• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LeadershipDonald Trump

No one knows what Donald Trump did at Wharton

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 14, 2015, 4:59 PM ET
Billionaire Donald Trump has seen a long line of companies cutting ties with him after his disparaging comments on Mexican immigrants.
Billionaire Donald Trump has seen a long line of companies cutting ties with him after his disparaging comments on Mexican immigrants.Photograph by Scott Olson—Getty Images

Trump seems to bring up his time at Wharton at every other press event. But what did he actually accomplish in his two years at the school?

Last month, comedy website Funny or Die released a viral video, called “Donald Trump: POW.” The “W” in this case stood for Wharton — the prestigious business school at the University of Pennsylvania. The video mockingly applauds Trump’s ability to remain under the radar during his time in Philadelphia: “Trump was careful not to capture any unwanted attention at school, he evaded the Dean’s List and any kind of honors and any kind of recognition of service,” the video quips.

It seems like Trump managed to not only stay unnoticed by the administration but by his classmates as well. The Daily News reports that none of the students that attended Wharton between 1966 and 1968 have any recollection of Trump; he was only a student there for two years, after transferring from Fordham University in New York City.

“He was not first in the class. He was not known on campus for any reason at all,” his Wharton classmate Nancy Hano told Daily News. Another classmate, Stanton Koppel, told the publication, “I have no memory of him whatsoever.”

Salon also looked into the matter back in May, and found nothing that would support Trump’s claims that he was an honor student:

Writing in the New York Times magazine in 1984, William Geist reported that “the commencement program from 1968 does not list him as graduating with honors of any kind,” even though “just about every profile ever written about Mr. Trump states that he graduated first in his class at Wharton in 1968.”

Trump has never publicly shown his school records; or, as Funny or Die puts it, he’s been “covering his tracks for years by refusing to disclose his school transcript.”

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

AIAI agents
OpenAI cofounder says he hasn’t written a line of code in months and is in a ‘state of psychosis’ trying to figure out what’s possible
By Jason MaMarch 21, 2026
9 hours ago
david
CommentaryScience
The one skill that separates people who get smarter with AI from everyone else
By David Rock and Chris WellerMarch 21, 2026
14 hours ago
Former Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett
SuccessCareers
Dairy Queen CEO says he learned from Warren Buffett being the ‘smartest person in the world’ isn’t the most important attribute for success
By Emma BurleighMarch 21, 2026
15 hours ago
SuccessFour day work week
Covid gave us hybrid work. The Iran War might give us a four-day week—and this time, experts say it could stick
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMarch 21, 2026
17 hours ago
gen z
CommentaryCareers
The entry-level job market is the worst it’s been in 37 years. Stop blaming Gen Z
By Janelle Jones and Nia LawMarch 21, 2026
18 hours ago
A woman looks frustrated a computer
AIWomen
Women are avoiding the very technology that threatens them most, as expert warns of a ‘two-tiered AI economy’ approaching
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 21, 2026
18 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.