Suzanne Johnson Is About to Descend on London, with Her Husband, the US Ambassador to the UK
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She lives in Trump Tower and is part of the president’s inner social circle. Now, the ‘powerhouse’ former banker Suzanne Johnson is about to descend on London, with her husband, the US ambassador to the UK. By Daisy Prince The president Donald Trump The First Lady Melania Trump Friends in high places She lives in Trump Tower and is part of the president’s inner social circle. Now, the ‘powerhouse’ former banker Suzanne Johnson is about to descend on London, with her husband, the US ambassador to the UK. By Daisy Prince The event Melania and Donald Trump attend Woody Johnson’s ‘Wig Out’ 60th birthday party, with Suzanne Ircha, 2007 The ambassador Millionaire and owner of the New York Jets His wife A former equities manager and actress Friends in high places eing named as ambassador to ambassadorship. And that appoint- UK, and on his return to Kentucky photographer, hair and make-up, the Court of St James’s is the ment was unofcially announced by earlier this year was awarded the photographer’s assistant and B highest social achievement Trump at a Washington luncheon in the Marshall Medal for his dedica- I had all driven out to the stadium, any American can obtain. It is a tro- January, at which he introduced tion to strengthening US and located in East Rutherford, New phy coveted by all political bigwigs, a guest as ‘sitting next to the ambas- British relations. Jersey, about 50 minutes outside not only for its diplomatic status sador going to St James’. Another The ambassador to the UK is the Manhattan. Suzanne took her heli- during the posting, but because explanation is Woody’s emergence highest-ranking representative of copter to meet us. forever after, the US government as one of the Trump campaign’s the US abroad, but it has tradition- She and I had talked weeks bestows one of its few honorifcs – biggest fundraisers, even after orig- ally been the wives of the ambassa- earlier on the phone. She spoke in a The Honorable – on those who inally supporting Jeb Bush. dors who have been the social face of low conspiratorial tone, a leftover served. The latest couple to have Trump and Woody have known the nation. Brooke Barzun was the from her days in equities sales when been awarded this diplomatic each other for over 30 years, and epitome of controlled glamour. She she worked cheek-by-jowl with cherry: Woody and Suzanne their wives are close friends – Brick was known to be a champion social other salesmen and didn’t want the Johnson, billionaire supporters of and Barron (Trump’s only child ‘mixologist’: a woman who was competition overhearing her deals. with Melania) are the same age – delighted to have Annie Lennox As it happens, all we were discuss- and the Johnsons lived at 1 Central ing was what she should wear. Park West, Trump Tower Interna- ‘Suzanne is a powerhouse. Suzanne Ircha was born the tional, for years before Trump even She has so much energy. daughter of a first-generation considered running for president. She is a very strong and Ukrainian immigrant father and a The Trumps have been frequent second-generation Ukrainian- visitors to Jets games, always passionate person’ American mother and grew up in attending in the Johnsons’ private Melania Trump Manhattan’s Little Ukraine in the owner’s box, and were guests at perform at Winfeld House and com- East Village. Her father was an elec- their wedding in 2009. Melania has fortable enough to serve the Prince trical engineer and builder, and her even modelled Jets T-shirts as of Wales fried chicken. Winfield mother was a housewife. Money a favour to Suzanne. House acquired a reputation for was tight but her father instilled Politically, the couples are very throwing the best parties in town. a ferce drive to succeed in Suzanne. well aligned. Woody has been a It will now be up to Suzanne to As she told Avenue’s Janet Allon, committed Republican fundraiser decide who will mix and mingle: ‘When I was about 17 or 18, my father for years, and was an enthusiastic her new position will give her sat me down and said, “You won’t Mitt Romney supporter, once tell- access to a previously unimagina- have any trouble finding boy- ing the New York Observer that he ble sphere of infuence. friends, but just in case your Prince spent as much as 25 hours a week on Charming doesn’t show up, make the phone raising money for Rom- he New York Jets MetLife sure you have a back-up plan.”’ ney. Last year, Woody was the head Stadium, normally packed She took his words to heart and of Jeb Bush’s fnance committee – T with 77,000 