Sometimes, all that glistens is gold. Move over Paris, Nicole, Lindsay, Britney-Ivanka Trump is the new face of the young American idol. She's a buxom 25-year-old blonde whose beauty runs as deep as her brains, and whose motivation and drive are matched only by those of her extraordinarily talented family members. But don't just credit genetics; Ivanka's incredible achievements in the world of business can be attributed to hard work and a dedication to uphold the Trump standard of excellence. She is truly a role model for the young and restless. As our interview began, this VP of Trump development and acquisitions was opening a very moving letter from a young girl who was telling her what an inspiration Ivanka has been.
Hampton Sheet:
Did you always feel from a young age that you knew what you wanted?
Ivanka Trunp:
Always. When I was a little girl, seven years old, I stole my brother's Christmas present, which was Legos, and I locked myself in my room and glued the blocks together. My father came in like an hour later, my little brother's crying and my dad's yelling at me, and he looks down and sees that with the blocks I had created a model of Trump Tower. So he was really proud, even though he was trying to yell at me. It was hysterical! Two days later, he took me downstairs and walked me across the street and pointed up and said, "Ivanka, I wasn't going to say anything, but this has really been bothering me-there are five stepbacks in the architectural façade of Trump Tower, not six."
HS:
Did you feel spoiled growing up?
IT:
No. All the things I was given had residual value…. I had things that had some sort of intrinsic, real value, as opposed to just the ability to consume. I wasn't able to just walk into Gucci, and I didn't have a credit card. I was spoiled, but in what I would consider the right way.
HS:
Is it true you worked for another company before joining The Trump Organization?
IT:
I worked for [Brooklyn-based real estate developer] Forest City Ratner for a year after graduation.
HS:
Did your father want you to get that experience?
IT:
Actually, he wanted me to come and work for him directly. But I wanted to make sure that I loved and was good at real estate, not only in theory but in practice.
HS:
So there's no overlapping or conflicts with your siblings?
IT:
There are multiple ways to look at that and how to work it out. Increasingly, the more work we have and the more places we're building, it makes sense to divide the responsibility. But we also travel so much that we like to all be abreast of everything that's going on, and this way, whoever is sort of available to respond will. I don't want to be competitive with one another-there's something great about us all being involved.
HS:
You are currently working on 33 projects around the globe. Even though they are your projects, how involved is your father in the decision making?
IT:
At the end of the day, his name is on the check. He's been great, though. We're all such alpha personalities that I was somewhat concerned as to what the dynamic would be amongst the collective group and whether or not my father would be able to relinquish any of that control…. He's been amazing about grooming us and giving us enough leeway, while always watching.
HS:
You joined your father on this past season of The Apprentice. Whose idea was that and what is the dynamic like between you two on and off the show?
IT:
They'd been asking me for quite some time to join the show, and I didn't feel like it was an appropriate thing to do until I had worked at the company. And I think part of the decision is to know who my father will respond to, because I am definitely a great judge of that-I've known him my whole life and I know what type of person will and will not be appealing to him.
"You're not going to find me on a Wednesday night dancing on a table."
HS:
Is there anywhere else in the world you could imagine living other than New York City?
IT:
Almost increasingly, no. There are other cities that I love, but I like to work in New York. I like to play elsewhere, I love to travel, I love to explore, and I love to visit other cities. But I would always want to be based here in New York.
HS:
So you're pretty content right now.
IT:
You can say that. I have 33 projects that I'm working on around the globe. One of my favorite buildings is in Chicago. It's a 92-story tower that is just spectacular. It's designed by Adrian Smith; 2.7 million square feet. It's actually the tallest residential building in the world. It will surpass the second tallest, which is the Trump World Tower here in New York. It's just architecturally so stunning.
HS:
Do you go to the Hamptons?
IT:
I spend a lot of time there during the summer. I actually really like going in the winter as well. I think it's nice when nobody else is there, walking along those beaches in the fall with a group of friends-it's just beautiful.
HS:
Do you fly commercial or take the Trump jet?
