Terry Serepisos, who starred in the show as 'The Boss', said Thomas Ben reminded him of himself. Photo / Supplied
Thomas Ben has been named as the winner of New Zealand's The Apprentice television show.
The 35-year-old beat out fellow finalist David Wyatt to win the title, which comes with a prize of a $100,000-plus salary working for Wellington property tycoon Terry Serepisos, a one-year lease of a BMW 3-Series
and luxury accommodation at the businessman's capital hotel.
Mr Ben said he never would have believed he would be the winner of the show a year ago.
"I would have laughed at you. I would have laughed you down and gone, 'some guy from South Auckland, who's got five kids and no tertiary education; who's worked his ass off for everything?'," he said.
"This is going to change my life. The real work starts now and I'm excited, I just want to get into it."
In the final of the show tonight, Mr Serepisos, who starred in the show as "The Boss", said Mr Ben reminded him of himself.
"You've come from nothing and you've had to fight for everything. I believe you're going to continue that battle for me at Century City. Tom, you're hired," he said.
Mr Serepisos, who owns local A-League soccer franchise the Wellington Phoenix, has reportedly been under financial pressure in recent months, with revelations he owed $2 million in rates to Wellington City Council.
However, he said while the global financial crisis had put a strain on his companies' cashflows, most of his overdue rates had now been paid back. Some contractors had not been paid because their work was in dispute, he said.
- NZPA
