Short interview from last year...
Stuffmagazine.com, 1/31/2007
The 24-year-old vice president of her father Donald’s real-estate empire is perfectly comfortable getting primped, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t rather be back at Trump headquarters, strategizing how to shape the skylines of New York, Chicago and beyond. The tycoon-in-training spoke with us about everything from her dad to drunk debutantes—then it was back to conquering the world.
STUFF: You started appearing on The Apprentice last season. Whose idea was it for you to get involved?
IVANKA: My father and creator Mark Burnett had both asked me at various times over the past two years, but I thought it was really important to understand how the person we hire would ultimately fit into the fabric of the company, so I wanted to make sure I had worked there for a substantial period of time before I joined the show.
What has been the most eye-opening part so far?
Before I joined the show, I wasn’t sympathetic to the contestants; but now, whenever I see their breakdowns, I understand. They go virtually 24 hours a day, and each task takes about three days. Unless they win, they don’t get a day off, and the next challenge starts the following day. So at the very least, one out of every two nights, they don’t get any sleep. It’s an incredible amount of work.
Were you surprised by the recent public spat your father had with Martha Stewart over her comments about the failure of her version of The Apprentice?
No. I know my father very well, and when I heard her comments I knew exactly how he would respond. He is extremely loyal to his friends, but he is tougher than anyone if he feels betrayed. He had done everything for her—the talk-show circuit, interviews, appearing on her shows—and then she made comments that appeared ungrateful. She didn’t take responsibility for her show’s failure. That upset him, and he responded. He’s always said, “If someone comes at you, go at them 100 times harder,” and that’s what he does.
How is your dad different as a boss from how he is as a father?
He's pretty much the same. [Laughs] My brothers and I are the real apprentices; we've been groomed our whole lives to do this. He made it very clear that if we didn't live up to what he thought was our potential, he would fire us. But I'm OK with that, because he didn't get to where he is by letting people slide by. And I want to earn the respect of the people I work with. Right now it's all about creating a track record for me—working hard, having successful projects, really rolling out the hotel division internationally. The idea of coming in at nine and leaving at seven is not something I do. I work much harder than that.
Do you have a typical day?
[Laughs] I guess my days are anything but typical. At least once a week I'm at our site in Chicago, and once every 10 days I'm at our site in Las Vegas. Last week, I was in India and Hawaii and then Tokyo. We're always managing current projects and looking at land in new places to expand and grow.
With your busy schedule, have you managed to have any fun lately?
Recently I was in Los Angeles, and I had the most stereotypical L.A. weekend you could imagine. Friday night I was on The Tonight Show; Saturday night I went to Hugh Hefner's 80th birthday party; Sunday I went skydiving; and I was back in New York on Sunday night. It was possibly the coolest weekend ever.
How does all that travel affect your love life?
It makes it hard, but I've been in a continuous string of long-term relationships since I was a sophomore in boarding school, so being single now is fun, and I'm having a great time.
Has your dad tried to fix you up with anyone?
Yes, he has very strong opinions—which I try not to listen to.
Who are his typical picks for you?
He loves the athletes because he's always wanted to be an athlete. He's into guys' guys. But when he starts talking about it, I stop listening.
How long is it before a guy meets your dad?
As long as possible. [Laughs] The scariest part is probably prior to meeting him. He's really a laid-back mellow guy, but people have a level of anxiety prior to meeting him. I don't think he's much different from any other father. He's protective, but I'm sure there are fathers who are much worse. He hasn't threatened bodily harm to any of the people I've dated. Well, as far as I know. [Laughs]
Has he ever gone to you for advice on his love life?
God, no! I've certainly tried to give it to him, but he's never solicited it.
Has anyone made you starstruck recently?
Hmmm...my big celebrity crush? I love Joaquin Phoenix. He has a very sexy thing going. I don't go for the typically handsome guy. Although I love Christian Bale; I think he's sort of an Adonis.
What do you make of all these "rich kids gone wild" we always see in the tabloids who don't seem to be working much at all?
There's this ugly sense of entitlement that some people seem to have. I know all of those people, but they aren't necessarily my great friends. People complain about how the media creates your reputation, but I think you can control it more than people take credit for. I like to have fun with my friends and go out at night, but you're not going to find me dancing on top of tables or see me trashed outside of Bungalow 8.
Do you ever miss modeling or think about becoming an actress?
Not at all. A couple of years ago, before I started working for my father, I got a call from a casting director asking if I would be interested in playing Kitty Pryde in X-Men 3. I thought it might be fun, so I went to audition. I was supposed to be talking to some character who was eight feet tall, but it was just a guy standing on a chair who, because I'm so tall, actually had to stand on a crate on the chair. The whole situation was too ridiculous for me, and I couldn't stop laughing, so it didn't work out. I'm not an actress. If you had asked me when I was 12 what I wanted to do, I would have said real estate. And now I'm living my dream and getting to experience everything I've ever wanted.
