Donald Trump needs no introduction, so we’ll cut right to the chase–yes, Donald and Melania allegedly have a prenuptial agreement. They have also allegedly made multiple amendments during their marriage. And the rumor mill is churning: Melania’s latest “renegotiation” of the prenup comes ahead of the 2024 election, as it seems she’s seizing the moment to give that prenup another tweak! (We can’t blame her for wanting to stay on top of things!). Donald also had prenups before Melania, with exes Ivana and Marla. So, without further ado, let’s discuss everything we know about all of Donald Trump’s prenups.
Donald Trump’s prenup with Ivana Trump
Donald has been married three times–Ivana Zelníčková, Marla Maples, and Melania Knauss. In his first marriage to Ivana, they allegedly signed a prenup and also signed 3 more prenup amendments during the marriage (sounds like this may be where Melania got the idea, or maybe just a great lawyer, who knows). The prenups allegedly were amended as Trump’s wealth grew and they had more children. In their final divorce settlement, Ivana ended up with $25 million and a Greenwich mansion (or $22 million if the mansion was sold). Trump was also required to pay $650,000 in child support which he agreed to in his prenup with Ivana.
Donald Trump’s prenup with Marla Maples
According to one (extremely old) interview from 1994, Trump said, “I think [prenups are] a modern-day necessity.” Don’t take our word for it, watch the whole video here. In this quote, he was referring to the prenup he signed with his ex-wife, Marla Maples, who was his second wife. He refused to get married again without her signature on the dotted line due to his explosive divorce from his first wife, Ivana.
The prenup reportedly stated that Marla gets $1 million in the event of a divorce if they separated within 5 years, plus another $1 million to buy a house. If they stayed married for 5 years, she’d get $5 million.
“A million dollars for someone coming into a marriage is a lot of money for somebody,” he said. (And keep in mind his stated net worth at this time was $1.17 billion).
The prenup also allegedly included a waiver of alimony, which means no alimony would be paid from Trump to Marla in the event of divorce. And that Marla would keep all personal information confidential, meaning she could not write a tell-all book in the event of a divorce. And finally, one of the strangest (and questionable) clauses was that child support would end if Marla and Donald’s daughter, Tiffany, got a job, joined the Peace Corps, or joined the military. We’re not sure why joining the Peace Corps or the military would be a reason to stop child support…
In addition, in the prenup’s financial disclosure, Trump inflated his net worth and stated that it was at $1.17 billion (Marla’s was stated at $100,000). However, Forbes listed his net worth in 1990 as around $500 million. It’s alleged that Trump overstated his net worth to ensure he didn’t accidentally omit any assets, which can ultimately get a prenup thrown out for improper disclosure.
The details of Trump’s prenup with Melania
Melania and Donald’s prenup was recently mentioned in “The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump” by Mary Jordan, a Washington Post reporter, so let’s explore the alleged provisions it contains. The book mentions that Melania was late to move into the White House in 2017 because she was renegotiating the terms of her prenup. Mary Jordan also mentions in the book that the prenup includes terms regarding Melania and Donald’s son Barron to ensure he is treated as an equal to the three older children and is not cut out of the business. However, Melania’s team has denied that anything in the book is true, so it’s unclear how certain these allegations are.
What clauses does Melania have in her prenup regarding Barron Trump?
Let’s revisit the rumored renegotiation of Melania Trump’s prenuptial agreement. It’s been suggested that the updated agreement includes provisions to protect Barron Trump’s interests in the family business (as claimed in Mary Jordan’s book about Melania). However, the exact nature of these provisions remains unclear due to the lack of public access to the prenup itself.
Here’s our analysis: While it’s possible for prenups to address certain inheritance matters and business interests, prenups typically focus on the financial matters between spouses. In fact, including clauses concerning children can be legally complex and may not always be enforceable. This raises questions about the validity of the claims made in Mary Jordan’s book regarding the prenuptial agreement and its provisions for Barron.
The renegotiation of Melania and Donald’s prenup
Here’s what we know: There are allegations out there that Melania has renegotiated the prenup several times throughout the marriage, including possibly as many times as four times in the following years: 2016, 2020, 2023, and now again in 2024. It has been claimed that her reasons for renegotiating hinge on certain pivotal points in Donald’s life. For example, in 2016-17, it was reported that she renegotiated the prenup with the leverage that he needed her loyalty for positive public perception. In addition, the rumor now is that she is renegotiating the prenup in 2024 ahead of his presidential campaign to use his presidential campaign as leverage.
Are prenup amendments enforceable?
Melania has allegedly renegotiated her prenup with Donald Trump several times during the marriage, which makes these prenuptial agreement amendments, sometimes referred to as postnuptial agreements. A postnuptial agreement is an agreement made during the marriage (as opposed to a prenup which is made prior to marriage). Postnups vary slightly from prenups in that there is a differing balance of power between married couples versus engaged couples.
Prenuptial agreement amendments and postnups are typically enforceable as long as you follow the rules in your state. For instance, many states have specific guidelines for how to create an enforceable prenup amendment and/or postnup.
The bottom line on Donald Trump’s prenups
Donald Trump has been married three times and has had three prenups. He’s practically an expert in prenups; heck, he might apply to work at HelloPrenup (Kidding!). With Ivana, she walked away with $25 million and a mansion. Marla walked away with $2 million. Melania is currently renegotiating, and (we’ll guess) that, if they ever divorce, she will walk away with the most given her leverage as Former First Lady.
Nicole Sheehey is the Head of Legal Content at HelloPrenup, and an Illinois licensed attorney. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to prenuptial agreements. Nicole has Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School. She has a deep understanding of the legal and financial implications of prenuptial agreements, and enjoys writing and collaborating with other attorneys on the nuances of the law. Nicole is passionate about helping couples locate the information they need when it comes to prenuptial agreements. You can reach Nicole here: Nicole@Helloprenup.com
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