Ronald Lauder, the billionaire heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune, is widely credited as the individual who initially planted the idea of the United States acquiring Greenland in Donald Trump's mind during his first presidential term. Lauder, a longtime friend and significant Republican donor to Trump, reportedly pitched the concept around 2018-2019 and even offered to act as an intermediary with the Danish government. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton corroborated this, stating Trump told him a "prominent businessman" had made the suggestion. Trump's interest in Greenland, which he sometimes claimed as his own original idea, stirred considerable diplomatic friction with Denmark, which repeatedly stated the autonomous territory was not for sale. Despite the initial rejection, Trump has recently reignited discussions about acquiring the vast Arctic island, even hinting at the use of military force or economic tariffs, prompting renewed global attention and pushback from Denmark and other NATO allies. Greenland's strategic geopolitical location, particularly in monitoring Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic, and its rich reserves of rare earth minerals and other natural resources, are cited as primary motivations for US interest. Notably, Lauder himself has since acquired commercial holdings in Greenland, including investments in a freshwater bottling company, leading to questions about potential conflicts of interest between his business ventures and his policy suggestions to Trump. The ongoing narrative, frequently reported by major international outlets, underscores the persistent and influential role of private individuals like Lauder in shaping high-level foreign policy considerations.