Donald Trump's butler reveals nine surprising facts about how the billionaire lives in private

'If the cap was white, the staff noticed, the boss was in a good mood. If it was red it was best to stay away,' recalls his long-time butler

In a lengthy interview with The New York Times the-74-year-old unearths a long string of secrets about Trump’s personal foibles, quirks and idiosyncrasies (Getty)

In case you wondered what it would be like to be at the beck and call of Donald Trump, his long-time butler has bared all.

Anthony Senecal has worked at the Republican presidential frontrunner’s opulent Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for almost 60 years - almost half the time the billionaire businessman has lived there.

In a lengthy interview with The New York Times, the-74-year-old unearths a long string of secrets about Trump’s personal quirks and idiosyncrasies.

From the time his first wife, Ivana Trump, demanded the gardeners evacuate the grounds so she could have a naked swim to the occasion Trump refused to let him retire, Senecal was privy to some of most surreptitious of going ons at the estate.

Here is a selection of the mogul-turned-politico’s most surprising and outlandish habits:

He only needs four hours sleep a night

Unlike George Bush who famously hit the hay at 10pm, Trump sleeps for just four hours a night in order to remain ahead of the competition. Once awake from his speedy slumber, Trump reads The New York Times, The Daily News, The New York Post and the Palm Beach papers, before embarking on a game of golf.

He does his own hair

No matter how heated Trump gets in a debate, the real estate tycoon’s signature comb over remains, somewhat, disconcertingly picture-perfect. While most of us would assume this was the handiwork of an industrious hairdresser, in actual fact Trump is responsible for all of his own hair grooming. Despite having a salon on the estate, the former reality TV star prefers to style his hair.

If he wears a red baseball hat he’s angry

In the same way that the colour red frequently symbolises caution or warning, if Trump wears red it is a sign to steer clear of the mogul. “If the cap was white, the staff noticed, the boss was in a good mood. If it was red, it was best to stay away,” recalls his butler.

He requires an ego stroke on the golf course

Trump might be cocksure about his golfing abilities but Senecal implied this confidence was not always justified. “Tony, how far is that?” Trump would ask. “It’s like 275 yards,” Senecal would respond, even though he said the actual distance was 225 yards.

He’s not a water baby and doesn’t like to swim

Florida might be known for its tropical climate but Trump rarely takes a dip in his magnificent swimming pool. He also rarely appears in swimming trunks.

He refused to let his butler quit

When Senecal attempted to retire in 2009, Trump kicked up a fuss. “Tony, to retire is to expire,” he told him. “I’ll see you next season.” In the end, Trump asserted he stayed on as “estate historian”.

He prefers his steak over-done

Eschewing the well-established consensus of foodies, Trump likes his steak harder than nails. “It would rock on the plate, it was so well done,” said Senecal.

He dishes out $100 bill tips for his groundskeepers

When feeling generous, Trump would occasionally part ways with a $100 bill as a tip for his groundskeepers.

He's sued the neighbouring airport

The sound of planes buzzing above his head perturbs the mogul and “drives him nuts”. Aswell as suing the local country-run airport, he also yells, “Tony, call the tower!”