Behind Trump’s Beauty Empire Lies Exploitation

A Sydney conversation exposes the sex, power and secrecy behind Trump’s Miss Universe reign

Among the elite in New York and across business circles, Donald Trump has long been if not always despised — just ask America’s top bankers. For many, there’s little endearing about the brash New Yorker. And one prominent businesswoman knows exactly why.

For most expat Americans living outside the US, the shift away from the Empire’s shores is now seen as a saviour from humiliation and embarrassment.

America is rapidly dying. Like all wounded animals nearing their fatal end, its desperation is expressed through unpredictability and aggression. For those still unsure whether the Empire is collapsing, its endless geopolitical entanglements, domestic crises, and swirling scandals offer undeniable proof. The never-ending wars to the erosion of civil liberties, a dysfunctional political system to a media landscape drenched in propaganda, the signs are no longer subtle — they’re bellowing in a screaming rage.

But it’s the Jeffrey Epstein saga, alongside America’s unwavering support for Israel, that has become the clearest symbol of its institutional and moral decay. The Epstein case — a sinister web of blackmail, sexual abuse, and elite protection — exposed a perverse undercurrent running through the highest echelons of American power. That the full truth was never revealed, key figures remain untouched, and Epstein’s death was conveniently ruled a suicide despite glaring inconsistencies, shows a system fundamentally incapable of holding itself accountable.

Adding to this disgrace is the unresolved controversy surrounding Trump. Trump’s long association with Epstein — from photos to parties — raised serious questions about his involvement in the abuse of young girls.

In 2016, a civil lawsuit accused Trump of raping a 13-year-old girl at one of Epstein’s events. The case was quietly withdrawn just before the election. Though never criminally charged, the allegations — paired with Trump’s own crude remarks about women and girls — remain a dark cloud over his legacy.

The nexus of power, impunity, and exploitation — shielded by wealth and political muscle — isn’t just a scandal. It’s an indictment of the American system itself.

Which brings us to Sydney, Australia — one of the world’s great cities, a beacon of multicultural sophistication, natural beauty, and cultural power. A place seemingly far from Washington’s corruption and Manhattan’s high society. But even here, Trump’s shadow found a way in.

Eight years ago, a conversation in a Sydney taxi offered an unexpected glimpse into the man behind the scandals.

“Margot Warren” (a pseudonym for one of America’s most powerful businesswomen) was visiting Australia. A legend in the entertainment industry and a trailblazer in a world dominated by testosterone and excess, she’d long commanded respect in US entertainment and global business circles.

During our 2017 taxi-ride, the topic turned to Trump. The conversation began when I asked Warren about her thoughts about him as President — Warren wasn’t backward in coming forward. What she shared was unforgettable.

Trump, then owner of the Miss Universe Organisation — including Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA — had called her personally. He was “shaking the trees” of his New York connections, trying to secure sponsorship for the contest. Warren, with her company’s global influence, was to Trump an obvious target.

Warren’s recollection of the call went along the lines of something like this:

Trump: “Hi Margot, how are you? I’m calling because your organisation came to mind as I’m looking for sponsors and I thought what a perfect fit you’d be to sponsor the Miss Universe contest. Are you interested.”
Warren: “No, Donald, I wouldn’t. The event isn’t consistent with our brand.”
Trump: “Margot, it would be great for the contest and the contestants - giving it even greater prominence to have your brand supporting us.

Trump: Furthermore, it also allows me to appoint some of my friends as judges, and after the event, we could shtook them.”

Yes, Trump did say that.

Warren is a straight shooter. She’s renowned for her honesty, candidness and doesn’t believe in exaggeration. Warren is a woman of immense class and gravitas.

According to Warren, Trump was brazenly open about his intentions, his access, and his use of beauty pageants to facilitate the desires of himself and his friends.

Trump’s call was less a business pitch than an exposé into how the beauty contest circuit became or was being used or seen as a sexual exploitation playground for powerful men.

The Miss Universe contest has long been a magnet for controversy — it’s often been criticised for its objectification of women under the guise of empowerment. The notion such events could be weaponised to offer access to vulnerable young contestants isn’t just distastefully abhorrent - it’s damning.

When Trump purchased the Miss Universe Organisation the intent on why he was purchasing it, would have been abundantly clear in his own mind and what the transaction meant and what it gave him access to – a bevvy of young beautiful vulnerable women who he believed he and his friends could exploit.

The question is: Who were his friends on the judging panel?

You can probably take one guess. In September 2015, Trump sold The Miss Universe Organisation.