Posted on 08/31/2006 6:36:01 AM PDT by khnyny
August 31, 2006 -- CAROLYN KEPCHER, Donald Trump's co-star on "The Apprentice," has heard him say "You're fired!" for the last time - because this time he said it to her, sources told The Post. The icy, 36-year-old blonde - who was running the Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff in Westchester and helping supervise the Trump National in Bedminster, N.J. - was let go earlier this week.
"She became a prima donna," said one insider. "Being on 'The Apprentice' went to her head. She was no longer focused on business. She was giving speeches for $25,000 and doing endorsements."
Kepcher - who is married and has a son, Connor, 6, and a daughter Cassidy, 4 - had agents at ICM handling book and TV offers, and Westport Entertainment weighing speaking engagements and endorsements. She came out two years ago with a book, "Carolyn 101: Business Lessons from 'The Apprentice's' Straight Shooter."
Insiders say that when Trump tried to reach her recently, she was off on a trip to make a speech. Another time, while giving a tour of the pro shop at the Briarcliff club, she didn't seem to know the prices on any of the merchandise.
Trump has been in Los Angeles for five weeks filming the next season of "The Apprentice." His daughter, Ivanka, has replaced Carolyn as one of Trump's two on-air sidekicks, while son Don Jr. is the successor to gruff real-estate lawyer George Ross, 78.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
From the article: "Kepcher was replaced at Briarcliff by Dan Scavino, her No. 2 at the course, which boasts a 102-foot-tall waterfall at the par-3 13th hole."
I guess it's good to watch your back, maybe Scavino saw an opportunity.
Replacing her with Ivanka shows what it really takes to get ahead in the Trump organization.
Obviously nepotism comes into play, keep that money from speaking engagements, speeches, etc. in the family,
Yep. Donald played his trump card.
I think this will probably be my last season. She and George really made the show.
Carolyn sounds like an egomaniac. But then, she had a good teacher.
Yes. Thank goodness "The Donald" doesn't engage in that sort of unseemly behavior.
I'm done, too.
They were business professionals. At least they criticized from a position of authority. I'm not in the least bit interested in the Trump Family Hour.
Not too suprising. Only so much ego is allowed on a TV show, and Trump uses up all of it.
He's a master of it. That's why Carolyn and George stood out - they seemed so much more professional. Look-at-Me people don't like to share the limelight with other Look-at-Me people.
He was thinking "OPM". Other Peoples Money. He walked away with nary a scratch.
[They were business professionals. At least they criticized from a position of authority. I'm not in the least bit interested in the Trump Family Hour.]
Right. I agree. Not to blast the children, but they've never really been in the real corporate world and they certainly have not had to work their way up (understatement).
She didn't seem to know the prices in the pro shop? Why should she? That's why they put tags and labels on merchandise. Heck, the pro in our shop doesn't know the prices without looking.
[Not too suprising. Only so much ego is allowed on a TV show, and Trump uses up all of it.]
I wonder if he sucks all the oxygen out of a room when he enters it too.
[She didn't seem to know the prices in the pro shop? Why should she? That's why they put tags and labels on merchandise. Heck, the pro in our shop doesn't know the prices without looking.]
That is pretty lame, isn't it? I would worry about someone in her high position knowing that kind of minutia, that's not her job.
WOW
That's all I got to say about that!
Why should Trump be any different from his Dad?
Had his dad not bailed him out during his crash (a fact he conviently leaves out whenever he tells the story of his fall and re-emergence) by walking into one of Trump's casinos buying several million dollars in chips and just walking out of the Casino with them (IE A below the board cash infusion that Trump Senior did end up paying a fine for) Trump would just have been another flash in the pan flame out.
Not to mention he always leaves out Daddy's original backing that got him started as well.
I definately personally think Caroline had been putting her celebrity above her daily job, at least it appeared to me to be... So I'm not overly suprised that she was let go.
She'll be fine, hardly is she going to be hurting due to this action.
Ivanka has got what it takes.
Thanks for the interesting background info. I knew Trump got his start because of his dad, but was not aware of the casino anecdote, lol. If Trump wanted Carolyn off the show, fine. If he wanted her to stop being a "prima dona", fine. Talk to her about it, but to fire this woman completely after ten years just makes Trump look bad. From a PR standpoint, it may have been better to let Carolyn find another position before making this public. It almost makes me think there is more to this story, perhaps it is personal.
I agree with you, to an extent. While she isn't quite as business-savy as Carolyn appears to be, she certainly isn't a ditz either. She seems to know her stuff, for the most part.
Plus, she is very pleasant on the eyes!
I can't believe that he is hiring his two kids. I mean now it is three people in the same family. Oh well the show jumped the shark two years ago anyway. I can't believe that Carolyn is only 36. She looks so much older. I guess she had a rough life (possibly childhood).
daughter, Ivanka, has replaced Carolyn as one of Trump's two on-air sidekicks, while son Don Jr. is the successor
[Trump's turned the show into an info-mercial. Now it looks like he wants a family cash cow:]
When Trump showcased "Trump Bottled Water" on his show, that really made me laugh. Also, the endless payola for featuring products on the show is a little much. This is just one more nail in his coffin of greed.
