Frederick Christ Trump Sr. was a prominent American real-estate developer and businessman. He is most notably recognized as the father of Donald Trump, who served as the 45th president of the United States.
Fred Trump's father, Friedrich Trump, returned to Kallstadt, Germany in 1901 after amassing wealth during the Klondike Gold Rush and married Elizabeth Christ.
Fred's older sister, Elizabeth, was born in New York City in 1904. The family then returned to Kallstadt, Germany.
The Trump family returned to New York City on July 1, 1905, settling in the Bronx.
Fred Trump was born on October 11, 1905 in the Bronx, New York.
Fred's younger brother, John G. Trump, was born in 1907.
In September 1908, the Trump family moved to Woodhaven, Queens.
In 1918, Fred's father, Friedrich, died in the flu pandemic. At the age of 10, Fred began working various jobs to support his family.
After graduating high school in January 1923, Trump started working full-time in construction and learned carpentry.
Fred Trump graduated from Richmond Hill High School in Queens in 1923, having worked various jobs throughout his high school years.
The name "E. Trump & Son" appeared in advertisements by 1924. Trump claimed to have built his first house this year, though public records dispute this.
By 1926, Trump claimed to have built 19 more homes in Hollis, Queens. He sold some before completion to finance others.
In May 1927, Fred Trump, then 21 years old, was arrested for "refusing to disperse from a parade when ordered to do so" during a Ku Klux Klan parade. The charges were later dismissed.
In 1927, Fred Trump was arrested at a Ku Klux Klan parade, although there's no conclusive evidence of his support for the organization.
Fred Trump was arrested at a KKK march in 1927.
In 1927, Fred Trump incorporated his company and officially began building houses. He built 19 homes in Hollis, Queens.
In 1933, Fred Trump opened Trump Market, one of New York City's first modern supermarkets, in Woodhaven, Queens. The successful self-service store was sold to King Kullen six months later.
Fred Trump utilized loan subsidies from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) established by the National Housing Act of 1934. While this program facilitated homeownership, it also enabled discriminatory redlining practices.
In 1934, Trump and a partner acquired the mortgage-servicing subsidiary of the bankrupt J. Lehrenkrauss Corporation, giving him access to foreclosed properties which he bought cheaply and sold for profit. This venture launched him as a successful businessman in New York City.
Investigative journalist Wayne Barrett suggests that in 1934, Trump exaggerated the length of his career while arguing in federal court for control of a dissolved company's mortgage servicer.
On January 11, 1936, Fred Trump married Mary Anne MacLeod at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. The wedding was officiated by George Arthur Buttrick, followed by a reception at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. The couple had a single-night honeymoon in Atlantic City before settling in Jamaica, Queens.
By 1936, Trump employed 400 workers to construct houses sold between $3,000 and $6,250, employing his father's tactic of pricing ending in "...9.99."
In 1937, Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod welcomed their first child, Maryanne Trump Barry, marking the beginning of their family life in Jamaica, Queens.
In 1938, Fred Trump's second child, Fred Trump Jr., was born. He later became an airline pilot with Trans World Airlines.
Trump employed innovative marketing techniques in the late 1930s, including a boat advertising his properties off Coney Island. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle called him "the Henry Ford of the home building industry" in 1938.
Around 1940, Fred Trump sported a toothbrush-style mustache and had strongly defined facial features. He stood about 6 feet tall and wore his hair slicked back.
With the Office of Production Management's approval in 1941, Trump shifted to building defense housing in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, due to its proximity to the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
In 1941, Fred Trump began supporting Jewish and Israeli causes, including donating land for the Beach Haven Jewish Center in Brooklyn.
Starting in 1941, shortly after the U.S. entered World War II, Fred Trump began supporting Jewish causes. His contributions convinced some that he practiced Judaism.
As he had predicted, Trump profited from World War II. By 1942, he had built 2,000 homes in Brooklyn using FHA funds.
