On April 26, 1970, Melanija Knvas, also known as Melania Trump, was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, a former Yugoslav republic. A Slovenian-American former model and businesswoman, she was the First Lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
She is best known to the public as the wife of the 45th President, Donald Trump, but she also describes herself as a businesswoman. She founded her own jewelry line, Melania Timepieces and Jewelry, and a caviar-based skincare line, Melania Caviar Complexe C6.
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- Full name: Melania Trump
- Nickname: Slovenian Sphinx
- Date of birth: April 26, 1970
- Age: 53
- Zodiac: Taurus
- Height: 5′ 11″
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $50 million
Early life
Melanija Knvas, widely known as Melania Trump, was born in Slovenia on April 26, 1970. Her father, Viktor Knavs, worked as a car and motorcycle dealership manager.
At the same time, her mother, Amalija Ulcnik, was a pattern maker for children’s clothing at Jutranjka, a children’s clothing manufacturer in Sevnica. Melania has an older sister, Ines Knauss, an artist and close confidant.
During her childhood, Melania, along with her sister and several other factory children, often organized fashion shows for the townspeople, which sparked her interest in fashion and modeling.
As a teenager, Melania lived with her family in a two-story house in Sevnica, located in the Lower Sava Valley. She attended the city’s High School of Design and Photography, which fueled her passion for modeling.
She then began a career as a fashion model, working with agencies in Milan, Paris, and New York. In 1996, Melania moved to New York City, where she first met Donald Trump at a party, although he was already married to Ivana Zelníčková Trump.
Upon arriving in New York, Melania teamed up with Irene Marie Models and joined Trump Model Management. In 2005, she married Donald Trump, and a year later, they welcomed their son Barron into the world.
Their lavish wedding was attended by notable guests including the Clintons, Billy Joel, Russel Simmons, Mort Zuckerman, Barbara Walters, Heidi Klum and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Melania’s wedding dress was estimated to have cost $200,000.
In 2017, Donald Trump took office as President of the United States and Melania served as First Lady by his side from 2017 to 2021.
Career
When Melania was 16, she began her professional modeling career and collaborated with fashion photographer Stane Jerko.
Her striking appearance caught the attention of industry insiders and she was honored with the title “Look of the Year” in 1998. At the age of 18, Melania joined a modeling agency based in Milan, Italy.
During her journey in the fashion world, Melania met Paolo Zampolli, co-owner of Metropolitan Models, in 1995. It was through this relationship that she eventually met Donald Trump.
In 1996, Melania decided to immigrate to the United States and settled in Manhattan. Throughout her illustrious career, Melania has appeared on the covers of many famous international fashion and lifestyle publications.
Melania launched her successful fashion and jewelry brand in 2010 called “Melania Timepieces and Jewelry.” Her second business endeavor was the “Melania Marks Skin Care Collection.” She reportedly earns between $15,000 and $200,000 in annual royalties from her businesses.
When her husband won the 2016 presidential election, Melania closed her business.
Melania Trump’s husband
After first meeting at a real estate event in 1998, a romantic relationship blossomed between Melania and Donald Trump. Notably, Trump was in the process of divorcing his then-wife, Marla Maples, at the time.
The couple became engaged in 2004; the following year, 2005, they married.
Melania Trump’s children
She has a son with Donald Trump. The boy is called Barron Williams Trump.
Melania Trump’s parents
Melania Trump’s parents are Amalija and Victor Knavs. Her mother, Amalija Knavs, is a model, while her father, Victor Knavs, is a car manufacturer. Melania Trump’s father is Victor Knavs.
Her father previously oversaw motorcycle and car dealerships for a state-owned vehicle manufacturing company, while her mother worked as a seamstress at a children’s clothing company in Sevnica.
Melania Trump’s siblings
Melania has two siblings. Her older sister, Ines Knauss, is a professional artist. She also has a half-brother named Denis Cigelnjak from her father’s previous marriage.
Net worth
Melania Trump has an estimated net worth of $55 million.
