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Trump says he’d hire a CEO his age. Only a handful of top chief executives are older.
Donald Trump, who turned 78 in June, would be the oldest person in U.S. history to be elected president if he wins in November. The question of age and fitness for office has flared repeatedly this political season, including on Tuesday when one interviewer asked Trump whether he would appoint a CEO his own age.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Trump said he would although with some caveats, noting that he wouldn’t hire his former presidential rival, President Joe Biden, 81.
“I know many people in their 80s. I know guys in their 80s that won’t leave the company, like family companies where they don’t want the kids to take over because they’re much more competent than their kids,” Trump told his interviewer, Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, at the Economic Club of Chicago on Tuesday.
But there are few CEOs of large U.S. companies who are as old or older than Trump. Among Fortune 500 companies — the 500 largest U.S. companies based on their total revenue — there are only six who are older than the former president, according to financial firm Madison Trust. They are:
- Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, 94
- Roger Penske, CEO of Penske Automotive, 87
- Robert Greenberg, CEO of Skechers, about 83
- Albert Nahmad, CEO of Watsco, 84
- Seifi Ghasemi, CEO of Air Products, about 80
- A.J. Teague, CEO of Enterprise Products, about 79
Most CEOs of publicly traded companies are in their 50s, representing about half of all chief executives, according to a January analysis by The Conference Board. Only about 14% of CEOs are over 60 years old, the group found.
“You just say some of our great world leaders are in the 80s,” Trump said. “And if you look throughout history, some of our greatest world leaders were in their 80s. No, that wouldn’t bother me.”
Trump has so far refused to disclose new details about his physical or mental well-being, breaking decades of precedent. His rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, released her records earlier this month, with her physician declaring she is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resiliency” required to serve as president.
Although there’s no requirement that candidates release their health data, presidential nominees traditionally disclose medical records voluntarily given the demands of the job, particularly if there are concerns about their age.
Meanwhile, more Americans than ever are working past the age of 75, representing one of the fastest-growing groups of workers. In 2022, about 1 in 12 people older than 75 was still in the workforce, up from 1 in 20 about two decades earlier, according to data from the Labor Department.
Some workers over 75 are staying in the workforce because they enjoy their jobs and can’t envision retiring. But many continue working because they can’t afford to retire, something that’s not an issue for Trump, who is worth an estimated $5.6 billion.
contributed to this report.
Swedeborg, Missouri — When residents in the small central Missouri community of Swedeborg decided earlier this year to name the primary campus building at Swedeborg District lll Elementary School, everyone knew it had to be after someone truly special.
“It has to be someone that you just know would be right,” student Nate Lein told CBS News.
Throughout history, there have been many national figures who fit that bill. There have also been lots of famous Missourians who would have been great choices to celebrate and inspire.
But in the end, Swedeborg went with 64-year-old Claudene Wilson, the longtime custodian at the K-8 school.
“She’s just really dedicated herself to this school,” student Eli Huff said.
“You can get her like, a vacuum, and she’ll appreciate it because she really likes cleaning,” student Gunner Jennings added.
Wilson is so dedicated to the school that, over the past 30 years, she has taken on many additional responsibilities, including welcoming students when they arrive each day, transportation coordination, lunch duty, landscaping and facility operations.
“And the next thing I know, I was leaving at six in the morning and getting home about 7:30 at night,” Wilson told CBS News of her work schedule.
Her motivation for doing all this?
“Kids, the kids is at your heart,” she said.
On Aug. 26, the Swedeborg School Board voted unanimously for the new name, the Claudene Wilson Learning Center.
“That’s what makes Claudene what she is,” Swedeborg School Board President Chuck Boren said. “…These kids get sick, you think they go to the nurse to start with? They go to her. If they had a bad night, they go to her. And she’s there for each and every one of them.”
Today, there’s really only one person in the whole community who remains unconvinced that Wilson deserved this honor — Wilson herself.
“It touches your heart, but I don’t think my name needs to be up on a building somewhere,” Wilson said.
In the U.S., most buildings and institutions are named after iconic figures who have done great things. And Swedeborg is no exception. This community just defines greatness a little differently.
Student Alex Lein said he wants to be just like Wilson.
“That’s what everybody should want to be, you know,” Lein said. “That’s what I would want to be.”
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