Glenn Stearns ‘87 goes undercover
Serial entrepreneur chases American Dream in new Discovery Channel reality series
By Megan Bradshaw on August 12, 2019
Towson University alumnus Glenn Stearns rose above a challenging start to life to become a self-made billionaire. Now he’s trying to prove the American Dream still exists in “Undercover Billionaire,” a new reality TV series on the Discovery Channel.
On the show, Stearns—under the alias Glenn Bryant—has 90 days to turn $100 into a one-million-dollar business in Erie, Pennsylvania. His top-performing team members will earn a stake in the company and key roles running it. If an independent financial evaluator assesses the company for less than $1 million, Stearns will put $1 million of his own money into the business.
The show premiered on Tuesday, August 6 at 10 p.m. EST.
Stearns was the first person in his family to attend college and earn a degree. After receiving his bachelor’s in economics in 1987, Stearns moved to California and worked as a loan officer for 10 months before founding his own mortgage company. Stearns Lending had reached nearly $1 billion a month in funding by 2010.
He has formed nine other companies and invests in three more. Stearns was elected to the Horatio Alger Association’s board of directors in 2013 after being inducted into the organization two years earlier. The association honors individuals who achieve personal and professional success despite challenging beginnings.