Ivanka Trump may have declined to join Donald Trump's cabinet for his second term as President of the United States, but she is still following in his footsteps with her next ambitious move.
Before he became involved in politics, Donald was a real estate developer, and now Ivanka, 43, is following her dad's lead and planning her own project.
Trump's footsteps
Alongside her husband, Jared Kushner, the couple plans to invest a staggering $1.4 billion to turn an abandoned Soviet weapons base on the Albanian island of Sazan into a luxury, 1,400-acre island resort.
According to the New York Times, Ivanka and Jared's plans received preliminary approval from the Albanian government in January.
© Getty ImagesWhile Ivanka and Jared are no strangers to the real estate industry – his family owns several commercial, residential, and retail properties in and around New York – it will be the first time they have tried their hands at luxury hotels.
They face some big obstacles, however, as the island is littered with "signs depicting skull and crossbones" and "warning of landmines," according to Italian journalist Marzio Mian, who visited the island in July 2024.
Ivanka and Jared have had help from the Albanian government, though, as members of the country's armed forces began clearing the island of any dangerous ordnance in July 2020, according to Realtor.com.
© AFP via Getty ImagesAfter the couple's plans for their luxury resort received preliminary approval, the Albanian government confirmed that it would work with them to continue clearing the site of all unexploded and buried weapons.
Ivanka revealed in 2024 that their team is working with the "best architects and the best brands" to make the resort an "extraordinary" property.
Sharing his excitement over the development, President Rama told The Guardian that Albania "can't afford not to exploit a gift like Sazan," adding: "We need luxury tourism like a desert needs water."
© AFP via Getty ImagesThe Albanian government has faced some criticism over the planned resort and has been accused of "a lack of transparency", according to The Times.
"Of course, for Albania, which is a poor country, it is important to develop tourism. But there has been a lack of transparency here, and it makes it look like this is a private deal that is in the political interest of the prime minister of Albania," Agron Shehaj, a member of the opposition party in the Albanian government, told the outlet.
Jared, though, assured that they would be "considerate of the environment" when building on Sazan.
© Getty Images"When people announce a development, everyone gets scared," he told The Guardian last year.
"Everybody assumes the worst. But once they see the plans we have, the way we're designing it, the way we're being faithful and considerate of the environment around us, I think that people will be very, very pleased."
He added: "And again, with developments, you never make everyone happy."
