Eric Trump may have grown up wealthy, but he still had to earn money if he wanted to purchase something, like a new bike. Here's how he went from working on construction sites to running a winery, with some help from his dad along the way.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00 Eric Trump may have grown up wealthy, but he still had to earn money if he wanted to
00:04 purchase something like a new bike.
00:06 Here's how he went from working on construction sites to running a winery, with some help
00:10 from his dad along the way.
00:13 Growing up as a Trump child may have been a lavish experience, but according to Eric
00:17 Trump, his father made sure he knew the fundamentals of life as young as 4 years old.
00:22 During an interview with Carrie Lake, the Republican politician probed Eric on what
00:26 his childhood was really like.
00:27 Eric candidly explained that his dad spent most of his time in his office, recalling,
00:31 "I mean, we probably spent less time out there throwing baseballs around."
00:35 Some may take this as Eric bashing his dad's approach to parenthood, but that wasn't the
00:39 case.
00:40 He was quick to praise his father, explaining that Donald would come into his room before
00:44 school, kiss him goodbye, and tell him,
00:47 "Eric, no drinking, no drugs, no smoking.
00:50 Every single day.
00:51 At 4 years old."
00:52 He also went on to say that his dad was strict and had high expectations, but it's not something
00:57 that he resents or holds resentment over.
00:59 In fact, Eric has always been his father's biggest supporter and has never publicly criticized
01:04 him.
01:05 Unlike his brother Donald Jr., who was notorious for his partying and womanizing ways in his
01:09 college years, Eric has managed to keep his nose relatively clean.
01:14 Given how prolific Donald Trump is in the business world, it makes sense that he raised
01:18 his kids to be hardworking and dedicated.
01:21 For this reason, Eric quickly inherited his dad's entrepreneurial spirit.
01:25 He was so eager to make his own money that he reportedly started working when he was
01:28 just 11 years old.
01:30 In his interview with Lake, Eric said,
01:32 "I was on construction sites when I was 11, 12 years old, you know, doing demo, breaking
01:37 down walls, concrete, sheetrock, plumbing."
01:40 Despite what many people may think, Eric wasn't just handed anything he wanted.
01:45 This job, he explained, provided him with a minimum wage salary and instilled a good
01:49 work ethic in him.
01:51 If he wanted to purchase something, he worked hard and saved up.
01:54 According to Eric, this aspect of his childhood was a great lesson that he still carries with
01:59 him.
02:00 Eric's net worth is a point of interest for many, but his career didn't come out of nowhere.
02:04 He grew up listening to his father and taking note of his money moves.
02:08 Over the years, Eric made it clear he thinks of his dad as a role model, telling CBS News
02:13 in 2003,
02:14 "I really look up to him.
02:16 I think it's amazing that you can find a job that you love and enjoy so much that you'd
02:20 rather be doing it than taking vacations."
02:23 In the same interview, Eric, who was a college student at the time at Georgetown University,
02:28 told reporters he wanted to be part of his father's business empire.
02:32 When speaking about his son, Donald admitted to CBS News,
02:35 "He has a wonderful capability, and then at some point he'll be tested and tested very
02:41 strongly."
02:42 That may seem a little harsh to some, but the patriarch said he believed his son would
02:46 do well and like it.
02:48 As for Eric, he made it clear that his aspirations were high, admitting he would like to take
02:52 over Trump-owned properties one day.
02:55 At the time, it was clear that Eric had his sights set on becoming a powerful businessman.
03:00 In 2006, Eric branched out into the philanthropic world by launching the Eric Trump Foundation.
03:06 According to the company's LinkedIn profile, the foundation's main mission was to help
03:10 sick children by partnering with the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
03:14 It was certainly an honorable cause, with the rest of the Trump family showing up at
03:18 golfing events to support Eric's fundraising efforts.
03:21 However, Eric's venture eventually came under fire after the foundation's 2014 practices
03:26 were called into dispute.
03:28 After raising over $1.8 million at a golfing event that year, Eric proudly claimed in a
03:33 since-deleted video for the Trump Organization,
03:36 "It's really kind of the pinnacle for the Eric Trump Foundation.
03:40 We just raised an inordinate amount of money, and it all obviously goes to the children
03:44 of St. Jude."
03:45 Unfortunately, that wasn't entirely true.
03:48 Eric's charity did donate a lot of money to St. Jude, but it also donated money to
03:52 multiple other charities, just like it had done in previous years.
03:56 While they were all worthy causes, the issue lies in transparency.
04:00 The foundation's website claimed all profits would go to St. Jude's, not just some, which
04:04 actually constitutes fraud.
04:06 This prompted the New York Attorney General's Office to look into the organization.
04:11 Though always a prominent businessman, Donald Trump's stardom was taken to a new level when
04:16 he starred in NBC's The Apprentice.
04:18 "You're fired."
04:20 The concept proved to be incredibly popular, and the show lasted until Donald's transition
04:24 into the White House.
04:25 Of course, like most things in the Trump sphere, it soon became a family affair.
04:30 In 2010, six years after the show's debut, Eric joined his dad in the boardroom as an
04:35 advisor, appearing in 23 episodes throughout the show's run.
04:39 Eric also made waves when he guest starred on the show's spin-off, Celebrity Apprentice.
04:43 Fans weren't quite sure what to make of the up-and-coming businessman, with Entertainment
04:47 Weekly writing at the time,
04:49 "I had no idea your father had sired a giant.
04:52 But what struck me most was not your freakish height, but rather the way you continually
04:56 kept bringing your hands in front of you and tapping the fingers together like a maniacal
05:01 Ernst Stavro Blofeld."
05:03 If the hate got to Eric, he didn't show it, and continued to boost his public profile
05:07 by appearing on the show.
