The historic Mar-a-Lago Club home may be best known as Donald Trump's home – playing host to the President-elect and his family on the night of the election. However, while this Palm Beach estate has increased in fame over recent years (following his first presidency in 2017), it has a vivid history that dating back over an entire century.
The ornate Moorish-style property is the product of architects Marion Sims Wyeth and Joseph Urban’s genius. Marjorie Merriweather Post, a socialite (and heiress to the Postum Cereal Company) comissoned them to design the ocean-front property that was built between 1924 and 1927 – soon after she became American's richest woman. In 1973, she donated the 20-acre property to the U.S. government to be used as the ‘winter White House,’ considering its sunny zip code, which was surely welcome to those used to a notably colder DC.
Following the Trump family's restoration, it’s categorizable as one of the world’s best homes – comprising a 20,000-square-foot ballroom (with $7 million gold leaf features) and Spanish revival-style arches and mosaics throughout the residence. It’s also the site of an exclusive private club, attracting the social elite from across the globe.
The exact price Trump paid for the estate in 1985 is unknown, but it’s thought to have been around $5 million, with an additional $3 million for Post's antiques and furniture.
In 1995, he first turned the property into a high-end members club, with fees thought to be around $200,000, and created a 3,000-square-foot property on the estate for personal use.
The estate includes a Beach Club, which extends across two acres of direct access to a private beach and includes a 132-foot by 50-foot pool, whirlpool, and beachfront bistro. There's also a 27-hole golf course and a fitness center to keep the family (and all guests) entertained.
Alongside upgrading the public spaces, Trump added some more personal touches to the estate. Most notably, he commandeered a coat of arms that British authorities had granted to Joseph Edward Davies (Post's third husband) in 1939 before replacing 'Integritas,' the Latin word for integrity, with 'Trump.'
The home's unique decorating quirks and luxurious color combinations are seen via The-Mar-A-Lago Club's Instagram, including the bedroom, complete with a four-poster bed and a glamorous chandelier for good measure.
'I have 24 acres in Palm Beach, and nobody has anything like that,' Trump formerly shared in the discussion of the estate at a Mar-a-Lago-based jumping event in 2014. 'A big house is on one acre. I have 24. It's the great estate of Palm Beach.' Trump, his family, and friends sleep in a private wing when they are in residence.
The inside story of how Trump became known as the 'King of Palm Beach.' this book, by Laurence Leamer, offers unrivaled access behind one of the most powerful estates in Florida.
Where does Donald Trump currently live?
Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is believed to be his primary residence; however, it's not the only home in his property portfolio. From 1983 until 2019, his main home was the three-level penthouse on the top floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan. However, in 2019, he named the Palm Beach estate his primary residence.
Following the Inauguration day on January 20th, 2025, Trump will move into the White House in Washington DC.
