Ivana Trump's legacy: Fortune, family, and her final will

Ivana and Donald Trump were part of America's social elite in the 1980s. The couple had three children: Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. After 25 years of marriage, they divorced due to Trump's affair with Marla Maples. Ivana Trump passed away on 14 July 2022.

Ivana Trump was born in 1949 in Czechoslovakia. However, she made her career in the United States, where she met her future husband, Donald Trump. The couple first met at Maxwell's Plum club in Florida. Shortly afterwards, Trump repeatedly called Ivana and visited her unannounced in Montreal, where she was living at the time. After six months of knowing each other, he proposed.

Ivana and Donald Trump married in the spring of 1977 in Manhattan. At the lawyer's suggestion, they signed a prenuptial agreement before the wedding, which almost led to an early breakup due to a clause stating that in case of a separation, Ivana had to return all the gifts she received from her husband. The future Mrs. Trump was furious. This clause was quickly removed from the prenuptial agreement.

The marriage resulted in three children: Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. However, Ivana Trump did not intend to be just a wife and mother. During her marriage to Donald, she developed as a businesswoman. She sat on the board of The Trump Organization, designed the interiors of her husband's properties, and invested in casinos in Atlantic City.

The Trumps’ happiness lasted until Donald Trump's affair with Marla Maples came to light. "This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said 'I'm Marla and I love your husband. Do you? I said ‘Get lost. I love my husband.’ It was unladylike but I was in shock" wrote Ivana Trump in her book "Raising Trump."

Ivana and Donald's divorce became the number one topic in the media, and they finalized it in 1992. According to "The New York Times," Ivana received $14 million, $650,000 annually in child support, an apartment in Trump Plaza, a house in Connecticut, a 49% stake in the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and gifts from her husband.

Ivana Trump passed away on 14 July 2022 in her apartment in New York City. Until her final days, she maintained contact with her ex-husband. Six months after her death, "Forbes" accessed her will, in which there was no mention of Trump.

According to the bi-weekly's journalists, Ivana Trump had an estate worth $34 million. Following her last wishes, this money was divided among her children: Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. Two properties, including one in Saint-Tropez, France, were left to friends. A flat in Florida went to Dorothy Curry, initially the nanny of her children and later her assistant.

A part of Ivana Trump's belongings was also directed to charitable organisations. The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army received all of Ivana Trump's clothes except for her fur collection, which was to be sold. The proceeds were to go to her children.