Donald Trump

Born Donald John Trump on 14 June 1946 in Queens, New York City, Trump became president of his father Fred Trump's real estate business in 1971, renaming it The Trump Organization.

Under Donald Trump's stewardship, the Trump Organization became involved in projects including hotels, resorts, residential and commercial buildings, casinos, and golf courses, both in the United States and abroad.

In 1982, Trump was listed on the initial Forbes list of wealthy individuals as having a share of his family's estimated $200 million net worth. His financial losses in the 1980s caused him to be dropped from the list between 1990 and 1995. In its 2020 billionaires ranking, Forbes estimated Trump's net worth at $2.1 billion (1,001st in the world), making him one of the richest politicians in American history and the first billionaire American president.

Alongside his business dealings, from the 1970s onwards Trump developed a media profile that included cameo appearances in TV programmes and films, culminating in a successful run as co-producer and host of reality TV show The Apprentice, beginning in 2004.

In June 2015, Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States, as a Republican candidate. His campaign was not initially taken seriously by political analysts, but Trump's unconventional, often controversial approach saw him defeat Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election.

Trump’s presidency was marked by controversy, scandal, protest and polarisation. He faced impeachment twice by the House of Representatives, once for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in relation to his dealings with Ukraine, and once for incitement of insurrection in relation to his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021. He was acquitted both times by the Senate. He also faced numerous investigations into his personal and business affairs, including a special counsel probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with his campaign.

Trump lost the 2020 US presidential election race to Joe Biden, but refused to concede defeat. His attempt to overturn the results – making false claims of electoral fraud, pressuring government officials, mounting scores of unsuccessful legal challenges and obstructing the presidential transition – culminated in hundreds of his supporters violently storming the Capitol in January 2021, which resulted in five deaths and dozens of injuries. Trump was widely condemned for his role in inciting the mob and failing to stop it.

Trump left office on 20 January 2021 and moved to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He remains influential in the Republican Party and among his base of supporters. He has hinted at running for president again in 2024.

In March 2023, a grand jury in New York indicted Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, over a hush money payment made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. This was the first time a former president faced criminal charges. The charges were related to campaign finance violations and tax fraud. Trump denied any wrongdoing and called the indictment 'political persecution' and 'election interference'. He faced a historic court hearing in New York, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges related to hush payments to two women during his 2016 campaign. He is also facing civil lawsuits over his business practices, sexual misconduct allegations and incitement of violence. He also has to sit for a second deposition as part of a civil fraud lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General.