Born on June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York, Donald John Trump began his entrepreneurial career at his father's company, the Trump Organization. While in college, he worked on his first project, the revitalization of the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio. He single-handedly managed to provide 100% occupancy in the once almost abandoned apartment. However, his early success did not continue on, as he experienced bankruptcy in the 1990s. By 1994, he was able to eliminate a large portion of his $900 million debt. After a number of financial challenges down the road, Trump was still able to re-emerge the company from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.
Aside from developing the largest parcel of land in New York City formerly called the West Side Rail Yards and soon to be called Trump Place, Donald Trump has also developed the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino on the Boardwalk, the Trump Marina Casino Resort in the Marina District and The Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, the only five star, five diamond-rated hotels in Atlantic City.
Trump also extended his holdings to include the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, New York and the Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles, which is yet to be built. In Bedminister, New Jersey, the Tom Fazio-designed Trump National Golf Club are already rising.
In addition, Trump is also a partner in the ownership and broadcast rights for the three largest beauty competitions in the world, the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA Pageants. He is also an accomplished author of five books, including his autobiography, "The Art of Deal." Aside from his autobiography, his bestsellers include "Surviving at the Top," "The Art of the Comeback" and "How To Get Rich: Big Deals from the Star of The Apprentice."
Trump was married to Ivana Zelnickova in 1977, and the two had three children together, Donald, Jr., Ivanka and Eric. However, the two divorced in 1992 and a year later, Trump married Marla Maples, who mothered his fourth child, Tiffany. The two divorced in 1999. Six years later, Trump married Melania Knauss, who mothered his fifth child, Barron William.
In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC's The Apprentice, where he challenges contestants to show off their management and sales skills as they battle for high-level position in one of Trump's many businesses. Typically, one contestant is eliminated at the end of every episode, where Trump uses his catchphrase, "You're Fired."
(Photo courtesy of NBC)