Ivana Trump

Ivana Trump – Life, Career, and Voice

Dive into the life of Ivana Trump (1949–2022): from Czechoslovak roots to modeling, business leadership, authorship, and public persona. Learn about her works, philosophy, and well-known quotes.

Introduction

Ivana Marie Trump (née Zelníčková) was a Czech-born model, businesswoman, social figure, and author. While many know her as the first wife of Donald Trump, she carved out her own path in fashion, design, real estate, and media. She authored books, ran lifestyle ventures, and maintained a public voice marked by confidence, ambition, and resilience. Her story intertwines personal reinvention, public scrutiny, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Early Life and Background

Ivana Zelníčková was born on February 20, 1949 in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia (today Zlín, Czech Republic).

She studied at Charles University in Prague and earned a master’s degree in physical education in 1972.

In the early 1970s, Ivana emigrated to Canada, in part to gain freedom from the Communist regime and to pursue broader opportunities.

Personal Life & Marriages

Marriage to Donald Trump

Ivana married Donald Trump in 1977. Donald Jr. (born 1977), Ivanka (born 1981), and Eric (born 1984).

During their marriage, Ivana held leadership roles within the Trump Organization. She served as Executive Vice President for interior design, oversaw the interior of Trump Tower, led as CEO and President of Trump Castle in Atlantic City, and as manager of the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Her divorce from Donald in 1990 (finalized 1992) was widely publicized.

Later Relationships

After her divorce, she remarried twice. In 1995 she married Italian businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli; they divorced in 1997.

Career & Business Ventures

Role in the Trump Organization

As noted, Ivana played operational and design roles during her marriage to Donald Trump. Her interior design sensibility shaped the aesthetic of Trump Tower’s interiors.

Independent Ventures & Media Presence

After her marriage, Ivana launched her own brands in fashion, jewelry, and beauty products, distributing them via QVC (UK) and Home Shopping Network.

She also wrote an advice column titled “Ask Ivana” for Globe, which ran from 1995 to 2010.

Her authored books include:

• For Love Alone (1992)

• Free to Love (1993)

• The Best Is Yet to Come: Coping with Divorce and Enjoying Life Again (1995)

• Raising Trump: Family Values from America’s First Mother (2017) — a memoir covering her upbringing and parenting.

She also launched a lifestyle magazine, Ivana’s Living in Style.

Public Persona & Voice

Ivana Trump always cultivated a persona of elegance, resilience, and self-possession. She was widely quoted in media, often on topics of life, success, beauty, and relationships. Her voice was sometimes perceived as glamorous or bold, and other times scrutinized in light of her public roles and marriage.

Her public statements often emphasize self-confidence, reinvention, strength in adversity, and personal style. She leaned into aphorisms about appearance, business, and living boldly.

Selected Quotes

Here are some of her better-known quotations:

• “Gorgeous hair is the best revenge.”

• “Looking good is the best revenge.”

• “I’m a single parent, a working mother, an executive, and an author. My greatest accomplishment will be to raise three wonderful children.”

• “Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything.”

• “Don’t sit around and think about things you can’t change. Focus on being in control now, and in the future.”

• “Before marriage keep your eyes wide open, after marriage keep them half closed.”

• “In business, you have to be strong. If you are weak, people are going to take advantage.”

• “I made a tremendous amount of money on real estate. I’ll take real estate rather than go to Wall Street and get 2.8 percent.”

These lines reflect her values: aesthetic attention, strength, pragmatism, and belief in agency.

Legacy & Reflections

Ivana Trump’s life continues to be viewed through multiple lenses: as a figure tied to Donald Trump’s orbit, but also as a woman who sought her own business and public footprint. She managed transitions—from model to executive to author to entrepreneur—and faced the glare of public and media scrutiny through many decades.

While not universally celebrated, she remains a figure of fascination because of her bold presence, unexpected reinventions, and capacity to speak in her own voice amid high pressure. Her books, business ventures, and quotations keep circulating, revealing a self aware, resilient persona even amid controversy.