Donald John Trump was born on 14 June 1946 in the New York borough of Queens.
The fourth of five children, he had two brothers – Fred Jr and Robert – and two sisters, Maryanne and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is his only living sibling.
His father Fred ran a successful construction company in the outer boroughs of New York. He first joined his business in 1968, but soon struck out on his own in the heart of Manhattan.
Casinos, condominiums, golf courses and hotels followed, from Atlantic City, Chicago and Las Vegas to India, Turkey and the Philippines.
Donald Trump’s flamboyant style helped him stand out in New York’s business world and rise to stardom in the entertainment world with the TV show, The Apprentice.
Trump has married three times and has five children. He first tied the knot in 1977 with Ivana Zelníčková.
Trump married his third wife Melania Knauss in 2005. When they met seven years earlier, he was 52 and she was 28.
His political career started in 2015 when he announced his White House bid during a press conference at Trump Tower surrounded by his family. His motto: “Make America great again”.
After a bitter campaign marked by controversy, he beat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States in 2017.
His presidency was an uncertain time for US allies, often clashing openly with foreign leaders. He withdrew from major climate and trade agreements and launched a trade war with China.
The final year of his presidency was dominated by criticism over his handling of the Covid pandemic. Trump was forced to take a break during his 2020 election campaign after being diagnosed with the virus.
Trump lost the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden but refused to accept the result, claiming the election had been rigged. He rallied supporters in Washington on 6 January urging them to march to Congress.
The rally escalated into a riot and his actions on that day are the focus of two criminal cases.
His political career had seemed over, but he announced another run for president and quickly became the Republican Party frontrunner.
Trump began the general election campaign facing 91 felony charges.
In May 2024 he was found guilty of 34 counts of fraud related to hush money paid to adult-film actor Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Back on the campaign trail over the summer, a 20-year-old gunman tried to assassinate him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Days later at the Republican National Convention, he was confirmed as the party’s presidential candidate.
After an eventful, at times frenzied, campaign, Trump has won the 2024 US presidential election. The victory would make him the country’s oldest president ever. He’ll be 82 by the end of his term.
