Like everything the Donald does, the conversion of the historic Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach into a private club in 1995 was thick with controversy, with Trump himself often playing the bad guy. In the first few years, there was scheming, sex, and decadence, the perfect storm for a great story about the 1 percent. The latest issue of Vanity Fair features an essay by Laurence Leamer, author of Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Trump's Presidential Palace. Here are the juiciest tidbits from the story:
South Florida has always been a magnet for New Yorkers and other northerners looking to save on their taxes. Florida has some of the lowest taxes of any state in the country, while the State of New York has the highest, and New York City’s is even higher. With the strong cultural connection between the two regions (Miami is sometimes called the ‘sixth borough’) and a dramatic difference in taxation levels, South Florida is an obvious destination.
So far maybe not so good for those looking for a little grace-and-favor nepotism for the international art world in the Donald J. Trump administration. The unpronounceably-named Mnuchin Gallery, which is exhibiting at this year's Art Basel Miami Beach, is publicly disavowing any connection to Steven Mnuchin, the Donald's pick for Treasury Secretary and son of the gallery's head honcho.