By 1944, Trump had constructed 1,360 wartime apartments, nearly 10% of the total built in Norfolk, Virginia, taking advantage of mortgage insurance for defense apartments added to the National Housing Act. He also constructed barracks and garden apartments for U.S. Navy personnel near shipyards on the East Coast.
In 1946, Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod had their fourth child, Donald Trump, who would go on to become a prominent business figure and the 45th President of the United States.
By 1946, Fred Trump had built a five-bedroom Tudor-style house in Jamaica Estates, Queens. The family lived there, and Trump also purchased a neighboring lot where he built a 23-room, 9-bathroom home.
From 1947 to 1949, Fred Trump expanded his construction business into middle-income housing, focusing on providing housing for families of returning veterans.
In 1948, Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod welcomed their fifth child, Robert Trump, who later became a top executive in his father's property management company until his retirement.
In 1949, Fred Trump completed Shore Haven, a large housing development in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The project included 32 six-story buildings and a shopping center.
Around 1950, the Trump family moved into a newly built 23-room, 9-bathroom home in Jamaica Estates, Queens. Fred and Mary remained there until their deaths.
By 1950, Fred Trump continued to maintain his distinctive appearance with a toothbrush-style mustache and strongly defined facial features.
Folk singer Woody Guthrie resided in Fred Trump's Beach Haven Apartments in 1950, later criticizing Trump's rental practices and accusing him of inciting racial hatred in an unrecorded song.
Fred Trump completed the Beach Haven Apartments, a 23-building complex near Coney Island, in 1950. This project, along with Shore Haven, provided over 2,700 apartments.
In 1950, Fred Trump hired public-relations man Howard J. Rubenstein to get him on a list of the best-dressed men in the U.S., which also featured prominent figures like Dwight Eisenhower and Phil Rizzuto.
By 1951, the Trump family had settled into their new home in Jamaica Estates, Queens, marking a significant period in their life.
Woody Guthrie continued to reside in Beach Haven Apartments owned by Fred Trump during this year and criticized his practices.
In 1952, Fred Trump became an admirer of Protestant minister Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking. He and his family attended Peale's sermons at Manhattan's Marble Collegiate Church.
In 1952, Fred Trump served as the treasurer for an Israel benefit concert featuring American easy-listening performers, showcasing his support for Israeli causes.
In 1953, while watching the coronation of Elizabeth II on television, Fred Trump expressed his disinterest by telling his wife Mary, 'For Christ's sake, Mary. Enough is enough, turn it off. They're all a bunch of con artists.'
In 1954, Fred Trump faced scrutiny and investigation by a U.S. Senate banking committee for alleged profiteering from government contracts, particularly related to his use of FHA funding for housing projects.
In 1954, a U.S. Senate committee investigated Fred Trump for profiteering.
In 1956, a Republican politician named Fred J. Trump emerged as a candidate in the Arizona gubernatorial election, prompting unsubstantiated claims of a familial connection to Fred Trump.
Around 1957, Fred Trump supported Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham and took his family to see him speak at Yankee Stadium.
The politician Fred J. Trump, who ran for Arizona governor in 1956, became a correspondent for Richard Nixon during his 1960 presidential race against John F. Kennedy, and was indirectly claimed to be related to Fred Trump.
Fred Trump made a significant political donation in 1961 to the re-election campaign of New York City mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr., which helped him secure support for the construction of Trump Village, a large apartment complex in Coney Island.
In 1961, Fred Trump contributed $2,500 to Mayor Wagner's campaign, which enabled the construction of Trump Village. This was part of his broader ties with the Democratic Party.
Fred Trump began construction on Trump Village, one of his largest and last major projects, in 1963. The project, costing $70 million, was his only one to bear his name.
On July 1, 1965, Fred Trump purchased Coney Island's recently closed Steeplechase Park with plans to redevelop the property.
On January 27, 1966, Fred Trump faced another investigation, this time by New York State investigators, for alleged windfall profiteering related to the construction of Trump Village. Despite findings of financial maneuvering for profit, no indictments were made.
