WATCH:
Donald Trump charges $1M just to join Mar-a-Lago. Its first owner left it to America’s presidents for free. In 1973, cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post willed it to the US government as a winter retreat. In 1981, Washington gave it back. Too expensive to keep. Asking price: $20M. The buyer: Trump, 39. CBS asks if he paid $5M. "Well, you said that. I didn’t say that." "I won’t discuss that on national television." The full deal reportedly came to about $10M. At a table set with gold, he wonders: "What am I doing here? How did this happen?" He walks the crew through 118 rooms. "It’s considered the number one home far and away in America." The early ’90s. His Atlantic City casinos go bankrupt. He tells Palm Beach $3M a year in upkeep is too much for one owner. The town won’t let him split the land into lots. In 1993, they agree on a private club. 500 members max. The entry fee climbs to $1M. Members can book suites for the night. In 2025, the club brought in $77.5M. Nearly 8x what he paid for the whole estate. Back then, the town feared a hotel casino. He told CBS: "I have no intention of doing anything like that."
— SoftArox (@softarox) November 11, 2026
Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate has undergone an extraordinary transformation, from a lavish mansion once offered to the U.S. government for free to an exclusive private club reportedly charging $1 million just to join. Originally owned by cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, the historic Palm Beach property was eventually purchased by Trump for a fraction of its reported value today. This fascinating look back reveals how Trump turned a costly estate into a multimillion-dollar business, complete with 118 rooms, luxurious accommodations, and a surprising history that few Americans know about.