Vanity Fair obtained Trump's prenup with Marla Maples, and it's a doozy


In the wake of his contentious divorce from first wife Ivana Trump, President Trump was feeling less than generous when it came time to negotiate a prenuptial agreement with his second wife, Marla Maples, Vanity Fair reports.
A person with access to the 1993 document — which included confidential financial statements — slipped a copy to Gabriel Sherman, who writes that it "is a sketch of Trump's immense privilege and the wealth he squandered, telling in both what it illuminates and what it obfuscates." At the time, Trump was dealing with three of his Atlantic City casinos going bust and being forced to sell the Trump Shuttle airline, his stake in Manhattan's Plaza Hotel, and his yacht, the Trump Princess.
Trump said he was worth $1.17 billion, while Maples declared she had $100,000 in the bank, Sherman writes, although he notes it's likely Trump wasn't worth that much, as he didn't appear on the Forbes list between 1990 and 1995. If they separated within five years, Trump agreed to give Maples $1 million, plus another million to purchase a home.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Maples had just given birth to their daughter, Tiffany, and Trump agreed to give her $100,000 in child support payments until Tiffany's 21st birthday, Vanity Fair reports, but that would end earlier if she took a path never traveled by any Trumps before her and joined the military or Peace Corps.
A person close to Maples told Sherman she finally agreed to the deal because she was eager to marry Trump, and figured she could renegotiate it sometime down the road. Maples always brought her wedding dress with her on trips, in case Trump decided it was time to get married, the person said, and they finally walked down the aisle in December 1993. They separated after four years. For more on the agreement, and what finally triggered Trump to propose to Maples, visit Vanity Fair.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
America's woes are a foreign adversary's spy recruitment dream
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal workers reel from mass layoffs, the United States is becoming ground zero for international adversaries eager to snatch up disgruntled spies-to-be
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'There are thorns among the grains'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses some tariffs but ramps up China tax
Speed Read The president suspended most 'reciprocal' tariffs for 90 days and raised his tariffs for China to 125%
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Why did Donald Trump U-turn on tariffs?
Today's Big Question President's 'easy-win' trade war couldn't survive the realities of the US economy
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
Low-cost airline faces backlash after agreeing to operate ICE's deportation flights
The Explainer The flights will begin out of Arizona in May
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published