US President Donald Trump's younger brother Robert Trump, died on Saturday night, after being hospitalised in New York. He was 71. The President had visited his brother at the hospital on Friday.
In a statement, Trump said that Robert was not only his brother, but he was also his best friend. "It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight. He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace," the statement read.
All you need to know about Robert Trump:
Robert Trump, the youngest of New York City real estate developer Fred Trump's five children, was born in 1948. He was a business executive and real estate developer.
Robert also supported a number of local causes and small businesses. In his late 60s, he was a trustee of Angels of Light, a holiday giving nonprofit. Reportedly, he also donated quite heavily to a horse rescue operation in the area.
His high-profile divorce from socialite Blaine Trump, his wife of about 25 years, had become fodder for the tabloids. He had fallen in love with his secretary, Ann Marie Pallan, and bought her a $3.7 million house in Garden City, NY.
Interestingly, Robert has a burger named after him at a restaurant called Monte’s Kitchen in Amenia, NY. The eight-ounce "RST All American Burger," with cheese, lettuce, aioli, homemade pickles, and truffle fries costs $17.50.
In the 1980s, Donald Trump tapped Robert to oversee an Atlantic City casino project, calling him the perfect fit for the job. When it cannibalised his other casinos, though, "he pointed the finger of blame at Robert," said Blair, author of "The Trumps: Three Generations that Built an Empire." "When the slot machines jammed the opening weekend at the Taj Mahal, he very specifically and furiously denounced Robert, and Robert walked out and never worked for his brother again," Blair said.
A Boston University graduate, Robert Trump later managed the Brooklyn portion of father Fred Trump's real estate empire, which was eventually sold.
Authors Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher described Robert Trump as soft-spoken but cerebral in "Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President". "He lacked Donald's charismatic showmanship, and he was happy to leave the bravado to his brother, but he could show flashes of Trump temper," the book noted.
Recently, Robert attempted to block the tell-all book -- “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” -- written by his niece Mary Trump. Robert Trump sued his niece. However, the courts ruled in Mary Trump’s favor.