In September 1966, Fred Trump demolished the Pavilion of Fun at Steeplechase Park, a symbolic event marking his plans for redevelopment. However, his plans were met with resistance from the city, leading to legal battles over the property.
Fred Trump faced another investigation in 1966, this time by New York State, again for profiteering.
The consent decree in the Trump Organization discrimination case highlighted the importance of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 in combating housing discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was a landmark piece of legislation that prohibited discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This law was central to the lawsuit against the Trump Organization.
Donald Trump joined his father's real estate business in 1968, marking the beginning of his career in real estate. He initially worked on projects in Brooklyn before rising to become president of the company.
Donald Trump was promoted to president of the Trump Organization in 1971, while Fred Trump transitioned to the role of chairman.
In 1971, Donald Trump became the president of his father's real estate business, marking a significant transition in the company's leadership.
The New York City Commission on Human Rights and the Urban League received complaints from minority applicants who were allegedly denied rentals in Trump-owned buildings. Investigations revealed a pattern of racial discrimination in rental practices.
In 1972, Fred Trump supported medical charities, including the Long Island Jewish Hospital and Manhattan's Hospital for Special Surgery, where he was a patient of orthopedist Philip D. Wilson Jr.
In October 1973, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Trump Organization, alleging racial discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
In 1973, Fred Trump falsely claimed that he was of Swedish descent and that he was born in New Jersey. These deceptions were continued into the 1980s by his son Donald Trump.
Around 1973, Donald Trump began referring to the family business as the Trump Organization, solidifying his influence on the company's identity.
Fred Trump acquired a significant ownership stake in Starrett City, a large, federally subsidized housing complex in Brooklyn, which opened in 1974 with a stated goal of promoting desegregation in housing.
On June 10, 1975, a consent decree was reached between the Department of Justice and the Trump Organization, settling the lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in rental practices. While the Trumps did not admit to wrongdoing, the agreement required them to implement changes to their rental policies and practices.
In 1975, tenants of two of Trump's Norfolk tower complexes held a monthlong rent strike due to poor living conditions, including rodent and insect infestations, and problems with water heating, air conditioning, and elevator service.
In September 1976, Fred Trump was arrested for housing code violations in a 504-unit property he owned in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. Violations included broken windows, dilapidated gutters, and missing fire extinguishers.
In 1976, Fred Trump established trust funds of $1 million for each of his five children and three grandchildren.
In 1977, Fred Trump's son, Donald, was married for the first time in a ceremony officiated by Norman Vincent Peale, whose sermons the Trump family attended.
In 1981, Fred Trump Jr. passed away at the age of 42 due to complications related to alcoholism.
In 1981, Fred Trump Jr. passed away at the age of 42 from complications due to his alcoholism. His death deeply affected the Trump family.
Fred Trump first appeared on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans in 1982 with an estimated $200 million fortune, shared with his son Donald. That same year, he sold two Norfolk towers and some Hampton Roads military housing.
Around 1983, Fred and Mary Trump were given an apartment on the 55th (labelled the 63rd) floor of Donald Trump's Trump Tower, although they rarely used it.
According to accounts from those close to the family, including Donald Trump's granddaughter and a former vice president of the Trump Organization, Fred Trump was deeply involved in supporting Donald Trump's early real estate ventures in Manhattan, providing financial backing and guidance.
In 1985, Fred Trump received the Horatio Alger Award, recognizing distinguished Americans. This came decades after he hired PR representative Howard Rubenstein to shape his image as a self-made success story.
Jerome Tuccille's 1985 biography of Donald Trump perpetuated Fred Trump's fabricated birthplace and middle name, contributing to the spread of misinformation.
A 1986 news article concerning political contributions made by Trump Management was included in the FBI file on Fred Trump, released in 2016.
Donald Trump's 1987 book, "The Art of the Deal," furthered inaccuracies about Fred Trump's background, including his birthplace and heritage.
