Donald Trump will remain an exec producer on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” which is returning Jan. 2 after a two-year hiatus with new host Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Variety first reported that Trump has retained his EP credit on the series. The president-elect’s status on the 15th season of the reality series that made him a household name has been a question since Trump launched his presidential campaign in June 2015. In the credit sequence, Trump’s name will air after that of “Apprentice” creator Mark Burnett and before Schwarzenegger, who is also an exec producer of the new incarnation along with Page Feldman and Eric Van Wagenen.
The larger issue for MGM, NBC, and the White House is the payment that Trump will receive for the series. It’s unclear what his per-episode fee is, but it is likely to be in the low five-figures, at minimum. NBC has ordered eight episodes of “The New Celebrity Apprentice.” Trump’s fees will be paid through MGM, the production entity on the show, not NBC. MGM declined to comment on the financial terms of Trump’s deal.
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed that Trump has maintained a financial interest in “Apprentice.”
“Mr. Trump has a big stake in the show and conceived of it with Mark Burnett,” Hicks said. Trump has scheduled a news conference on Dec. 15 in New York to discuss his plans for separating himself from his vast array of business interests after he is sworn is as president.
As has often been recounted, Burnett created “Apprentice” with the idea of recruiting a new CEO every season to preside over the elimination of contestants vying to impress with their entrepreneurial efforts. Burnett had long been a fan of Trump’s brash showmanship, and he has cited Trump’s 1987 book “The Art of the Deal” as an influence on his own development as a producer. Trump was Burnett’s first choice for the CEO to launch the show.
