Due to maintenance and security concerns, the government later transferred the property to the Post Foundation, and Donald J. Trump purchased it in 1985 (reportedly for $10 million, according to the Associated Press, though sources vary on the actual cost) and used it as a private residence for a decade.
For one phase of initial renovations after the purchase of the estate, Trump hired interior decorator Buffy Donlon, and Richard Haynes, the son of the chief gilder Post had used, as artist in residence. Haynes reapplied 23-karat-gold leaf and restored faded murals to their original vivid color. As one of many changes, Trump hung his own portrait in the library in the same place Post’s had been for decades.