Stuffmagazine.com, 1/31/2007
The 24-year-old vice president of her father Donald’s real-estate empire is perfectly comfortable getting primped, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t rather be back at Trump headquarters, strategizing how to shape the skylines of New York, Chicago and beyond. The tycoon-in-training spoke with us about everything from her dad to drunk debutantes—then it was back to conquering the world.
STUFF: You started appearing on The Apprentice last season. Whose idea was it for you to get involved?
IVANKA: My father and creator Mark Burnett had both asked me at various times over the past two years, but I thought it was really important to understand how the person we hire would ultimately fit into the fabric of the company, so I wanted to make sure I had worked there for a substantial period of time before I joined the show.
What has been the most eye-opening part so far?
Before I joined the show, I wasn’t sympathetic to the contestants; but now, whenever I see their breakdowns, I understand. They go virtually 24 hours a day, and each task takes about three days. Unless they win, they don’t get a day off, and the next challenge starts the following day. So at the very least, one out of every two nights, they don’t get any sleep. It’s an incredible amount of work.
Were you surprised by the recent public spat your father had with Martha Stewart over her comments about the failure of her version of The Apprentice?
No. I know my father very well, and when I heard her comments I knew exactly how he would respond. He is extremely loyal to his friends, but he is tougher than anyone if he feels betrayed. He had done everything for her—the talk-show circuit, interviews, appearing on her shows—and then she made comments that appeared ungrateful. She didn’t take responsibility for her show’s failure. That upset him, and he responded. He’s always said, “If someone comes at you, go at them 100 times harder,” and that’s what he does.
How is your dad different as a boss from how he is as a father?
He's pretty much the same. [Laughs] My brothers and I are the real apprentices; we've been groomed our whole lives to do this. He made it very clear that if we didn't live up to what he thought was our potential, he would fire us. But I'm OK with that, because he didn't get to where he is by letting people slide by. And I want to earn the respect of the people I work with. Right now it's all about creating a track record for me—working hard, having successful projects, really rolling out the hotel division internationally. The idea of coming in at nine and leaving at seven is not something I do. I work much harder than that.
Do you have a typical day?
[Laughs] I guess my days are anything but typical. At least once a week I'm at our site in Chicago, and once every 10 days I'm at our site in Las Vegas. Last week, I was in India and Hawaii and then Tokyo. We're always managing current projects and looking at land in new places to expand and grow.
With your busy schedule, have you managed to have any fun lately?
Recently I was in Los Angeles, and I had the most stereotypical L.A. weekend you could imagine. Friday night I was on The Tonight Show; Saturday night I went to Hugh Hefner's 80th birthday party; Sunday I went skydiving; and I was back in New York on Sunday night. It was possibly the coolest weekend ever.
How does all that travel affect your love life?
It makes it hard, but I've been in a continuous string of long-term relationships since I was a sophomore in boarding school, so being single now is fun, and I'm having a great time.
Has your dad tried to fix you up with anyone?
Yes, he has very strong opinions—which I try not to listen to.
Who are his typical picks for you?
He loves the athletes because he's always wanted to be an athlete. He's into guys' guys. But when he starts talking about it, I stop listening.
How long is it before a guy meets your dad?
As long as possible. [Laughs] The scariest part is probably prior to meeting him. He's really a laid-back mellow guy, but people have a level of anxiety prior to meeting him. I don't think he's much different from any other father. He's protective, but I'm sure there are fathers who are much worse. He hasn't threatened bodily harm to any of the people I've dated. Well, as far as I know. [Laughs]
Has he ever gone to you for advice on his love life?
God, no! I've certainly tried to give it to him, but he's never solicited it.
Has anyone made you starstruck recently?
Hmmm...my big celebrity crush? I love Joaquin Phoenix. He has a very sexy thing going. I don't go for the typically handsome guy. Although I love Christian Bale; I think he's sort of an Adonis.
What do you make of all these "rich kids gone wild" we always see in the tabloids who don't seem to be working much at all?
There's this ugly sense of entitlement that some people seem to have. I know all of those people, but they aren't necessarily my great friends. People complain about how the media creates your reputation, but I think you can control it more than people take credit for. I like to have fun with my friends and go out at night, but you're not going to find me dancing on top of tables or see me trashed outside of Bungalow 8.
Do you ever miss modeling or think about becoming an actress?
Not at all. A couple of years ago, before I started working for my father, I got a call from a casting director asking if I would be interested in playing Kitty Pryde in X-Men 3. I thought it might be fun, so I went to audition. I was supposed to be talking to some character who was eight feet tall, but it was just a guy standing on a chair who, because I'm so tall, actually had to stand on a crate on the chair. The whole situation was too ridiculous for me, and I couldn't stop laughing, so it didn't work out. I'm not an actress. If you had asked me when I was 12 what I wanted to do, I would have said real estate. And now I'm living my dream and getting to experience everything I've ever wanted.
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(Crain's Chicago Business)
