Paolo Zampolli

Paolo Zampolli
United States Special Representative for Global Partnerships
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 11, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
Personal details
Born
Milan, Italy
NationalityItalian, American
SpouseAmanda Ungaro
Children1
OccupationFormer Model Agent, Businessman

Paolo Zampolli (born March 5 1970)[1] is an Italian-born New York City-based businessman. His residency began in New York City as early as 1992[2] and between 2000 to 2020 [3][4] per the Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database.

He is said to have been appointed Special Envoy to Italy, which caused confusion as it was never formally announced.[5]

Since March 2025, he serves as the United States Special Representative for Global Partnerships.

Early life

Paolo Zampolli was “born in Milan on Via Borgonuov … to a very wealthy family. One of his grandmothers was distantly related to Pope Paul VI. Zampolli then decided to leave Italy shortly after his father died in a skiing accident in St. Moritz, Switzerland. He frequented Miami, Ibiza, and then New York, and began working in fashion, occasionally returning to Milan”.[5]

He is said to have “spent part of his youth in … Azzate Castle” which had been “owned, until the death of Paolo’s grandfather” who was named Nino Zampolli. When Nino passed away, his son sold everything by auction. [6]

In 2017 an article states the following about his relationship with Amanda Ungaro “Zampolli married the Brazilian model Amanda, the daughter of a notary public clerk in Londrina when she was 19 years old.[7] Amanda was arrested in Florida in 2025.[8]

As of January 21, 2025 when Donald Trump held his Starlight inauguration ball[9] Paolo is dating model Maria Borges.[10]

ID Models

In the mid-1990s, Zampolli founded ID Model Management in New York City.

A 2005 article, among other articles, confirms Zampolli brought Melania to the states in 1996.[11][12] Zampolli met Melania while working for Metropolitan Models. [13]

He made a bid to buy Elite Model Management and lost, prompting him to call Donald Trump in December 2004.[14] He went on to form a partnership with the Trump Organization as Director of International Development.[15][16]

Real estate

While transitioning from the world of fashion to real estate,[17] Zampolli, as co-chairman of the Paramount Group, used fashion models to sell properties in Manhattan.[18] The New York office was located on the ground floor of 104 Greene Street in the heart of SoHo, and used primarily models from his modeling agency, ID Models, also located in New York City.[19]

It was in November 2004 that Zampolli decided to enter real estate.[14] Zampolli was out for dinner with magician David Copperfield following their attendance of a Victoria’s Secret show.[14] Friends Donald Trump and his girlfriend at the time Melania Knauss were also in attendance for the late night dinner in Cipriani.[14] Zampolli has been quoted saying “I brought Melania [Knauss] to the states”. [14] it is claimed they had met each other at a New York Fashion Week party that Zampolli had hosted in 1998.[20]

Zampolli began his real estate career selling Trump Park Avenue condos, which was the newly renovated hotel on 59th Street (previously known as Delmonico Hotel).[14]

United Nations

Zampolli worked with several United Nations environmental projects, including hosting functions such as the United Nations Diamond Awards Gala for Renewable Energy and The Friends of Climate Change.[21] Zampolli has served as President of Green Incorporated, a firm that collaborates with the United Nations on ecological projects.[22]

As executive director of the International Renewable Energy Organization (I.R.E.O.), an intergovernmental organization, he has collaborated with the United Nations to organize various conferences on climate change.[23] Zampolli hosted Climate Change I.R.E.O. conference which counted former U.S. President Bill Clinton as guest speaker.[24]

In 2011, he was named Minister-Counsellor to the Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of Dominica at the United Nations.[25] In October 2013, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit appointed Zampolli as United Nations Ambassador and Ambassador for Oceans and Seas for the Commonwealth of Dominica.[26] In June 2014, Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, appointed Zampolli's wife Amanda Ungaro as United Nations Ambassador in charge of Post-15th Agendas and responsible of the second committee with United Nations Ambassador Ranking.[16][27] Ungaro has worked under the 69th United Nations Vice President of the UN General Assembly for the Blue Economy.[28]

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

In December 2020, Zampolli was announced as an appointee member of the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by President Donald Trump.[29]

President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition

In January 2021, Zampolli was appointed to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.[30]

References

  1. ^ "U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  2. ^ "U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  3. ^ "U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  4. ^ "U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Questo "inviato speciale" degli Stati Uniti in Italia è un caso strano". Il Post (in Italian). February 27, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  6. ^ Bertolini, Roberta (February 28, 2025). "Dal Castello di Azzate alla Casa Bianca: il misterioso incarico di Paolo Zampolli al fianco di Trump". VareseNews (in Italian). Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  7. ^ "Folha de S.Paulo - Internacional - En - World - Businessman who Introduced Trump to Melania Wants to Bring Him Closer to Brazil - 30/01/2017". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  8. ^ "Man and woman arrested for alleged unlicensed cosmetic procedures in Aventura". NBC 6 South Florida. June 18, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  9. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  10. ^ "Attenti a quei tre". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). January 22, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  11. ^ "HOW SHY FOX BAGGED THE BILLIONAIRE". January 16, 2005. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  12. ^ "Model Mogul Paolo Zampolli Sells Gramercy Penthouse for $3.1 M" (Press release). Newswire.com. July 20, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  13. ^ Day, Chad; Horwitz, Jeff; Caldwell • •, Alicia (August 4, 2016). "Former Modeling Agent Says He Got Melania Trump's Visa". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Calderone, Michael (April 25, 2005). "Ciao, Paolo! Donald's Matchmaker Goes From Pin-Ups to Penthouses". Observer. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  15. ^ "observer.com Ciao, Paolo! Donald's Matchmaker Goes From Pin-Ups to Penthouses; The New York Observer". observer.com. April 25, 2005. Retrieved August 29, 2009.
  16. ^ a b "When Donald Met Melania, Paolo Was There". September 1, 2016 – via The New York Times.
  17. ^ Palmeri, Tara, Politico Playbook: Models and bottles: When Melania’s pal Paolo blew through D.C., Politico, October 15, 2021
  18. ^ "theaustralian.com.au Catwalk models stimulate sales in upscale New York; The Australian". theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  19. ^ "The Next Top Business Model : Paolo Zampolli". HauteLiving.com. August 3, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "The Trumps' first official trip abroad gives the world its first real look at their marriage". Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  21. ^ "United Nations honors Steve Weisz". TicketNews.com. May 20, 2010. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  22. ^ "Paolo Zampolli, empresario y colaborador de Naciones Unidas: «El camino natural para prosperar en los negocios es seguir la estela del poder | Diario de Ibiza". diariodeibiza.es. August 29, 2009. Retrieved August 29, 2009.
  23. ^ "UN Hosts Environmental Smoke and Mirrors, Naomi Campbell, Indigenous Outrage". Inner City Press. May 18, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  24. ^ "prlog.org Climate Change IREO Conference presented by Paolo Zampolli; prlog.org". prlog.org. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  25. ^ "Permanent Missions to the United Nations" (PDF). UN.org. August 1, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  26. ^ "Permanent Missions to the United Nations" (PDF). stanford.edu. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  27. ^ "United Nations Bluebook August 2018" (PDF). United Nations. May 18, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  28. ^ "zampolli.com about; zampolli.com". zampolli.com. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  29. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via National Archives.
  30. ^ "U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Health.gov". ODPHD. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
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