The fabulous life of Ivana Trump: Donald Trump’s ex-wife hangs with Beyoncé and Mike Tyson, took three more husbands and boasts a net worth of US$100 million – how did she do it?

May 7 , 2021

Ivana Trump’s 1992 divorce settlement from her marriage to Donald Trump set her on the path to her own career in business, leading to serious wealth and properties in Florida and France. Photo: Getty Images

In the 1996 movie The First Wives Club, Ivana advises Bette Midler, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn on divorce, saying, ‘Don’t get mad, get everything’

She owns homes around the world and spends part of the year in the Côte d’Azur hanging with the likes of Elton John, Joan Collins, Mike Tyson and Beyoncé

Czech-American model Ivana Zelníčková married Donald Trump in 1977, birthing three children with him – Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric – before their divorce was finalised in 1992. At the time, The New York Times reported that the settlement saw Ivana receive the sum of US$14 million – plus their Connecticut mansion, a Trump Tower apartment and use of Mar-a-Lago for one month a year – after Donald reportedly cheated on her with his soon-to-be second wife Marla Maples. But the scandal ended up doing wonders for Ivana’s public image and she became an icon in her own right.

Billionaire Donald Trump and his then wife Ivana arriving at a social engagement in New York in December 1989. Photo: AFP Photo

She’s the poster woman for how to do divorce right

After her high-profile split, Ivana appeared in the 1996 movie The First Wives Club with Bette Midler, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn, telling the women, “Ladies you have to be strong and independent. And remember: don’t get mad, get everything.” It’s a message Ivana has continued to share in her books including The Best is Yet to Come.

Ivana certainly capitalised on the divorce. She and Trump appeared in a Pizza Hut advert in 1995 where he joked about a slice (in a nod to their divorce settlement) that she’s only “entitled to half”. The commercial helped the brand increase profits by US$300 million that year.

She rakes in a fortune with her own empire

Ivana Trump became a household name following her divorce. Photo: @ivanatrumpfan/Instagram

Ivana helped Donald run The Trump Organization in the 80s, but after their split she became an entrepreneur in her own right. Following the launch of lifestyle brands that perhaps inspired her daughter Ivanka to get into the fashion and accessories business – plus buying a stake in Croatian newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija in 2011, per The Independent – she is now reportedly worth US$100 million.

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