chanting fans, applied herself diligently at school, but he changed his allegiance in was eerily silent on a late August eventually attending the prestig- May to team Trump and has been morning in 2012. I was the newly ious Cornell University, where she well rewarded for his eforts. appointed editor of Avenue Maga- frst read engineering, later switch- Woody had his hearing in front zine, a society publication covering ing to business. She graduated in of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Manhattan’s elites, and we were in 1985. ‘With that kind of back- Committee on 20 July. Pending a the midst of shooting our annual ground,’ she said, ‘you don’t expect vote, he will be duly sworn in as October ‘Power Cover’ with Suzanne to just get things handed to you.’ Power couple T h e J o h n s o n s ambassador to the Court of St Johnson. Earlier that morning, the During summer breaks she James’s by the State Department, President Trump. Robert ‘Woody’ and the couple will become the lat- Te a m w o rk With the Jets Johnson IV, 70, is the great-grand- est inhabitants of Winfeld House, son of the co-founder of the epony- the ambassador’s glorious resi- mous pharmaceutical company. dence in the middle of Regent’s According to government disclo- Park, once owned by the Wool- sure documents, he has a net worth worth heiress Barbara Hutton. of about $4.2 billion. Notable past US ambassadors Before this, Woody was best include: Averell Harriman (who known for having bought the later married Pamela Digby Church- American-football team the New ill), Joseph Kennedy, the father of York Jets in 2001, for $635 million. John F Kennedy, and the publisher His wife Suzanne is a former equi- and philanthropist Walter Annen- ties manager and actress. The cou- berg. Obama’s choice, Matthew ple have two young sons, ‘Brick’, 11, Barzun, was the Harvard-educated and Jack, 9, and the family divide descendant of a founder of the Mas- their time between their estate in sachusetts Bay Colony. His wife, East Hampton and their apartment Brooke, is heiress to the Brown-For- in New York’s Trump Tower. man distilling empire. Barzun was The Johnsons’ long-standing known for his outgoing personality friendship with the Trumps is and political adroitness. He set up a part of the reason for the new programme called Young Leaders worked at Bear Stearns bank, where ‘Brick’ (nicknamed after D’Brick- something of his wild spirit, once Fey. Designer Georgina Chapman her cold-calling skills were so ashaw Ferguson, a Jets player; his riding his Harley-Davidson cross and her husband, the producer impressive that after a couple of real name is Robert Wood Johnson country in the company of Jann Harvey Weinstein, are close friends. summers the bank ofered her a job V) was born, and, two years later, Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Georgina even created the limited- right out of university. She sold Jack. (Suzanne said of naming her Stone magazine, and Michael edition Jets T-shirt that Melania large- and small-cap stocks to insti- second son, ‘Woody felt that guys Douglas. But not withstanding the modelled. Of Suzanne, Melania tutional investors. Suzanne was an named Jack were never the last occasional motorcycle adventure, says, ‘Suzanne is a powerhouse. She asset to the firm with her instant ones picked for teams.’) The couple he has settled into a more grounded has so much energy. She is a very ability to make strong relationships were married in 2009. Suzanne life, even regularly attending the strong and passionate person.’ with clients over the phone before admits to being a ‘Tiger Mom’ and local Presbyterian church with It is no surprise that Suzanne is as she was unleashed on them in per- Johnson approves of her work Suzanne (a compromise between his passionate about her politics. ‘I’ve son. And what a person. Tall (5ft ethic. ‘As a second-generation Episcopalian/Anglican religion and always been a Republican. And I will 10in) and blonde-bombshell gor- immigrant, she embodies those her Catholicism). His faith might try and raise my children with the geous with a 1,000-watt smile she qualities that make our country have provided solace after his same values I was raised with. can deploy at will, Suzanne was the great,’ he said. ‘It comes out in eve- daughter Casey, a diabetic, died in I feel those who work hard should be employee who could stay out until rything she does, including the 2010, aged 30. He has two other rewarded and recognised. For exam- the early hours and still get in for way she handles the kids. She’s daughters – Jaime, 34, and Daisy, 30. ple, in sports, not every kid should her morning sales call at 7.30am.