Is Melania Trump Really Auctioning This Off?

When Melania Trump left Air Force One for the last time in January, rocking an orange Gucci caftan, the former first lady seemed happy to leave the White House and head to Florida. And now, in her post-White House life, Melania has many new opportunities ahead of her, and she's auctioning off something that is making headlines. 

While it first seemed like Melania was intent to stay out of the spotlight at Mar-a-Lago, relaxing by getting daily spa treatments, per CNN — "She's not mingling with people and rarely interacts with her husband's staff," a source told the publication — it also seems like she is eager to tell her story sooner rather than later. In fact, Page Six reported that Melania might be working on documenting her time as first lady. A source told the outlet, "Melania is in meetings to write her White House memoir. And it would be her money, a chance for her to earn on her own" — separate from her husband, former president Donald Trump. 

As Newsweek notes, Melania also recently received a huge honor; she was named one of the "Most Admired Woman" of the world in 2021 in a YouGov poll. The former first lady was in good company; other women on the list included former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as Oprah Winfrey and Queen Elizabeth II, to name a few. More than 40,000 people in 38 countries were polled for the survey, and Melania nabbed the 16th spot. And on December 16, Melania just revealed this huge news — a high-tech auction that is garnering a ton of buzz.

Melania Trump launched her first non-fungible token (NFT) on December 16. She announced her latest pursuit in a statement on Twitter, writing, "I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavor, which embodies my passion for the arts, and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative."

The former first lady created an NFT of a watercolor painting of her eyes with a short audio message: "My vision is: Look forward with inspiration, strength, and courage." Mrs. Trump's first NFT opens cryptocurrency bidding at $185, per the Daily Mail, and the NFT will be on sale until December 31. The watercolor painting by French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon is, fittingly, called "Melania's Vision." The outlet also notes that the former first lady will release more NTFs on MelaniaTrump.com and a "portion of the proceeds from the sale" will be donated to support children in foster care.

Members of the Trump family have gotten in trouble for using charity funds for other purposes. In 2019, Donald Trump was ordered to pay $2 million after admitting he used funds for the Donald J. Trump Foundation charity to pay for business and campaign debts.