The Origins of ‘The Apprentice’: A Glimpse into Trump Tower

The Unlikely Beginnings of ‘The Apprentice’

In the late summer of 2003, a group of ambitious television producers stepped off the elevator onto the 26th floor of Trump Tower, brimming with excitement as they set out to explore the backdrop for their next groundbreaking reality show. Having spent years filming the high-stakes drama of “Survivor” in exotic locales filled with dangerous wildlife, they sought to capture a different kind of tension—one rooted in opulence and influence. However, upon arrival, they quickly realized they faced an unexpected challenge.

The moment they entered the office, they were greeted by an unpleasant scent—a musty odor that clung to the air like a persistent shadow. As they surveyed the surroundings, they noted numerous chips and scratches marring the surfaces of wooden desks and credenzas. The décor felt like a relic from the past, as if it had been frozen in time since Donald J. Trump first opened the building, many years earlier during his initial ascent to fame.

Energy was notably lacking in the space as well. At that time, fewer than 50 employees populated the Trump Organization’s headquarters in midtown Manhattan. In a particularly telling observation, the centerpiece of the office—Mr. Trump’s own desk—was devoid of any signs of productivity. No computer screens flickered to life, no stacks of contracts or blueprints lay in disarray; instead, the desk was buried under a mountain of newspaper clippings, all focused on one singular subject: himself.

“When you walk into an office where the word ‘billionaire’—or even ‘recovering billionaire’—is constantly echoed, you don’t expect to encounter chipped furniture or the unmistakable smell of carpet in desperate need of refreshing,” recalled Bill Pruitt, one of the producers behind the new NBC show.

This program, titled “The Apprentice,” was designed to function as a game show, with a coveted position in this office as the ultimate reward. Yet, in a literal sense, the prize left much to be desired, leading to questions about how to convince viewers of the central premise—that Ivy League graduates would willingly engage in cutthroat tactics and public humiliation for a chance to learn from this supposed paragon of success. The challenge of maintaining the illusion of reality television magic was about to be put to the test.

“The entire scenario felt absurd to all of us,” reflected another producer, Alan Blum. This narrative surrounding Mr. Trump’s formative years on “The Apprentice,” including the financial windfall he garnered from it, is detailed in our forthcoming book, “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success.” This account draws from extensive interviews conducted over several years, confidential internal records related to the show, and decades of financial and tax documents from the Trump family that we obtained during previous investigative reporting for The New York Times. Despite several requests for comment, Mr. Trump did not respond to invitations for interviews regarding the book or this article.