A massive controversy has broken out in the wake of a devastating profile of Hannah Neeleman, one of the leaders of the online “trad wife” movement. The profile, which was published in The Times, suggests that Hannah’s role as a “trad wife” on TikTok may be more rooted in misogyny than she lets on in her videos.
Following the profile’s publication, many want to learn more about Hannah’s husband, Daniel, who was described as frequently interrupting her whenever she was asked a question. Now, many want to learn more about Daniel’s father, David.
Who is Daniel Neeleman’s father, David?
David Neeleman is a Brazilian American businessman who has founded five airlines throughout his career: Morris Air, West Jet, JetBlue Airways, Azul Brazilian Airlines, and Breeze Airways. He is a Mormon who went on a two-year mission trip in Brazil when he was 19 years old and had 10 children with his ex-wife, Vicki Vranes. Needless to say, his tremendous business success has made him tremendously wealthy, with an estimated net worth of $400 million.
David’s money helped bankroll Ballerina Farm.
Daniel and Hannah have often depicted their life as traditional and homegrown, but some have been quick to point out that Daniel’s father likely helps to support them and their farm, Ballerina Farm.
Now that the farm is famous in its own right, though, it’s possible that they don’t need the same level of fiscal support they may have when they were just starting out.
Hannah, who now has nine million followers on TikTok, was recently profiled by The Times, and in that profile, many fans raised alarm bells, primarily about her husband’s behavior.
The profile suggests that Hannah’s lifelong dream was to be a dancer in New York City. Instead, she got married after just months of dating and then was pregnant just a few months later, all while she was an undergraduate at Julliard.
In the aftermath of the profile and some of its anecdotes, many have suggested that Daniel may be exercising more control over his wife than he lets on and that the trappings of the “trad wife” lifestyle aren’t always a choice.
“You’re telling me the Ballerina Farm’s girl is married to a man whose family owns an airline and she wanted to go to Greece … and instead he bought her an apron and basically told her to get back in the kitchen???” one person wrote.
“Finally read the Ballerina Farm article. Please can we talk about how this billionaire heir engineered a ‘first date’ with a vulnerable young woman traveling alone, locked her in, and then completely isolated her in a foreign country to be his own personal incubator?” another person added.
Now, some are expressing sympathy and concern for Hannah, hoping that her home life has not gotten worse since the profile was published. It’s unclear what, if anything, Daniel’s father thinks about all of this.
