PALM BEACH, Fla. — In the hours since the FBI conducted a search of Donald Trump's Palm Beach estate, the Mar-a-Lago Club, as part of an investigation, the property has been the buzz amid other concerns.
The FBI is investigating where the former president took classified documents from the White House to his Florida home, people familiar with the matter said to the Associated Press. However, Trump has criticized the FBI following their search.
"These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents," Trump wrote. "Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before."
He continued, "After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate."
Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson declined to comment on the search, including about whether Attorney General Merrick Garland had personally authorized it.
Trump made the Mar-a-Lago Club his permanent residence following the end of his presidency, according to Forbes. Spending a great deal of time at the "Winter White House" during his presidential term, he changed his primary address to the club in 2019 from Trump Tower in New York City. Let's take a deeper dive into the profound estate and its history even before Trump bought the property.
Where is Mar-a-Lago?
The club is located in Palm Beach. Its official address is 1100 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, Florida, if you're trying to visit or deliver a letter. Mar-a-Lago Club is a resort and national historic landmark built in 1924 by breakfast cereal company heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.
When did it open?
As we mentioned, construction began in 1924 but the club did not open until 1927. Prior to breaking ground, Post searched for the perfect location for the estate in a swamp-covered Florida. With her realtor, "Post crawled through underbrush of jungle-type growth in search of the perfect piece of property; the consequence of that search is the main house 'Mar-a-Lago,' which is Spanish for 'Sea to Lake,'" the club says on its site. In 1927, the club opened covering 20 acres of perfectly landscaped lawns.
How much did it cost to build?
Well, according to Time magazine, the 110-room building cost $7 million to build at the time. Today, that's the equivalent of more than $110 million. Upon her death, Post willed her home to the U.S. government with the intent for it to be used as a winter home for the president. However, in 1981, the government returned Mar-a-Lago to the Post Foundation, the New York Times reports, citing its hefty maintenance fee of $1 million.
Donald Trump enters the chat
President Trump reports his first offer for the Mar-a-Lago property he so badly wanted was $28 million, but was turned down, according to a report from the Washington Post. But he was persistent in his purchase and ended up getting the property in 1986 for somewhere between $5 and $10 million, the NYT said in an article. Additionally, he paid $3 million for some of Post's antiques and furniture.
Private club established
In 1995, Trump turned Mar-a-Lago into a private club. He even added a 20,000 square-foot ballroom with $7 million in gold leaf, Town & Country Mag reports. If you want to grace the hallways and sit poolside at the Mar-a-Lago estate, club membership comes at a steep price. According to ABC News, club members used to pay $100,000 for a membership fee and annual dues of $14,000; in addition to $2,000 that members are required to spend on food each year. Following Trump's presidency, the price is reported to have gone up to $200,000.
What's inside club membership?
Mar-a-Lago club membership includes resort-style hospitality/service, and entertainment. "Membership at the club provides the highest privileges and an elite lifestyle reserved for a select few," the club states.
Members are able to use the Mar-a-Lago spa, pool, Beach Club, guest rooms and suites, fitness center, tennis courts and croquet lawns. In addition, membership includes reciprocal privileges at 19 Trump Golf properties around the world.
During former president Trump's presidential term, NBC News reports he spent 133 days at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Four of his trips to his Mar-a-Lago resort cost the U.S. government nearly $13.6 million in taxpayer dollars, the Government Accountability Office reports.