The Mar-A-Lago Club, Palm Beach, FL – $160 Million
This national historic landmark built in 1924 by Post cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post was bequeathed by her to the National Park Service hoping the property could be appropriated as a “Winter White House.” It didn’t work out. Maintenance costs were too high, and the estate was returned to the remaining Post family. But now, it seems, Post’s will for the property to be used by The White House has been fulfilled. Trump has already entertained two world leaders, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife in February of 2017 and Chinese leader Xi Jinping for two days to discuss international events in April of the same year. Last year in April, Trump hosted a two-day government summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Mar-a-Lago has become Trump’s weekend retreat of choice, it’s an opulent hangout. Heiress Post took care to build the mansion’s exterior walls with over three boatloads of stone from Genoa, Italy, and, imported 16th-century Roman busts to adorn the entrance hall. Trump managed to purchase the 128-room, 62,500 square-foot mansion, and 17-acre property for $8 million in 1985. His infamous real estate acumen scored a huge deal, Trump’s made over $100 million dollars on the property. He has developed a real affinity for the property, making it unclear if he’ll move his family cemetery plans to Palm Beach or leave it in Bedminster.
The Mar-a-Lago Club is exclusive, to say the least. There’s a $200,000 fee to join and annual dues of $14,000 to keep your membership. Members have access to the Beach Club and its pristine private beach, the Trump brand Spa and Salon, the formal and casual dining areas, a fitness center and the pool. Nonmembers may hold private events at Mar-a-Lago with access to the gorgeous grand ballroom. If you want to stay at the resort, it’s only $2,000 per night. A bargain considering you may run into the President of the United States!
Trump National Golf Course, Bedminster, NJ – $27.8 Million
This property is a favorite of Trump because he built it from the ground up. In 2002 he bought the 520-acre property, including the estate of John DeLorean of the DeLorean Motor Company, for around than $35 million. In 2004, the 36-hole golf course opened. He loves it so much, he chose to be laid to rest there inside a classical mausoleum, his final resting property. His plans for the family cemetery were approved in 2015. Since then he has considered relocating it to Florida, his other favorite estate. Located on the heart of New Jersey’s farm country, it’s a beautiful destination. Ivanka Trump held hers and Jared Kushner’s wedding there. Trump National Bedminster is a world-class golf course that is scheduled to host the 2022 PGA Championship and costs $350,000 to join. It’s a drop in the bucket for some of the celebrities and political elites who oft attend, Rudy Giuliani, President Bill Clinton, and former Yankees manager Joe Torre, to name a few. Membership includes use of the Heli-pad, in case the 45-minute drive from N.Y.C. is too long.
Reportedly, Trump rounded up the value of the property to $50 million on his federal documentation and saves on operating costs by hiring undocumented immigrants. The Trump Organization property also includes cottage homes for some of the Trump family members. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner love their cottage so much they’re extending it by 2,200-square-feet. Occasionally referred to as “Camp David North,” it’s one of the properties Trump prefers to use for official presidential business. Trump National Bedminster was also used as his transition team venue before the inauguration.
Trump Tower, Midtown Manhattan, NY – $323 Million
For years, this is where Trump called home. Inside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan are the headquarters for The Trump Organization, space for Trump’s personal offices and his penthouse residence, taking up the top three floors of the 664-foot-high skyscraper. Trump designated this apartment as a home base up until security issues related to his new role as President made it impractical to reside in his extravagant 11,000-square-foot, high-rise condominium 58 floors in the sky. Even when he’s not home, it costs The City more than $1 million each day to protect the building. He misses it. With sweeping views of New York City’s Central Park, intricate marble carvings of Greek classical mythology, and columns and walls inlaid with 24-karat gold where family portraits hang, the only thing missing is him. Massive crystal chandeliers and classic art paintings adorn stunning ceilings. Furniture and style reflect the excessiveness of Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles. The front door is inlaid with gold and diamonds. Naturally, his opulent condominium office and residence are a little larger if you ask Trump. For years he’s bragged that his Tower residence is 33,000-square-feet. City records show it’s 10,996-square-feet.
The Trump Organization built the tower in 1983. While his name is emblazoned upon the skyrise front entry, what he actually owns are the top three floors, housing, as well as the ground floor retail space—which has been virtually abandoned. Once lined with luxury retail like Harry Winston and Cartier, his foray into politics has had retailers going elsewhere. Nike left last year; only Starbucks and Gucci remain. Trump’s share of the Tower, in total, including retail space, is 244,000-square-feet! All told, it’s worth about $323 million.
