The University of Pennsylvania’s student-run campus newspaper was mocked online for a “year in review” story highlighting prominent alumni who “stepped into the national spotlight” — including alleged killer Luigi Mangione and convicted fraudster Charlie Javice.
“From the Oval Office to courtrooms, several Penn alumni made national headlines this year — repeatedly tying the University to high-profile controversies,” student journos wrote.
Just below the headline was a four-photo collage featuring UPenn alums President Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, along with Mangione and Javice.
“‘From the Oval Office to courtrooms’ should be a visit day banner for Penn Law,” one X user quipped.
Mangione, 27, is currently on trial for the execution-style murder of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson just outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in December of last year.
Javice, 33, was sentenced to seven years in prison by a federal judge earlier this year for defrauding JPMorgan Chase of $175 million.
“UPenn really does have legendary alumni,” an X user sarcastically wrote.
Mangione completed both a bachelor’s and master of science in engineering, graduating in 2020, and founded “the University’s first game development club,” the article noted.
“I don’t think AI could come up with something this golden,” another X user wrote about the piece.
Javice was convicted for charges stemming from inflating the number of users for her fintech startup Frank.
It was “founded by Javice in 2016 to help students navigate the federal financial aid application program and negotiate with colleges to receive more financial aid,” the Pennsylvanian stated.
The article also noted that Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management — a 1984 Wharton grad who serves as Wharton Board of Advisors chair — wrote the judge in her trial a letter requesting a lenient sentence.
“I don’t know if this is real but I choose to believe that it is,” one X user said of the article. Another replied: “Incredibly, it’s real.”
The piece stated that Mangione “founded UPGRADE — the University’s first game development club.”
“He graduated from Penn in 2020 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer and information science and was inducted into Penn’s Eta Kappa Nu honor society for excellence in electrical and computer engineering,” the story read.
The article’s sections on Trump and Musk noted that the president’s actions “directly impacted the Penn community,” while the Tesla CEO “sparked debates about conflicts of interest and the concentration of power among tech billionaires in the Trump administration.”
The Post has sought comment from the Daily Pennsylvanian.
An X user summed up their main takeaway from the article by writing, “UPenn-itentiary.”
