Donald Trump may have an interest in running for the White House in 2016, but politics isn't his only passion, as evidenced by the investment empire and reality television show he's built over the years.
Here are five highlights from Trump’s pre-politics life.
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1. Trump was sent to the New York Military Academy by his parents when he was 13. His parents considered him energetic and assertive, but hoped the schooling would curb his energy and
make him more disciplined, says Biography.com.
2. Trump began working in real estate development in the 1970s, primarily working on Manhattan-based projects. He opened the Grand Hyatt in 1980.
3. He first married in 1977 and went on to have three children with wife Ivana Trump, a member of the 1968 Czech Olympic Ski Team. He made his wife a key player in his development business, naming her vice president of design. The pair later divorced in 1992. He is currently married to Melania Trump, and has five children, and seven grandchildren.
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4. In 2004 the mogul created a reality television show called "The Apprentice." The show eventually morphed into "The Celebrity Apprentice." Each week, contestants on the show, which is still on the air, compete in business-driven tasks. Trump and his advisers monitor their progress and put intense scrutiny on team efforts. In the end, celebrities donate their earnings to charity.
5. In the 1980s, Trump was a very powerful landlord. At the time, he owned several tower business buildings, an airline, and two casinos,
The Biography Channel notes. But the 1990s recession hit him hard financially. Between payments to cover debts due to the recession and a settlement in the divorce from second wife Marla Maples, Trump began looking for new revenue streams. One of those was "The Apprentice." He also wrote a book about the experience called "The Art of the Comeback."
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