Trump says he’d hire a CEO his age. Only a handful of top chief executives are older.

October 18

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.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.

Aimee Picchi

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

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