Trump Winery, Charlottesville, VA – $34 Million
Trump Winery is set amongst the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on 1,300 acres of rolling hills and stunning scenery. Snuggled up to none other than Jefferson’s beloved Monticello and sitting only a few miles from James Monroe’s Highland, it’s a fantastic property. The 227-acres of vines lining the estate make it Virginia’s largest vineyard. The good news is—we can visit. Swing by, taste some East Coast wines, dine on a bite of lunch at common folk prices. . . If you want to stay overnight it’s a relatively modest $349 bed and breakfast experience. Before Trump scored the deal, the property was called Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard. John and Patricia Kluge owned and operated it. For perspective, in 1989, John Kluge was America’s richest person, according to Forbes. Trump purchased 200 acres surrounding the winery with his eye on the Kluges’ English manor house-style estate, as it had fallen into foreclosure. The bank alleged that Trump intentionally devalued the surrounding land by putting up “no trespassing” signs and allowing the property to become unsightly and overgrown to ward off buyers. End result, Trump snagged the land, including the 26,000-square-feet Albemarle mansion he coveted, for $3.6 million, a bargain discount from the bank’s $16 million foreclosure investment, and pocket change from the Kluge’s $100 million asking price only a year prior.
It’s easy to see how he earned his reputation as a shrewd real estate mogul. Afterward, he grandiloquently announced he owned the East Coast’s largest winery; however, the fact is another winery in the area doubles Trump Winery production. Trump owns the largest vineyard. Is it overly semantic to note the difference? It’s hard to overstate the grandeur of Albemarle House. The splendor of the 45-room mansion gushes with 1760-era Waterford crystal chandeliers, antique mantels carved from 150-year-old English oak, hand-painted ceilings and wallpaper, hand-carved brass fixtures. Outside you’ll find horse stables, a Heli-pad and a private chapel. For modern luxury, the estate includes billiards, a private movie theater, 24-hour fitness access, indoor hot tub and sauna, outdoor pool, croquet and bocce ball. Today, to show Trump is concerned about conflicts of interest, his son Eric operates Trump Winery and Patricia Kluge manages it. Once Trump was sworn in, he placed all his assets and The Trump Organization dealings into a Trust fund that his sons Eric and Donald Jr. manage. It’s not exactly clear whether it’s legal for presidents to run their businesses while in office, but he certainly veered off track from protocol—he’s the first president who chose not to divest. Days before his inauguration Trump explained his position at a press conference: “I could actually run my business and run government at the same time. I don’t like the way that looks, but I would be able to do that if I wanted to.” Others in his path have deemed it unsavory to profit from national duty calling it a conflict of interest, while Trump has a different perspective, boasting to Forbes in 2000, “It’s very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it.” The point, in fact, the Trump Organization targets and hopes to break into a new market, the MAGA crowd, no matter their lower-class proclivities. Trump blurs the conflict-of-interest line. ‘What’s good for his business is good for American business, what’s good for American business is good for the country,’ meanwhile, he makes it “look” like he’s not running his business by handing that responsibility to his sons. The Albemarle estate bottom line? Trump made $30 million.
Le De Château Des Palmiers, St. Martin, West Indies – $15 Million
Built into Plum Bay’s shimmering, sprawling sandy beach, Le de Château des Palmiers is one of St. Martin’s most enviable Caribbean island estates. The 4.8-acre, 11-room villa and guest house are safely enclosed within an 8-foot-high walled-off section of the tiny half-French island. Once inside, you’ll be entranced by its shimmering marble, grand entrance. Walk outside to take in its immense pool and the gorgeous Caribbean Sea. Trump snagged this Island gem from a fellow businessman in 2013 for an undisclosed price. (It was listed for $19.7 million). In 2017 he listed it for $28 million with Sotheby’s International who declared on Instagram, in classic Trumpism style, “It’s huuuuuge!” It wasn’t selling. To entice he lowered it to $16.9 million a few months later.
Interest spiked as he was elected president by then (no conflict of interest here) but ultimately waned due to the prospect of the intense public scrutiny that would bombard a high-profile purchase. Meanwhile, he’s been raking in profits. With rates of up to $20,000 per night, rental income brought up to $1 million for the Trump Organization in 2017. Interested in visiting St. Moritz? Yes, you can! It’s publicly available on Airbnb. It’s one of the greatest mansions in the world, Trump said.