IT:
We don't fly on the Trump jet alone. We fly on it with
my father.
HS:
Do you need much downtime?
IT:
No. But I do like being alone, I enjoy it. I like coming home at night, reading a book, sitting alone, taking a long bath … so I do need that.
HS:
Do you work out?
IT:
I don't find time to work out. It's the worst! But I actually got together with a girlfriend last night, and we took a walk in the park, but that's not a very typical way that 25-year-olds work out.
"I like it when I'm seeing somebody and at 10 p.m. he's in a meeting-
I'm not the typical girl!""
HS:
What time are you up and out in the morning?
IT:
I'm up at 6:15 a.m. and in the office by 7:30 a.m. And I work till whatever it takes.
HS:
Would you say your focus now is more on business than your private life?
IT:
For me, business doesn't end when the weekend starts, it's my life. But that doesn't mean I don't have other interests. I definitely want to have a family-if in 10 years I don't, I'll be really sad about that.
HS:
What is the most difficult part about finding the
right man?
IT:
It's pretty difficult in general at my age. What I look for are men who have some measure of success and confidence. That's very important for me. Because of the situation that I'm in and because my father is so high-profile, I can't be with someone who is intimidated by that. If they're ambitious and motivated and successful in whatever they do, it means that they're more comfortable in their own skin, and it means that they won't be threatened-and that's a good thing! I like it when I'm seeing somebody and at 10 p.m. he's in a meeting-I'm not the typical girl!
HS:
Your father is a hard act to follow!
IT:
That's the thing-I don't want anyone to think they have to follow that.
HS:
You were portrayed in a very sexy way in GQ recently. Did your father have any comments on that?
IT:
[Laughs] Yeah, he doesn't really speak about that.
HS:
What about that rumor that keeps surfacing about you and Jared [Kushner, the 25-year-old owner of the New York Observer]?
IT:
Rumors just keep on surfacing, and I'm not going to talk about it. He's a very good friend of mine.
HS:
You've remained relatively under the radar as far as
the media frenzy goes. How do you keep your private
life private?
IT:
It's not always private, sadly. I wish it was! You can't always get the best of both worlds-I know the tremendous value that our public profile has on the price per square foot of salable real estate. We're able to get a premium out of it, since people know our brand and know who we are, but sometimes that works its way into private life. I guess the stuff I do, the way I act, the way I live my life isn't necessarily fodder for the media. You're not going to find me on a Wednesday night dancing on a table. That doesn't mean I won't go out on a Saturday night with friends, have an amazing dinner and maybe go off to a nightclub, but I won't be there till 6 a.m. drunk!
HS:
What advice would you give today's troubled young club-hopping starlets?
IT:
I don't like to concentrate on what other people are doing. I feel sad for people who are lost or struggling, whether it be young starlets or 25-year-old girls who don't know what they want in life.
HS:
Your father gave Tara Conner a second chance. Do you believe in second chances? What do you think of the fact that Imus wasn't given one?
IT:
I think what happened with Imus was a bit insane. He speaks on all sorts of issues and is very negative about people almost indiscriminately. I don't think there's one religion, race, personality type, or public persona that he hasn't attacked at some point in time, and it's just the way he is! It's who he is as a man, and people either like it or hate it. I think what he said was a terrible thing … but some of the people who came out against him, it just seems so hypocritical to me-these were people with very speckled pasts in their own right, in terms of comments they've made. He apologized; I think he was genuinely sorry that he offended them. It's his personality type to say things that are highly inappropriate. But I think what happened was just a crazy reaction.
HS:
Do you think Rosie deserves a second chance?
IT:
I think she's had many.
HS:
Do you see your little half-brother Barron much?
IT:
He comes down to the office with Melania every now and then to check on the siblings and make sure we're hard at work. [Laughs]
HS:
Has your dad been the type of father who, if you call, will just drop what he's doing and take your call?
IT:
Yep, he conferences me in. And he'll say, "Ivanka, I've got heads of state in the office, say hello," and then he tells them how well I'm doing or something really cute. He always takes my call.
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