She's set to become America's First Lady, with a life cossetted in the extravagant luxury afforded only to the super-rich.
And although Melania Trump's existence today as the wife of a billionaire is far removed from her childhood in a communist state, it is the fulfilment of the dreams that she nurtured living in her own white house as a 16-year-old.
Now The Mail on Sunday has gone back to the young Melania's home town, spoken to some of her school friends – and tracked down that white house built by her father.
The childhood of young Melania Knavs in the sleepy industrial town of Sevnica – now part of Slovenia – in the 1970s and 80s was unlike that of any previous First Lady.
Her father Viktor was a Communist Party member under Yugoslav dictator Marshal Tito, and as Melania grew up the family lived in a string of modest apartments.
But Viktor also displayed the capitalist ambitions which rubbed off on the daughter who would one day complete her extraordinary journey by taking up residence in Washington as the President's wife.
A car parts salesman, Viktor drove a Mercedes, and by the time young Melania was 16 he had built the house in the small town of Sevnica – population 4,500 – as a weekend retreat for the family. The property is on the banks of the River Sava.
Meanwhile, Melania's mother Amalija worked as an executive in a textile factory. She would come back from business trips to Milan and Paris with tales that would inspire her daughter to make her name in international fashion – first as a designer before embarking on the modelling career that would lead to her meeting Donald Trump.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