In 1987, Fred Trump invested $15.5 million in Trump Palace Condominiums after his son Donald's loan debt to him exceeded $11 million.
According to Harry Hurt III, Fred Trump reportedly advised his son Donald on extramarital affairs in 1989, amidst Donald's highly publicized relationship with Marla Maples.
In 1989, Fred Trump sought treatment at Manhattan's Hospital for Special Surgery, where he was under the care of renowned orthopedist Philip D. Wilson Jr.
In 1989, Fred Trump underwent a mandibulectomy around his right jawbone hinge to remove a bone tumor, which created a notable depression.
Donald Trump attempted to amend his father's will in December 1990, aiming to gain control over the entire estate. Fred Trump rejected this proposal.
Around 1990, Fred Trump began wearing a wig to hide his hair loss and colored his mustache and eyebrows, resulting in red to magenta hues.
In 1990, Fred Trump sent a bookkeeper to buy $3.5 million in casino chips to make a bond payment for Trump's Castle in Atlantic City. This transaction was deemed an illegal loan by the state's Casino Control Commission, resulting in a $65,000 fine.
Fred Trump was diagnosed with "mild senile dementia" in October 1991, with symptoms including memory decline and impairment.
A heavily redacted FBI memo from 1991, suggesting the bureau possessed information about Fred Trump's potential connections to organized crime, was part of the file released in 2016.
In 1991, Fred Trump underwent a hip replacement surgery at Manhattan's Hospital for Special Surgery. He tried to discharge himself from his recovery room shortly after the surgery.
Fred Trump sold his shares in Trump Palace Condominiums to his son Donald for $10,000 in 1991, after investing $15.5 million in 1987. This transaction appeared to evade millions of dollars in gift taxes.
Fred and Donald Trump established a subsidiary in 1992 to manage Fred's finances and distribute them to his surviving children.
In 1992, Fred Trump made one of his largest charitable donations by giving a property valued at $34 million to the National Kidney Foundation. This donation was claimed as a deduction on his tax return.
In 1992, Fred and Donald Trump set up a subsidiary company, with each of Fred's living children owning a 20% stake. This entity was allegedly used to conduct tax fraud by funneling millions of dollars of Fred's wealth to his progeny without paying gift taxes.
Harry Hurt III's 1993 biography of Donald Trump presented conflicting information about Fred Trump, portraying him as both a philanthropist and a figure with a controversial personal life.
In 1993, the anticipated shares of Fred Trump's estate were valued at $35 million for each surviving child. The majority of his assets were transferred into grantor-retained annuity trusts.
Fred Trump's children purchased the remaining third of their father's estate assets through annuity payments, which were finalized in November 1997.
In 1998, while Fred Trump was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, promissory notes from a previous property sale were transferred to limited liability companies connected to Trump Organization subsidiaries.
Fred Trump passed away on June 25, 1999.
Mary Trump, Fred Trump's widow, died on August 7, 2000, at age 88.
In December 2003, it was reported that Fred Trump's four surviving children planned to sell the apartments they acquired from his estate in 1997.
The sale of the apartments acquired by Fred Trump's children from his estate was finalized in May 2004 for $600 million.
The assets from Fred Trump's estate, valued at $41.4 million, were sold for over 16 times their value in 2004, resulting in the avoidance of hundreds of millions of dollars in gift taxes.
During the 2011 Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump, comedian Seth MacFarlane satirized Donald's claims of being self-made, attributing his wealth to his father, Fred.
During his 2015-2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump claimed that he had received only a "small loan of a million dollars" from his father to start his business.
In May 2016, Fortune magazine revealed Fred Trump's use of the alias "Mr. Green" to discreetly inquire about property values, raising questions about his business practices.
In July 2016, the Coney Island History Project held an exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of Fred Trump's demolition of the Steeplechase Pavilion, highlighting the event's lasting impact on the area.
