The businessman, who will mark his 15th series on the show when it returns tonight, believes it will have run its course after two decades.
Having started his largest business venture in 1968, Lord Sugar went on to sell his remaining interest in Amstrad for a whopping £125million in 2007.
Speaking to Press Association, Lord Sugar said: “I’ve often had thoughts of when am I going to give it up, next season will be the 16th.
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“First of all it’s not my decision – let’s get that right, the decision lies with the BBC, whether they want to continue to do it – but if they did, I think I would max out at 20 years, a 20-year ceremony.”
The 72-year-old added: “I think enough is enough then. I would be 77, I might not be compos mentis by then, you never know.”
Series 15 will see 16 new wannabe entrepreneurs whisked to South Africa for the first challenge.
(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
The first episode will see the hopefuls transported to Cape Town where they will be tasked with creating and running bespoke safari and vineyard tours.
Episode one is so jam-packed it has pushed BBC News At Ten back to ensure viewers get 64-minutes of the programme.
Lord Sugar added he believes the show could continue without him if he departs but the BBC would struggle to find someone who is also an “all-rounder”
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He said: “One, I’ve got an exceptionally good memory, two, I’ve done all this.
“I started with a little minivan and I’ve seen anything, done everything, had disappointments, know what selling is all about, know what not to do.
“I’ve sat in boardrooms in banks and negotiated big deals with banks at hundreds and hundreds of millions of pounds, but (when) I started off my first sale was most probably £5 with five-car aerials.
Lord Sugar claims that he has sat on the production line, worked on his own marketing and advertising as well as buying products and designing products himself.
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“If you look at some of the other business programmes that are on TV, I’m not sure there is such an all-rounder there.”
Adviser to Lord Sugar, Claude Littner said that he and Baroness Brady, the shows second adviser work hard on the ground but the show is held together by Lord Sugar
Speaking of replacing Lord Sugar, Karen Brady said: “They would be incredibly big shoes to fill and I think almost too big.”
The Apprentice is on BBC One on Wednesdays at 9pm.
