Bill Rancic, the first winner of “The Apprentice,” with Donald Trump in 2004.
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
There were seven seasons of “The Apprentice” and eight seasons of “The Celebrity Apprentice.”We ranked the non-celebrity winners based on what they’ve been up to since winning the show.Bill Rancic remains the only household name 21 years after his season aired.
Before he was the president of the United States, to many of us, Donald Trump was known as the guy who told people they were fired every week on NBC.
As the host of “The Apprentice,” a reality competition show that aired from 2004 to 2015, Trump was responsible for whittling down a group of qualified candidates to be the next employee at one of his various properties.
The winner was promised a huge promotion, major responsibility at the Trump Organization, and a lot of exposure around the world … but can you actually recall any of the winners of “The Apprentice”?
We’ve ranked all seven of the non-celebrity winners of “The Apprentice” based on their post-show success and public visibility — see if you can remember them all.
NBC
Kuentzel, who took the season 10 title in 2010 after a consistent performance throughout the series, returned to her legal roots after the show.
She was the general counsel and director of advocacy for the San Francisco SPCA from 2012 to 2022, where she oversaw all legal affairs and advocacy campaigns, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In January 2023, she cofounded and was named CEO of a veterinary start-up called Ease Pet Vet. The company connects pet owners with online veterinarians who can help with animal behavioral issues. According to the site, the company “specializes in common issues,” which include “challenges such as reactivity, house soiling, generalized anxiety, noise fears, and separation anxiety.”
She’s a successful lawyer and businesswoman, but is the least well-known “Apprentice” winner since she has stayed out of the public eye.
John M. Heller/Getty Images
After winning season six in 2007, Schaeffer, now 50, pivoted away from the business world to become a TV and YouTube host.
She was a correspondent for the TV Guide Channel and, as a former lawyer, hosted a 2008 web series called “Know Your Rights” to help people better understand the legal system.
An avid golfer, she often plays in celebrity golf tournaments and has both guest-hosted and offered commentary on The Golf Channel.
She’s also involved with charities that advocate for autism awareness, cancer research, and children’s issues, and hosted the YouTube show “The Future Is Bright” presented by the Autism Society of America in 2015.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Pinkett, who won in 2005, had co-founded the consulting firm BCT Partners in 2001. His website calls BCT “a multimillion-dollar research, consulting, training, technology and analytics firm.” He also holds five academic degrees and is a published author.
After his appearance on “The Apprentice,” he remained somewhat in the public eye, returning to the show as a boardroom advisor.
In 2016, alongside other “Apprentice” candidates, he publicly opposed Trump’s first presidential run, per NBC.
“We acknowledge Donald’s success as a businessman, and genuinely appreciate the opportunity ‘The Apprentice’ afforded all of us,” Pinkett, now 53, said at a press conference before the New York primary in 2016. “We, however, strongly condemn Donald’s campaign of sexism, xenophobia, racism, violence, and hate.”
Pinkett maintained this position during the 2024 campaign, when he and five other “Apprentice” alumni endorsed Kamala Harris in an open letter published by Politico. They called him a “divisive, self-interested, and erratic leader with a fragile ego.”
Trump did not publicly respond to their letter at the time.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Paul Morigi/WireImage/Getty Images
After winning season two in 2004, Perdew founded a hedge fund and a consulting firm, and he gives speeches about leadership.
Perdew’s fund, Moonshots Capital, invests in technology startups and companies started by veterans. His creative consulting agency, DuMont Project, works with direct-to-consumer brands.
A former military intelligence officer, Perdew, 58, was appointed to President George W. Bush’s Council on Service and Civic Participation in 2006 and re-appointed in 2008.
He has also served on several company boards, including Pandora and LinkedIn, and frequently gives public speeches on leadership, technology, and career development.
Katy Winn/Getty Images for IMG
Yazbeck won season five of “The Apprentice” in 2006.
After overseeing the construction of the Trump SoHo condominium in New York City, he started his own telecommunications company called Wavsys, which was named an Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Company in America in 2014.
Yazbeck, 52, who grew up in London, was also awarded the British Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2014.
He returned to “The Apprentice” as a guest board member and dabbled in voice acting with a small part in the 2006 animated film “Over the Hedge.”
Per his LinkedIn, he’s also co-founded other companies such as Scopeworker, a supply chain company, and Admazing, which connects businesses that are looking to advertise with mobile games.
Daniel J. Barry/WireImage/Getty Images
Some “Apprentice” winners become successful businesspeople, and some become television personalities, but Kendra Todd’s career balances both.
Todd, 47, won “The Apprentice” in 2005, the same year that Realtor Magazine named her one of their Top 30 Under 30 brokers.
After her time on the show, she released the bestseller “Risk & Grow Rich: How to Make Millions in Real Estate,” then combined her real estate expertise and TV experience as the host of HGTV’s “My House Is Worth What?” from 2006 to 2008.
Todd founded her own real estate firm, the Kendra Todd Group, in 2009, where she continues to work today, per her LinkedIn. She has also made appearances on “Fox and Friends” as a real estate contributor.
In response to the letter that some “Apprentice” alums signed endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, Todd spearheaded a response from 10 other former contestants to support Trump’s campaign, Fox News reported in October 2024.
“It is disappointing and shameful that these contestants would use the platform that Donald Trump gave them to attack him in this manner,” they wrote. “Is this the thanks he gets for literally changing the trajectory of our lives?”
Noam Galai/Getty Images
Rancic, who won the very first season in 2004, capitalized on his “Apprentice” success as a motivational speaker and bestselling author in addition to his business ventures.
As a motivational speaker, Rancic, 53, teaches audiences about productivity and his successful business methods. He has hosted and appeared on several TV shows talking about entrepreneurship and has written four books, including a New York Times bestseller called “You’re Hired.”
Rancic married E! News co-anchor Giuliana Rancic (née DePandi) in 2007, and the couple went on to star in their own reality show “Giuliana and Bill” from 2009 to 2014. They own six restaurants together and support several philanthropic causes related to cancer and infertility after Giuliana’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2011.
With several burgeoning businesses and star power, he’s the only “Apprentice” winner who has remained a household name years after the show aired, hence earning the accolade of most successful “Apprentice” winner.
