The Apprentice was created by British television producer Mark Burnett,[1] and co-produced with Donald Trump, who was the show's host for the first fourteen seasons.

The corporations complete business-related tasks such as selling products, raising money for charity, or creating an advertising campaign, with one corporation selected as the winner based on objective measures and subjective opinions of the host and the host's advisors who monitor the teams' performance on tasks.

The losing corporation attends a boardroom meeting with the show's host and their advisors to break down why they lost and determine who contributed the least to the team.

The American series originated a franchise of international television shows collectively known as The Apprentice, which has had over 20 local versions.

Trump was fired by NBC[3] when the studio disagreed with remarks he made about Mexican immigrants during his announcement that he was running for president of the United States[4] on June 16, 2015.

It was announced in September 2015 that actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would become the new host of The Celebrity Apprentice,[5][6] starting January 2017.

During the show, the contestants live in a communal dwelling, a "penthouse suite", in New York City (save for Season 6 which took place in Los Angeles).

At the conclusion of this stage, the host or advisors reveal the task results and announce the winning team, who are rewarded with a luxurious experience and excused from the boardroom.

In the final stage, the host and advisors continue interrogating the remaining candidates, often probing the project manager's decision about whom to bring back.

Final tasks generally require the finalists to organize (to various degrees) an event such as a party or a fundraiser which has multiple planning elements.

After experiencing a series of financial setbacks in the early 1990s, New York real-estate developer Donald Trump changed his business strategy from borrowing to build and purchase assets, to licensing his name to others.

and for the emergence of "Trumponomics", a "portmanteau of Donald Trump and economics initially spelled 'Trump-Onomics' (2004), [which] started out as a bland managerial concept on cable TV, meant to convey the notion that 'impressing the boss' was the only way to 'climb the corporate ladder'.

[citation needed] The Apprentice was so successful that, according to Trump, he earned $214 million from 14 seasons of the show, plus more from related product licensing as his name as a brand became more valuable.

In season six, Trump elected to have his newest executive assistant, Andi Rowntree, star in the LA-based show.

Zervos said that Trump exhibited aggressive and non-consensual sexual advances during their meeting, kissing her open-mouthed, groping her breasts,[18] and thrusting his genitals on her.

After his non-disclosure agreement expired in 2024, Bill Pruitt, one of the four producers of the first two seasons of The Apprentice, revealed that Trump's appearances were heavily edited in post-production.

On location, Pruitt noted, "he could barely put a sentence together about how a task would work" and often struggled to remember contestants' names.

Additionally, Trump's actual offices were too cramped and the furniture too shabby for a show meant to "demonstrate impeccable business instincts and unparalleled wealth."

[20] In March 2023, it was reported that Rupert Murdoch had considered acquiring the rights to the show from NBC following the former president's 2020 defeat to Joe Biden but the deal did not proceed for fear that Trump would "kill" the reality series by turning it into a full-time campaign vehicle for himself.

The Apprentice was the breakout rookie hit of the 2003–04 American television season and helped NBC at a time when the network's two long-running successful comedies, Friends and Frasier, were ending their series' runs.

[citation needed] Whereas winners have been named "executive vice presidents", and given the title of "owner's representative", in actuality, they were employed as publicity spokespeople for the Trump Organization.

Second season winner Kelly Perdew, on his first day working for Trump, was introduced by his boss to Florida developers working on a Trump-branded condo, the Trump Tower, in Tampa, Florida, where he was told that he would help promote sales of the building by appearing at promotional events.

[41] One (anonymous) Celebrity Apprentice contestant even announced an intention to boycott the May 15 taping of the season seven finale, unless forced by contract to appear.

[43] In 2006, a lawsuit brought by Mark Bethea against the show's producers alleging theft of the original concept[44] was settled on undisclosed terms.

On April 9, 2020, U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield ordered the Trump Organization and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to release behind-the-scenes videos of The Apprentice.

[46][47] At the Electronic Entertainment Expo on May 17, 2005, Legacy Interactive announced that it had purchased the rights to develop a video game based on The Apprentice.

The player must perform well in a series of business tasks, played across 18 minigames, to avoid a boardroom confrontation with Donald Trump and his advisors, George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher.

[50] On February 6, 2007, Legacy announced a new game, The Apprentice: Los Angeles, to be released online and in retail stores during the show's sixth season.

[51] Jim Squries of Gamezebo gave the game three and a half stars out of five, and praised the "bright" and "colorful" graphics, as well as the "smooth" controls and diverse gameplay.

Squries wrote, "Ultimately, the only disappointment to be found in The Apprentice is the slightly shoddy handling of parts of the license.