Two good examples. He seems determined to find out how blatantly he can sell out the show until it dies.
He's and example of a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
If you ever get a chance watch this:
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/born_rich/
Very eye opening. The ONLY kid on the film that had it "together" was Ivanka.
Only room for one prima donna in the organization.
If you have a product that sells it's called capitalism...not greed.
My list of priorities as it pertains to TV shows:
1. 24
2. Rescue Me
3. Prison Break
4. My Name is Earl
5. Futurama
I stopped watching "The Apprentice" after the first season. Vanished seems to be an okay so too thus far, nothing spectacular though.
Glad my job is secure here at Enron.
Well,
For all we know, he may have given her warnings in the past. Remember, this is a press report, who knows what really happened.
From a PR standpoint, Trump is a master of PR... if there is one thing to admire him for (while I think he's an OK businessman) its his ability to self promote... he is definately a modern guy with the PT Barnum flair.
After everything that Trumps been through, from the Ivana divorce, etc etc etc I don't think an employees termination is going to have much negative impact on Trump or his companies.
What I think Trump has been good at is attracting good people around him... which is indeed the sign of a good leader. I know if I had the opportunity I'd probably be willing to do a stint at Trump, not so much to be around "the donald" as I've been in many situations where I've been around the "poster boy" for a particular field, and often have been less than impressed with the guy who gets the media focus... but have found that the people around them are often very very good and I have learned a lot from.
And I'm not trying to take away what Trump has accomplished, even with the backing he had, most would not have been able to turn that into what he has. I'm just saying if I was going to pick a business leader to be my mentor, I don't think I would pick Trump.
only room for one hen in that house. i like them both, and i know she will land on her feet making tons of dough.
Apparently the advice she peddles didn't do her a bit of good:
"But if anyone knows what to do to impress Donald Trump, it's Carolyn, his longtime employee and trusted adviser. In Carolyn 101, she reveals the secrets of her own success and provides listeners with guidance for their professional lives. She tells listeners how to:
• Deal with a difficult boss"
But Trump is an ego maniac. The only person I know that can lose millions and millions of other peoples' dollars and still be considered a success by some parts of this nation. He builds one ice rink in New York and people think he is some contracting god. Let us count all the projects he has blown, marriages that have failed, and basically utter waste of nice suits. He needs to be blasted off to space to a super nova and disappear.
That's a good list. You should add House to it this season.
Probably this scenario:
She is getting her own press, Trump doens't like it.
She is making money outside of his operations, he doesn't like it.
Andrew Carnegie taught his employees how to become millionaires and many did so.
Much of Donald Trump's successes are due to his father, who handed him a spectacular fortune. He is not the business leader I would pic as a model, as I think he is entirely too arrogant.
The comment about hiring good people is a very good one, although Trump has not done as well as others in this regard. I have worked for a number of wealthy people who have no talent for business other than hiring good employees. It appears that this type of talent is the only one you need.
I like House, I watch it most of the time but towards the end of last season there was something running parallel to it that drew my attention away, can't remember what it was though.
My guess is that people took Carolyn more seriously than Donald.
He has a huge ego, and he doesn't want anyone else to get the limelight.
So maybe he will fire "George" so he can replace him with his Dorky son..?
sw
He should dump that heinous comb-over. Yikes!
Carolyn impressed me as a very competent executive, as did George Ross. I even bought her book and gave it to my daughter who is in business.
Trump is a joke from his goofy hair down to his overpriced shoes.
But he's famous because he's famous, sort of like most bogus "celebs" around today.
In other words, she was being entreprenurial like Trump. Oh, the shame! < /sarc>
In my mind, she was part of what made the show work and you could tell that most when Trump had his *daughter* sit in her chair. Carolyn's "disapproving mom" glares were great comedy.
I don't doubt she'll land on her feet.
Rich's Undeniable Truth of the Day: It's a bad idea to get crosswise with your boss...especially when his name is on the building.
Yes, that's it. My wife would call me from work and ask if I was watching Lost. She told me that I had to give her a play-by-play when she got home. Now we have DVR ;)
I stopped watching after season three. The first season was brilliant..because it was SIMPLE..sending Harvard Grads out to sell Lemonade is what we want to see. Once he hooked them up with big advertising agencies and marketing companies...hell, I could have done it....and better. Then it became one big money making scheme. When the pizzas they made started being marketed and all that crap, I realized that we were all pawns in the Donald's business machine. I want no part of it.
Add THE SHIELD to your list.
I smell a surprise episode ending....
"You and you...you're FIRED!"
"Oh, and you, Carolyn, you're fired too! Go! Out!"
It will be interesting to hear her side of the story.
I stopped watching when the show was on opposite '24'. (Haven't missed it at all!)
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