Edward M. “Ted” Sachs Jr. of Lake Forest attended the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1968.
During a finance class at what today is simply the Wharton School, he said he sat next to a young man from New York whose family was involved in real estate. Sachs said he would grab a sandwich with him about twice a week. That young man, he says, was Donald Trump.
Yes, before he was Donald Trump the real estate mogul, reality TV producer and star and now Republican nominee for president of the United States, Trump studied economics and real estate at the Wharton School, where he graduated in 1968.
“He carried himself well,” Sachs said. “He was very neat. He had a New York accent and was very New York-y but was a lot more worldly than a lot of his peers. He could think out of New York and think out of the East Coast.”
Trump supporters and detractors alike have described him as outspoken, although Sachs said Trump wasn’t quite like that in college.
“I wouldn’t say so,” Sachs said. “I think he was very sure of himself. He could set a discussion and stay on track and control it. His personality is what I best remember. He was highly directed in real estate.”
Sachs, who went on to a career as a commercial lender and financial adviser, doesn’t recall if Trump seemed interested in politics as a college student, though he wasn’t surprised when Trump announced his candidacy.
“I had read for years that he was on the donors list for candidates,” Sachs said. “I was aware that the Trump organization presented an interesting perch through which someone could develop political ideas. It’s a big corporation, but run in a very entrepreneurial way. He’s dealing with all levels of [U.S.] government and governments trans-nationally.”
Sachs said he voted for Trump in the primary and is considering voting for him in the general election.
“We’ll see,” Sachs said. “I’d like to see him throttle back. I think more than his programs, I think getting another set of eyes and ears from outside the system is a good, healthy thing. I think his financial skills are a plus. I think his negotiation skills are a plus.”
Sachs said he hasn’t been in touch with Trump since their college days, with one exception. Sachs was quoted in a June 30 article about Trump in the Financial Times. The alumni office at the Wharton School called Sachs.
“[Trump] asked his secretary to get my email address,” Sachs said. “He autographed a Financial Times article [and emailed a scanned version].”
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