Mary Jordan, author of ‘The Art of Her Deal: The untold story of Melania Trump’, revealed why the former First Lady had stood by her husband through thick and thin.
She told People magazine that for Melania it served her better to stick with Donald than to leave him during his presidency.
Speaking about Ms Trump, the author said: “I think a lot of people thought she just wanted to be rich.
“And she wanted not just to be rich — I heard that several times from key people: ‘You don’t understand, she wanted to be known.’ “
In Ms Jordan’s book, she wrote that the former First Lady renegotiated her prenup agreement with Mr Trump after his election win.
The author’s sources told her “over and over again” that “there was more in it for her to stay than to go”.
Ms Jordan added: “Her main driver, according to the people that I talked to, she kept saying — ‘I just want an equal share for Barron’.
“Meaning an equal share to the older three who are always front and centre, Eric, Don Jr. and Ivanka.”
Kate Andersen Brower, author of First Women, told People magazine that Ms Trump was “the most reluctant First Lady we’ve had in modern history”.
She added: “The first lady is supposed to act as the ‘consoler in chief,’ especially when you’re married to a man who is so inept at consoling people and has a real empathy gap there.
“She should be the one who is speaking to the American people and reassuring Americans that things are going to get better and being positive, in the way Laura Bush did after 9/11.
“But we just don’t hear that from her.”
Ms Jordan explained how although people think Mr and Ms Trump are “different”, they are “also very alike”.
She continued: “They both believe in comebacks. They both believe that the Trumps will rise again.”
Since leaving the White House in January, Mr and Ms Trump have been living in Florida with their son Barron.