The Apprentice Begins Production!

Never in a million years would I have ever imagined that I would be starring on a global TV show, let alone a reality TV show. I am super pumped for it because it is something I have never done. I love new challenges and new adventures. Bar none, this edition of The Apprentice will be the toughest in history. 16 contestants from around the world will compete in a high-stakes game of challenges designed to test their limits physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The winner will receive a US$250,000 job offer and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work directly for me in Singapore.

We officially began production this week. I have yet to meet the 16 contestants in person, but I can tell you that I am blown away by their stories and backgrounds. Refinery Media and my team sifted through thousands of applications from around the world, and these 16 individuals stood out the most. They all bring guts, originality, joie de vivre, and a championship spirit. I am confident that I will find the ONE out of this special group to be my protege in entrepreneurship at ONE Championship. As his/her mentor, I am going to teach him/her how to do good in the world by following his/her heart and how to make more money than he/she ever imagined possible through my win-win philosophy. I am also going to share the lessons on how my team and I built a US$1 billion startup from scratch.

Many years ago, I survived on $4 a day when I lived in the US. My mother, my younger brother, and I struggled to make ends meet after my father went bankrupt and abandoned us. While I don’t work for awards or recognition, I am still very appreciative. Luck plays a big part in life, and I know that I have received a lot of good luck and blessings throughout my life. I work because it is an expression of my soul. I pour my everything into my work every day because I want to make a positive impact on billions of lives, and because I want to change the world for the better. I do not own fancy cars or expensive clothes or nice watches. The only thing I have is a burning desire to do something worthwhile with my life.

In many ways, entrepreneurs are artists and romantics. We believe in dreams. We believe in love. We believe in expressing our souls through our work. At the end of the day, we all die. Nothing remains, except for the impact we make on others. The knowledge that we left this Earth better off than how we found it is perhaps the immortality we seek.

The truth is that I stand on the shoulders of our incredible athletes, and the amazing men and women of Team ONE. Without them, I am nothing. Thank you to everyone who is a part of ONE Championship for your passion, excellence, and inspiration in pushing our dream forward together! OSSS!!! #gratitude

Chatri Sityodtong is a self-made entrepreneur and lifelong martial artist from Thailand. His rags-to-riches life story has inspired millions around the world on BBC News, CNN, Financial Times, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, Channel NewsAsia, and other major media. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports media property in history with a global broadcast to over 150+ countries around the world. He is also the star of the Asian edition of The Apprentice, the award-winning, global reality TV series. Sityodtong was named “Asia’s King of Martial Arts” by the Financial Times and was ranked the “2nd Most Powerful Person in Sports in Asia” by FOX Sports. Sityodtong was also selected as one of “Asia’s Top 100 Business Leaders” by Business Insider. He is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at INSEAD, Europe’s top business school. Inducted recently into the Black Belt Hall of Fame, Sityodtong is a Kru in Muay Thai under Yodtong Senanan and a Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie. Sityodtong holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Tufts University.