Melania Trump's life in photos: From her time in Slovenia to becoming of the most famous women in the world

Melanija Knavs was born on 26 April 1970, in Novo Meso, Slovenia. She grew up in the small town of Sevnica.

Melania Knauss' parents, Viktor and Amalija, worked in fashion and car sales in Slovenia. Viktor Knauss worked as a chauffeur and car salesman. Amalija Knauss worked as a patternmaker. 

According to her childhood friend Mirjana Jelancic, Melania Knauss always dreamed big, and was a straight-A student. She told the Associated Press:

‘We would never hear her swear of say anything bad to anyone. She was an excellent student, very organized, disciplined, with very decent manners.’

Melania Knauss moved to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana for high school, where she was approached by a modelling agent on the street. She began modelling at only 16 years old and started travelling all over Europe.

While her modelling career took off, Melania Knauss moved to Paris in 1994, where she lived with Swedish model Victoria Silvstedt, who won Miss World Sweden the year before.

During her training as an international model, Melania Knauss learned English, French, German and Italian.

In 1996, she changed her name to Melania Knauss and moved to New York City, USA. It was there that she met her future husband, Donald Trump.

In 1997, Melania Knauss posed in her ‘birthday suit’ for the French magazine Max. The photos resurfaced during her husband's campaign in 2016, but the First Lady explains she regrets nothing. She writes in her memoir, entitled Melania:

‘The photos were artistic and tasteful, and posing nude in the fashion world is commonplace and hardly scandalous.’

Melania Knauss and Donald Trump met at a party in Manhattan in 1998, during which he asked for her number, although he already had a date. She explained to Harper's Bazaar in 2016:

‘He wanted my number, but he was with a date, so of course I didn’t give it to him. I said, ‘I am not giving you my number; you give me yours, and I will call you’.'

Melania Knauss and Donald Trump dated for two years before a brief split in 2000. The businessman announced their break-up in January, calling her a ‘terrific woman’, and they got back together the next month. The reason behind their break-up remains unknown.

Melania Knauss and Donald Trump got engaged in 2004. They attended the Met Gala, during which the businessman proposed. Speaking to the New York Post, the model explained:

‘It was a great surprise. We are very happy together.’

Melania and Donald Trump tied the knot in a private ceremony at their Mar-a-Lago villa in January 2005. They spent their honeymoon at the mansion.

One short year after their wedding, Melania Trump gave birth to her son Barron. In an interview with Larry King, Donald Trump explained:

‘There’s nothing like a good marriage, and there’s nothing like having children. I have four great children. If you have the money, having children is great. Now, I know Melania, I’m not going to be doing the diapers. I’m not going to be making the food. I may never see the kids, frankly. No. She will be an unbelievable mother. I’ll be good father, but I’ll be, you know, doing my deals.’

Since they first married, Donald Trump's life has been filled with both success and failure. He became President in 2016, lost his second term in 2020, was dragged to court on multiple accusations, and even found guilty of some. Despite everything, Trump managed to reclaim the White House when he was voted President once again in 2024. Through all of it, Melania remained by his side, whether through her rare public appearances, or while staying in the shadows. 

She joins him in the White House for the second time as First Lady. Here are a few key moments from her life, including both rumours and facts you may not have known about the former model. 

Over the years, Melania Trump has been through numerous controversies. In 2018, while she was on a state visit to Nairobi, she wore an all-white outfit which invoked the imagery of imperial opressors to many.

Also in 2018, Melania Trump visited detained children at a US border detention center. She wore a Zara jacket, which had a big white message on the back, saying ‘I don’t really care, do U?'. This caused national outrage.

Observers were quick to notice the couple rarely shows affection in public. Donald Trump was often seen reaching for his wife's hand, and she swatted him away, causing instant online jokes.

The White House traditionally shows off massive Christmas decorations, which Americans usually love. However, a secret recording reportedly revealed she disliked the tradition, and she complained about having to host and participate in the celebrations.

Melania Trump rarely gives speeches, but when she does, observers are quick to criticise. She has been accused of plagiarizing Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention speech. She has also been accused of hypocrisy while speaking about diversity, after publicly questioning Barack Obama's nationality.

Several former employees have accused Melania Trump of being self-centered. For example, during the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021, she was seen posing for a photoshoot at the White House. 

Despite her husband's fortune, Melania Trump made a lot of money on her own during her earlier career as a model.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Melania Trump is currently sitting on about a net worth$50 million.

In 2010, Melania Trump launched her own jewelry line, as well as a caviar skin care company. These companies reportedly earn her between $15,000 and $50,000 in royalties every year.

In 2021, Melania Trump invested in NFTs. She created ‘Melania’s vision', which depicts her White House office. Each piece sold for about $150.

In 2016, Melania Trump purchased a one-bedroom flat in the Trump tower, despite owning a huge penthouse which goes from the 66th to the 68th floor. She is said to use the flat as a private library.

Melania Trump is rumoured to have graduated college with a degree in architecture and design. While this claim remains unverified, it should be noted that many Trump properties have been remodelled by the First Lady.

As part of her role as First Lady, Melania Trump got involved with several charities, such as the Breast Cancer foundation and the Red Cross. 

Melania Trump explained that her son Barron was the first young boy to live in the White House since JFK Jr. She writes in her memoir about moving into the iconic building:

‘Barron’s room was a priority. He was the first young boy to live in the White House since John Kennedy Jr, and the children’s bedrooms had been decorated for girls for about sixty years, so it was important to create a space that suited Barron’s interests.’

Melania Trump grew up with her older sister, Ines Knauss. The pair reportedly remains very close, and they live near each other. Ines Knauss is a New York-based designer.

Melania Trump refuses to have anything to do with Denis Cigelnjak, who claims to be her half-brother. Viktor Knauss, her father, never recognized the child as his own.