Stock market whiz and effervescent television personality Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” made a stop at the University of Miami on Thursday to broadcast his popular television series as part of the show’s “Back to School Tour.”
“I’ve had an unbelievable day here with people who are kindred to me—which means we want to better ourselves, we want to put food on the table, we want to be able to have retirement money, but most importantly, we all want to do well,” Cramer said.
The TV personality’s visit was part of the show’s “Back to School Tour,” which takes Cramer on the road to college campuses across the country to discuss the importance of financial education and to give students the chance to experience the energy, passion, and excitement of being a part of the show’s audience. This is the 20th college campus the series has visited and the first since 2020.
As the sun set over Lake Osceola, hundreds of University students and faculty and staff members gathered around the Lakeside Patio to catch a glimpse of the broadcast. The live taping prominently featured participation from Miami Herbert Business School students, who asked questions and sought advice from the host.
Cramer gave the viewers, particularly the young investors in the audience, his words of wisdom on investing in junior growth stocks and building wealth while they’re young.
“When you’re young and you're just getting into investing, you can afford a lot more risk than a retiree who has to live off their savings,” Cramer told the crowd. “If you’re still in your 20s, you have decades to make up for any potential mistakes—and you will make mistakes.”
As part of the show, Cramer interviewed Jose R. Mas, chief executive officer of MasTec, Inc., member of the University’s Board of Trustees, and alumnus of the business school. The pair discussed Mas’s father’s journey to the United States as a Cuban immigrant chasing the American dream and how his family grew MasTec from a small telecommunications company to one of the nation's largest and most diversified infrastructure service providers.
“Opportunities are not given, but the opportunity to succeed in this country is better than anywhere else in this world,” Mas said. “I see it every day with young men and women that dream, that build new businesses, that truly accomplish great things in this country. The American Dream is alive and well.”
Throughout the taping, students in the audience had the opportunity to ask Cramer questions about their stocks and seek advice for managing their investments. They even had the opportunity to present brief stock pitches for Six Flags, Canadian Pacific, and Peloton to Cramer.
Francesca DiMisa, a junior studying psychology, was among the students who was able to participate in the live show. DiMisa said that she has been a lifelong fan of “Mad Money with Jim Cramer,” noting that she watched the show daily with her father, who had passed away when she was younger.
“I’m very thankful to meet you and be here today,” she told Cramer. DiMisa, who pointed out that she is not a business student, asked the finance guru for tips on how to learn about the stock market and investments as a novice investor.
Yash Agrawal, a sophomore studying microbiology, immunology, and public health, queried Cramer about whether stocks such as Tesla, Ford, and Rivian are worth buying and holding because of laws being passed in numerous states that ban the production of gas and diesel vehicles and the increase of overall production and purchasing of electric vehicles. He did encourage investment of those stocks. Cramer noted that electric vehicles are the future of the car industry.
“It felt awesome to have the chance to talk to Jim Cramer. Seeing him on TV all the time and finally having a chance to ask him a question is something I’ll never forget,” Agrawal said. “I was very excited to see him on campus.”
Prior to the recording the broadcast, Cramer spoke with Miami Herbert Business School students in a one-on-one question-and-answer session about the significance of education in life.
“Jim Cramer's visit to Miami Herbert was an unforgettable educational experience for our students,” said Ann Olazábal, interim dean of Miami Herbert. “He brought real-world experiences and a wealth of insights on the current business landscape. We pride ourselves on providing these types of rich, interactive learning opportunities that are essential for our students’ personal and professional growth and will undoubtedly be a highlight of their academic journey."
The “Mad Money Back to School Tour” episode of “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” aired on CNBC at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
