|
January 8, 2004 [ view dossier ]
 Sixteen candidates arrived on the treacherous island of Manhattan to face the challenge of their lives, with the hopes of winning a six-figure salary. Their boss over the next 15 weeks would be the biggest real estate developer in New York, Donald Trump. The players are from all walks of life, from PhDs and MBAs to self-made success stories. Read more about each player, click here.
 The players arrived at what would be their home for the next few months, an insanely cool suite in Trump Tower. See pictures, click here. The eight men and eight women had never met each other before arriving at their new digs. They were escorted into a boardroom where "The Donald" was waiting for them. Some players chose to stand, while others sat at the massive boardroom table across from one of the most famous business tycoons in the world.  Donald introduced a man seated to his right as George Ross - Trump's Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel. On Donald's left sat one of his Chief Operating Officers, Carolyn Kepcher. George and Carolyn would help Donald decide which one of the 16 people before him would ultimately "win" a job as President of one of Trump's companies for one year. The Donald let the players know that out of 215,000 applicants these 16 people were hand picked participate in what he called a "13-week job interview."  This, he emphasized, was no game. Despite that, he divided the group into two teams of eight: men vs. women. Each week, he explained, there will be a business task for each team to accomplish. Each team will select a "project manager" for that week to lead the team. The project manager will be held partly responsible for that team's success or failure. The losing team will meet with Donald after the task competition, and one member of that team will be fired.
 Next, the players arrived in the suite. They were in awe of the lush surroundings. The men and women seemed excited by the men vs. women aspect of the teams. They mingled while sipping champagne and snacking on caviar.  In the midst of the schmoozing, Omarosa opened an envelope and discovered their first assignment: picking a name for their team. Catching the hint, the men soon found their envelope and also got to naming their corporation. After hours of deliberation on both sides, the names were chosen: Versacorp for the men and Protégé Corporation for the women. That afternoon, the phone rang. It was Donald's office instructing the two groups to meet The Donald the following morning at the New York Stock Exchange.
|
