We Finally Know Where Ivanka Trump's Money Really Comes From
From her childhood with parents Ivana and Donald Trump, to becoming senior advisor to the president during her father's time in the White House, Ivanka Trump has undergone a remarkable transformation throughout her life. But the one thing that has never changed? Her privilege.
In fact, Ivanka's history with wealth was captured in the 2003 documentary Born Rich, made by filmmaker Jamie Johnson, which followed the lives of the children of the one percenters, according to Town & Country. Ivanka was just 21 years old when she appeared in the documentary, but even then, she knew what to say. "No matter what I hear about my parents, about my family, no matter what I read," Ivanka told the camera, "the fact is that I'm absolutely proud to be a Trump."
Because Ivanka is 5'11", modeling became the first venue for her to launch a career. She walked for Vivienne Westwood, Thierry Mugler, and Marc Bouwer in the late 1990s and early 2000s, according to Vanity Fair. The experience was enough to establish her as someone independent from her famous parents and she has since gone on to capitalize on this in major ways — although Ivanka has never wandered too far from her Trump title.
Ivanka Trump's fashion lines folded
Ivanka Trump launched her fashion line in 2011, which grew to include fragrance and fine jewelry. Her brand was sold at major department stores all across the country, according to CheatSheet. However, after Donald Trump's 2016 presidential win, things got tricky.
Ivanka joined her father in the White House and buzz about her own brand started to cross over into politics. According to The Atlantic, Ivanka wore a bangle from her luxury jewelry line, which retailed for $10,800, during a 60 Minutes interview in November 2016. The next day, her marketing team publicized the bracelet and the crossover between political positioning and marketing one's brand grew uncomfortable.
As Donald's politics caused greater divisiveness in the country, retailers like Nordstrom decided to distance themselves and in February 2017, they dropped Ivanka's brand entirely, per The Atlantic. Sales dwindled further and by 2018, according to The New York Times, Ivanka closed down the brand altogether.
The business side of being related to the president seemed abysmal and yet, Ivanka still managed to make millions during Trump's presidency.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner rake in the cash
While Ivanka Trump's fashion lines lost momentum during Donald Trump's presidency, that does not mean she didn't make money. Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner still raked in millions while serving as senior advisors to the president. According to Forbes, Ivanka and Jared brought in somewhere between $28.8 million and $135.3 million in 2018 alone through their extensive investment portfolios.
It pays to be a Trump, especially since Ivanka holds a 7.5% stake in the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., per Forbes. This stake brought in close to $4 million from "hotel-related revenue." But this was not the only Trump-related revenue. She also received $1.5 million from entities affiliated with her father's business, which turned her commission and consulting pay into fixed annuities while working at the White House.
Much of Ivanka's revenue also came from her book, Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success, according to The Guardian, which was published in 2017. The $263,500 book advance was only part of the profits from the text. However, Ivanka claimed that she would donate all royalties from the book to charity. So, with all these factors combined, what is Ivanka's true net worth?
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's combined net worth
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner would not be who they are without real estate. They both are, after all, real estate heirs. While they were not paid for their roles as senior advisors to Donald Trump throughout his presidency, that does not mean their real estate investments left them bereft. Kushner has holds in his family's company, Kushner Companies, which provided revenue. Westminster Management, which oversees rentals, generated $1.5 million, according to The Guardian, and their Puck Building in Manhattan brought in $6 million, while a Brooklyn apartment building brought in $350,000.
In 2019, according to The New York Times, Ivanka and Jared brought in at least $36 million with a max possibility at $157 million. Considering their 2018 income was estimated to fall within the range of $28.8 million to $135.3 million, the couple seemingly did better in 2019.
With all of this combined, Celebrity Net Worth puts Ivanka and Jared's combined net worth at $800 million. Clearly, Trump's presidency did not hurt their overall financial well being, despite Ivanka losing her fashion line. And now that their time at the White House has come to an end, the power couple will have to decide where to go next, but clearly, they have resources on their side.