this University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is a well-known Ivy League school that has cultivated many diverse alumni who have made a significant impact in various fields. Among them are Musk, Donald Trumpand, recently, Luigi Mangione. At first glance, these men seem very different—a tech visionary, a former U.S. president, and a recent celebrity legal trouble. However, one thing all three have in common is that they have all walked the halls of Penn State. Let’s take a deeper look at their college years, the schools they attended, and how their experiences there impacted their lives.
Donald Trump: Business Wizard Class of 1968
Donald Trump transferred from Fordham University to the University of Pennsylvania in 1966, seeking a stronger academic foundation in business. He attended the Wharton School of Business, known for its rigorous finance, management and economics, and graduated in 1968 with a degree in economics. At the time, Wharton was one of the few schools offering undergraduate degrees in business, making it popular among aspiring entrepreneurs.
Trump’s time at Wharton was reportedly pragmatic and career-focused. Although he was not known for his academic brilliance, he drew lessons in the fields of real estate, finance and urban development, areas that aligned perfectly with his ambitions. He split his time between Philadelphia and New York City, learning the ropes of the family business led by his father, Fred Trump. Although he kept a low profile on campus, his experience at Wharton prepared him for a career in real estate and later politics.
After graduating in 1968, Trump faced the prospect of being drafted into the Army to fight in the Vietnam War. While in college, he was on student deferment four times, and upon graduation, he received a medical deferment that exempted him from military service due to a diagnosis of heel spurs. This delay has been the subject of controversy and discussion for years.
Musk: a dual innovator
Elon Musk began his academic journey at the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 after transferring from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. Musk attended two schools at the University of Pennsylvania: He received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the College of Arts and Sciences, graduating in 1997. The combination allows Musk to combine technical knowledge with business strategy, a skill that will determine his future success.
Musk’s academic pursuits are characterized by intellectual curiosity and a strong work ethic. He chose physics to deepen his understanding of the universe and economics to grasp the mechanisms of markets and innovation. While at the University of Pennsylvania, Musk collaborated with classmates to rent a large house and transform it into a nightclub on weekends. This entrepreneurial project helped him pay for his tuition.
One of Musk’s standout projects while at Penn was a business plan for an electronic newspaper service, which was ahead of its time and a precursor to the type of innovation he pursued in the tech world. His studies in physics also prepared him for adventures in engineering that would define his career, including Space Exploration Technologies Corporation and Tesla.
Luigi Mangione: engineer turned assassin
Luigi Mangione came from a wealthy family in Maryland and graduated from the Ivy League school at the University of Pennsylvania.
Luigi Mangione studied at Penn State’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences from 2016 to 2020, one of the school’s top colleges in STEM disciplines. He graduated with a double major: a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Mangione is known for his academic dedication, excelling in technical courses such as algorithms, artificial intelligence and systems engineering.
Mangione is an active member of several student organizations, including the PennApps Hackathon Team, where he showcases his technical skills in application and software development. His senior capstone project involved creating a machine learning algorithm to optimize urban transportation systems, a concept that impressed faculty and earned him a research award.
Mangione’s passion for innovation extends beyond the classroom. He interned at a tech startup during the summer and co-developed an app aimed at improving mental health resources on college campuses. Those achievements paint a bright future, leading to his recent arrest in connection with the murder of United Healthcare executive Brian Thompson Even more shocking.
The Case of Luigi Mangione
In December 2024, Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on charges related to the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Thompson was killed outside the Hilton Hotel in downtown New York on December 4, 2024, in what authorities called a “brazen, targeted attack.”
Event related details:
- offense: Brian Thompson, 50, was shot multiple times outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan in the early morning hours. The attacker, described as wearing a mask and tactical gear, approached Thompson from behind and fired before fleeing the scene on an electric bicycle.
- Investigations and Arrests: Authorities tracked the suspect’s movements through surveillance video, which showed the suspect fleeing into Central Park and then boarding a bus out of the city. Days later, Mangione was recognized by a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, who saw his photo in a police bulletin. When Mangione was arrested, he was found carrying a “ghost gun,” a silencer, multiple fake IDs, and a manifesto expressing anti-corporate sentiments.
- Legal action: Mangione was charged with second-degree murder and multiple firearms offenses. He is being held without bail and his next court appearance will be scheduled soon. Authorities are continuing to investigate his motives, and preliminary findings suggest he has a deep-seated resentment of corporate America, particularly the health insurance industry.
Public and family reaction:
Mangione’s arrest shocked those who knew him. His family issued a statement expressing their grief and offering condolences to Thompson’s family. Former classmates and colleagues describe Mangione as intelligent and humble, which makes the allegations against him all the more surprising.
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