• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWMost Powerful Women

How Naomi Campbell Convinced Donald Trump to Give Her Money: ‘I Know Something About Ego’

By
Kate Samuelson
Kate Samuelson
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kate Samuelson
Kate Samuelson
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 12, 2017, 5:36 PM ET
Naomi Campbell at Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women Summit at the Dorchester Hotel, London. June 12 2017. Pictures by Peter Dench for Fortune Magazine.
Naomi Campbell at Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women Summit at the Dorchester Hotel, London. June 12 2017. Pictures by Peter Dench for Fortune Magazine.

When Naomi Campbell asked Donald Trump to donate money to Fashion for Relief in the mid-2000s, the then-business mogul jumped at the opportunity.

Speaking at the Dorchester Hotel in London during the FortuneMost Powerful Women International Summit on Monday, the 47-year-old supermodel said that when she approached the media and individuals about her charity fashion show, she received a brilliant response. “I have to say, even Donald Trump was great,” she added.

“I asked him for money and he said ‘How much do you want?’,” the British model went on to explain. “I said ‘This person gave that,’ and he said ‘Okay, I’ll match it’ and that was it. I know something about ego—if someone gave more or less than someone else, [he’d] want to match it.”

Campbell established the charity fashion show Fashion for Relief in 2005 to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Since its conception, the initiative has generated millions of dollars for various environmental and humanitarian causes.

Sign up: Click here to subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

In addition to her involvement with Fashion for Relief, Campbell has worked with Save the Children and visited a refugee camp in Jordan last February. “I didn’t have any expectations [when I went] there,” she told the Summit crowd. “I was just blown away by how humble and how generous and giving these people were… Being there put [everything] into perspective. It makes you realize how blessed we all are.”

When asked by TIME‘s editor-in-chief Nancy Gibbs about whether she enjoys meeting powerful people, from former U.S. President Barack Obama to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Campbell laughed and responded: “Excuse me, they like meeting me!”

The philanthropist added that while she hasn’t had a conversation with Trump like the ones she’s had with Obama and Putin, “I knew him well enough to pick up the phone and get that money.”

Fortune has reached out to the White House for comment and will update this story with any response.

About the Author
By Kate Samuelson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Workplace CultureSports
Exclusive: Billionaire Michele Kang launches $25 million U.S. Soccer institute that promises to transform the future of women’s sports
By Emma HinchliffeDecember 2, 2025
5 days ago
C-SuiteLeadership Next
Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman says she has the best job ever: ‘My job is to help make people feel really good about themselves’
By Fortune EditorsNovember 5, 2025
1 month ago
ConferencesMPW Summit
Executives at DoorDash, Airbnb, Sephora and ServiceNow agree: leaders need to be agile—and be a ‘swan’ on the pond
By Preston ForeOctober 21, 2025
2 months ago
Jessica Wu, co-founder and CEO of Sola, at Fortune MPW 2025
MPW
Experts say the high failure rate in AI adoption isn’t a bug, but a feature: ‘Has anybody ever started to ride a bike on the first try?’
By Dave SmithOctober 21, 2025
2 months ago
Jamie Dimon with his hand up at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit
SuccessProductivity
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says if you check your email in meetings, he’ll tell you to close it: ’it’s disrespectful’
By Preston ForeOctober 17, 2025
2 months ago
Pam Catlett
ConferencesMPW Summit
This exec says resisting FOMO is a major challenge in the AI age: ‘Stay focused on the human being’
By Preston ForeOctober 16, 2025
2 months ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says Europe has a 'real problem’
By Katherine Chiglinsky and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
11 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.