Buildings Owned by Donald Trump
President Donald Trump recently lost the 2020 election and appears to be on his way out of the White House, to be succeeded by President-Elect Joe Biden. With his time in the Oval Office coming to a close, it's likely that the billionaire businessmen will return to his real estate portfolio which he has been forced to abandon due to Presidential restrictions on business management while in office. In today's article we shall examine some of the buildings which the Trump Organisation owns and take a look at their architecture and design.
Trump Tower, New York
Starting the list off strong is Trump Tower in New York, perhaps the most famous building to bear the Trump name. A 58-floor skyscraper reaching 202 metres into the sky, Trump himself developed the building in the 1970s after purchasing the land from the Genesco company. Notably, Trump also purchased all of the air rights around the building so as to prevent rival companies from building a taller tower next to his. The young businessman had dreamt of building his own skyscraper on this plot of land since his childhood, and finally achieved it in the 1980s when Trump Tower was fully erected. The building of the tower was not without controversy, as lawsuits followed regarding the status of various undocumented immigrants who worked on its construction, and stories published in newspapers which accused Trump of destroying valuable sculptures of goddesses so that he could fill his offices with "real art". Regardless, the tower still went up, and now marks part of the New York City skyline. Trump Tower now contains multiple luxury shops and offices run by multinational corporations, and has been a favourite of New York socialites since its construction.
The Empire State Building
Donald Trump of course did not build the Empire State Building, which is significantly older than him, however he does partly own the historic landmark. The land beneath the 102-storey skyscraper was purchased in 1994 by a Japanese billionaire named Hideki Yokoi and then transferred to a joint business run by Yokoi and Trump. Trump used his stake in the ownership of the Empire State Building to work on a massive residential development inside the skyscraper. Trump and Yokoi did not share ownership of the Empire State Building for a long time, however, and sold their land to another business partnership led by one Peter Malkin in 2002. While Trump no longer owns any part of the Empire State Building, it is still an important part of his real estate history. With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Empire State Building has erected numerous queueing barriers to keep visitors socially distanced while they wait for entry.
Seven Springs
Built in 1919 by notable journalist and economist Eugene Meyer, the Seven Springs resort is an estate spanning 50,000 square feet and features a Tudor-style home built by ketchup tycoop H.J. Heinz as well as a huge mansion with three pools and carriage houses surrounded by nature reserves. Seven Springs has functioned as a retreat for the Trump family for many years now, with good reason - the surrounding landscape is very picturesque, and the interior of the building is reminiscent of royal country homes of 19th century England. During his Presidency, Donald Trump came under fire from journalists who accused him of spending too much time at Seven Springs with his family and neglecting his Presidential responsibilities. It is alleged that the Trump Organisation is considering sale of the resort, however, so if you happen to have millions of dollars to spare, it is worth keeping an eye on the estate!
Mar-a-Lago
Situated on Palm Beach in Florida, the Mar-a-Lago Club was built in a unique Moorish style in 1927 but fell into disrepair after its owner Marjorie Post passed away in 1973. Donald Trump then purchased the building in1985 for 10 million dollars. This would turn out to be a very wise investment - its value today is estimated at $165 million. Referring to it as the "Winter White House", President Trump has spent a large amount of time there during his administration and in 2019 made it his family's primary residence. It is likely that he shall return to live there once he leaves office in January. Besides being one of Trump's many homes around the country, Mar-a-Lago is also a high-class club for the Palm Beach social elite and celebrities from all around the world, and features luxury spas, beauty salons, and tennis courts for upper class visitors to the resort. President Trump used Mar-a-Lago to host meetings with other world leaders, including the Prime Minister of Japan and President Xi Jinping of China.