05:09 By 2012, Eric was fully invested in the family business.
05:13 Two years after making his debut on The Apprentice, his father gave him Trump Winery, previously
05:19 known as Kluge Estate Winery.
05:21 Donald had bought the business in 2011 from its founder and owner Patricia Kluge, but
05:26 while he kept her on for a year, Kluge was given the boot when Donald appointed Eric.
05:30 "It's been a great business.
05:31 It's a very different business.
05:32 It's a very sexy business."
05:35 The business still appears to be in operation all these years later, and is actually owned
05:39 by Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing, LLC.
05:42 At some point, Eric gained full control, though it's not clear if this was from the outset
05:46 or something that gradually developed.
05:49 The Trump Winery website contains a message from Eric, who says,
05:53 "I can honestly say that Trump Winery, from the moment of acquisition, has been one of
05:58 the most exciting projects.
06:00 Each year our wines continue to receive tremendous accolades competing and winning against vineyards
06:05 that have been in business for decades."
06:07 The winery, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is also a wedding venue and hotel.
06:13 There was a time in his younger years when Eric was one of New York City's most eligible
06:17 bachelors as the son of a billionaire real estate developer.
06:21 However, he was taken off the market when he met Lara Yunoska in 2008.
06:26 The pair have been together ever since, and though it was Eric's height that initially
06:29 drew Lara to him, she soon discovered they were a match made in heaven.
06:33 "So I was immediately intrigued."
06:35 The pair dated for six years before they tied the knot in 2014, ushering in a new chapter
06:40 of Eric's life and one of the most important roles to date — husband.
06:45 As you might expect, given how rich Eric is, the wedding was a spectacle.
06:49 The pair said their vows before 400 guests at Eric's father's Mar-a-Lago estate.
06:54 Considering it was a major Trump family event, it's not surprising Eric's family was heavily
06:59 involved.
07:00 His sister Ivanka was a bridesmaid, while her husband Jared Kushner officiated.
07:05 Eric's brother Donald Jr. also served as his best man.
07:09 Some couples may wait a short time after getting together to have children, but Eric and Lara
07:13 were together for almost a decade when they welcomed their first child, Eric "Luke" Trump,
07:18 in 2017.
07:20 Eric made the birth announcement via ex the same day.
07:23 Alongside a photo of the newborn, Eric wrote,
07:26 "Lara and I are excited to announce the birth of our son, Eric 'Luke' Trump, at 8.50 this
07:31 morning."
07:32 While the reveal was direct and to the point, Eric previously gushed about how excited he
07:37 was to become a father in an interview with People, saying,
07:40 "We found out on my birthday, which was pretty cool."
07:43 His wife was confident in her husband's ability to master parenthood.
07:47 Telling the publication Eric would be an "amazing dad," judging by his relationship with his
07:52 siblings' kids, she told the outlet,
07:54 "The nieces and nephews love hanging with him.
07:57 He's the cool uncle.
07:58 He's watched 'Frozen' many times."
08:01 In 2019, they welcomed a second child, this time a daughter they named Carolina "Dorothy,"
08:06 making Donald Trump a grandfather 10 times over.
08:09 As younger members of the Trump family, Eric's kids tend to stay out of the spotlight, but
08:14 Luke was spotted with his dad at Ivana Trump's funeral in 2022, wearing a suit and holding
08:19 a stuffed animal.
08:21 In the beginning half of the 2010s, the idea of Donald Trump winning the presidential election
08:26 seemed a little far-fetched.
08:28 After all, it's not often someone with no prior political experience makes their way
08:33 into the White House, let alone assumes the presidency.
08:36 However, that's exactly what Donald did, and he took his family along for the ride.
08:41 His wife Melania and his son Barron eventually joined him in the nation's capital.
08:46 Meanwhile, Ivanka and Jared became his trusted advisors.
08:49 So where was Eric during his dad's stint at the top?
08:53 Eric may not have been part of his dad's administration, but he was still busy assisting his father.
08:58 Barron had to hold down the fort while Donald ran the country, and that responsibility fell
09:02 to Eric.
09:03 He took up the mantle of managing the Trump Organization alongside his brother, Donald
09:07 Jr.
09:08 It may have taken him some time, but Eric finally realized his childhood dreams of being
09:13 an important cog in his father's business.
09:15 At the time of his father's election, he told Forbes that it was imperative the business
09:20 was looked after, and that his father wasn't bothered by operations.
09:24 Eric explained,
09:25 "There is kind of a clear separation of church and state that we maintain, and I am
09:29 deadly serious about that exercise."
09:33 If the Trump family holds one value higher than anything else, it's loyalty.
09:37 "We could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that."
09:40 Donald's biggest supporters throughout his political career have been his kids.
09:45 That said, Eric has made it clear that he is his dad's most vocal backer, even throughout
09:49 the various legal troubles that have followed Donald post-presidency.
09:53 In 2024, Donald made history as the first president to be arrested and was put on a
09:58 bail bond totaling $454 million after a fraud case landed him in hot water.
10:05 Eric worked away behind the scenes trying to help his dad, and was quick to criticize
10:09 the legal proceedings.
10:11 Talking to Fox News, Eric said,
10:13 "Every single person, when I came to them saying, 'Hey, can I get a half-billion-dollar
10:18 bond?'
10:19 They were laughing."
10:20 "No one's ever seen a bond this size."
10:23 He even went so far as to call it a "crooked number," claiming that the courts aimed to
10:27 put his dad out of business and make him financially unable to run his 2024 presidential campaign.
10:33 Regardless, Eric remained confident that his father would win, telling The Host,
10:38 "Everybody in this country universally knows exactly what these people are doing."
10:42 -