Responding to Freedom of Information Act requests, the FBI released a limited file on Fred Trump in October 2016, containing redacted documents hinting at potential ties to organized crime and political donations.
In late 2016, following the election, author Nell Scovell detailed her attempts to visit the Trump family grave, expressing surprise at the modest headstone and facing obstacles from the cemetery's management.
Leaked tax information of Donald Trump from 2005, revealing an income of $153 million, prompted The New York Times to investigate the Trump family's financial dealings, including the sale of Fred Trump's estate assets.
During Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, his father's 1927 arrest at a KKK march resurfaced, drawing scrutiny and sparking controversy.
In February 2017, an Israeli newspaper drew a parallel between Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting both inherited racist views from their fathers.
In October 2018, The New York Times published an exposé that examined Fred Trump's financial records, revealing a lack of evidence supporting substantial charitable donations on his part.
An October 2018 exposé by The New York Times on the financial dealings of Fred and Donald Trump revealed that Fred had established numerous income streams for his son, making Donald a millionaire at a young age and providing him with substantial financial assistance throughout his life.
A 2018 exposé by The New York Times revealed that Fred and Mary Trump had provided substantial financial assistance to their children, totaling over $1 billion in 2018 currency, while avoiding over $500 million in gift taxes, contradicting Donald Trump's claims of self-made success.
Following the 2018 New York Times exposé, which revealed details about Fred Trump's financial dealings, media outlets highlighted his distinctive appearance, drawing comparisons to fictional villains.
In 2018, The New York Times published an exposé detailing the alleged tax fraud scheme orchestrated by Fred Trump and his children, including the use of a subsidiary company established in 1992.
In 2018, following the New York Times exposé, journalist Jonathan Chait wrote an opinion piece for New York magazine, contending that some of Fred Trump's actions, particularly those benefiting Donald, were inherently criminal in nature.
In his 2018 psychological profile of Donald Trump, author Justin A. Frank asserted that Fred Trump harbored anti-Semitic sentiments.
Maryanne Trump Barry, Fred Trump's daughter, was investigated for potential judicial misconduct related to her father's estate and tax avoidance schemes on February 1, 2019. The investigation was later dropped due to her retirement.
In 2019, journalist and conspiracy theorist Wayne Madsen leveled accusations against Fred Trump, suggesting he was a Nazi sympathizer based on the presence of the German American Bund in New York.
In 2020, Robert Trump, the youngest child of Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod, passed away. He was a significant figure in the Trump family's business.
In 2020, fact-checking organization Logically investigated claims of Fred Trump's alleged Nazi sympathies, concluding that concrete evidence was lacking.
In mid-2020, the liberal political action committee (PAC) MeidasTouch used a quote from Fred Trump's Horatio Alger Association speech to argue that Donald Trump had both squandered his inheritance and mismanaged the strong economy inherited from the Obama administration.
Mary L. Trump, in her 2020 book "Too Much and Never Enough," alleged that Donald Trump neglected and mocked his father, Fred, as he battled Alzheimer's disease.
Mary L. Trump, in her 2020 book "Too Much and Never Enough," supported claims that her grandfather, Fred Trump, held anti-Semitic views, potentially aligning with the KKK.
In 2021, during Donald Trump's last year as president, he made disparaging remarks about Germans and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, contradicting his previous claims about his father's birthplace.
Following Donald Trump's arrest in New York in 2023, media outlets drew attention to his father, Fred Trump's, two prior arrests.
In 2023, Maryanne Trump Barry, the firstborn of Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod, passed away. She was a significant figure in the Trump family.
The New York Times' investigation revealed that Donald Trump received an estimated $483.6 million in 2023 currency from his father's business empire over his lifetime, significantly more than he had publicly acknowledged.
A 2024 article published in the psychohistorical journal Clio's Psyche examined Fred Trump's character, portraying him as a detrimental influence on Donald Trump's moral development.
In 2024, the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee, released AI-generated videos that imagined Fred Trump criticizing his son Donald's actions and presidency.