. It has to be about us as a family.”
Her decision to embrace public-facing roles like “The Apprentice” aligned with her broader vision of contributing to the Trump family legacy. Moreover, around the same time, her personal life took an equally significant turn.
In 2007, she met investor Jared Kushner at a business lunch orchestrated by mutual friends who assumed their connection would be purely professional. “Whenever we see them we’re like, ‘The best deal we ever made!'” the businesswoman stated.
After dating for two years, the couple married in October 2009 at a grand wedding attended by 500 guests at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. To the surprise of many, Ivanka converted to Judaism, embracing the Orthodox faith of the Kushner family.
View this post on Instagram
Ivanka and Jared’s union fused two ambitious, real estate-focused families. Both Ivy League graduates who excelled in their fathers’ businesses, the pair quickly became a power couple.
View this post on Instagram
