• April 17, 2006
• Vol. 65
• No. 15

Trump: the Next Generation

By Mark Dagostino

The Donald's Kids—and Apprentice Sidekicks—Donald Jr. and Ivanka Trump Dish on the Joys and Perils of Working for Dad

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From PEOPLE Magazine

In addition to his trusted aides Carolyn and George, Donald Trump has enlisted two new advisers to help him fire away on The Apprentice this season: son Donald Jr., 28, and daughter Ivanka, 24, who both work for their dad's real-estate corporation. Recently the siblings talked with PEOPLE's Mark Dagostino about growing up Trump and their new TV gig.

Did you jump at the chance to appear on the show?

Donald Jr.: I held off for four seasons [because] it's very time-consuming. Plus, it was my father's thing, and I didn't want to encroach on that. But he's a very persuasive guy; you can only say no for so long.

Ivanka: In spite of our hesitation, we enjoyed it and had a lot of fun.

Do you two think you could handle the competition on The Apprentice?

Donald Jr.: We don't get a free ride. If we did not do as good or better than anyone else, [our father] would fire us. That's the way a business should be run.

Ivanka: I think his phrase was "You [could] be fired like a dog." He's said it publicly, but he's not joking.

So could you win on the show?

Donald Jr.: No doubt.

Ivanka: Definitely! Our big credo is "Second place is only the first loser."

Is there a sibling rivalry between you?

Ivanka: No. But we're highly competitive. I went skiing with my younger brother once and he beat me down the mountain, and I was devastated!

Donald Jr.: Ultimately we're a family company, and it doesn't behoove us not to be nice.

Any sense of rivalry toward your new half brother Barron, born March 20?

Ivanka: There's such an age difference that it's a nonissue. We're just excited. I've offered babysitting services.

Donald Jr.: When my father's in a good mood, everyone's in a good mood—and he's thrilled about [Barron].

Ever give your dad advice on The Hair?

Donald Jr.: I don't bring up the hair—I might be destined for the same fate.

More From This Article

Growing Up Trump

ALL HAIL, 1984 "Most of our friends were wealthy," says Ivanka (with Donald Jr. in Greenwich, Conn.). "There wasn't much diversity in the people we knew until we went to college." Says Donald Jr.: "I spent six weeks every summer with my mother's father in [his native] Czechoslovakia. I realized quickly how fortunate I was."

TWO OF A KIND, circa 1985 "This is the playroom in Trump Tower," says Ivanka (with Donald Jr.). "I'm a little concerned about my outfit—that was cruel of my mother. Donald [Jr.] and I have always gotten along. Shockingly, we've never had a major argument. We negotiate well as a team and know how to read each other."

HORSING AROUND, circa 1986 "That carousel wasn't motorized," says Donald Jr. (at home with Ivanka). "Anything we wanted to do we had to work a bit for—even when it came to the miniature carousel!" The merry-go-round gave way to more athletic pursuits. "We're all huge skiers," says Ivanka. "My mom was an Olympic skier, and my father was a great athlete. He had the option of playing baseball instead of going to business school. Not a lot of people know that."

AMERICAN GOTHIC, circa 1984 "Me with the supreme bowl cut and her with the cookies," says Donald Jr. "Yeah, that was pretty much the norm." Or as normal as it got in the Trump household. "We weren't spoiled," says Ivanka. "We grew up as normal as one can when you grow up on the 68th floor of one of the most beautiful buildings in New York—that also bears your last name."