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Patrick Bet-David (born October 18, 1978) is an Iranian-American businessman and podcaster. He hosts PBD Podcast and Valuetainment, podcasts focused on current events, business, pop culture and other issues, featuring celebrity guests.
| Patrick Bet-David | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bet-David speaking at the 2023 AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona | ||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||
| Born | Patrick Bet-David October 18, 1978 | |||||||||
| Education | Santa Monica College | |||||||||
| Occupation(s) | YouTuber, entrepreneur, author | |||||||||
| Spouse | Jennifer Bet-David | |||||||||
| Children | 4 | |||||||||
| Website | patrickbetdavid.com | |||||||||
| YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Also known as | PBD | |||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2012–present | |||||||||
| Genres |
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| Subscribers | 6.39 million[1][3] | |||||||||
| Total views | 1.76 billion[1][2][3] | |||||||||
| ||||||||||
Last updated: October 21, 2024 Statistics shown are representative of the "Valuetainment" channel only. | ||||||||||
| Patrick Bet-David | |
|---|---|
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Subscribers | 2.21 million[1][4][5] |
| Total views | 475 million[5] |
Last updated: October 21, 2024 | |
He launched his own life insurance company, PHP Agency (People Helping People), in 2009. The company began with a small team of agents in Northridge, California.[1] The company focuses on life insurance policies and financial services.[1] Bet-David interviewed President Donald Trump during the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. His podcast was one of the few platforms where Trump made appearances, contributing to the election's characterization as the "podcast election."[6][7]
Early life
editPatrick Bet-David was born in Tehran, Iran on October 18, 1978, during the Iranian Revolution. He is of Assyrian and Armenian descent.[8] Bet-David and his parents left Iran as refugees during the Iran-Iraq War. In 1989, they spent time in a refugee camp in Erlangen, Germany, before eventually immigrating to the United States and settling in Glendale, California.[1][9]
After graduating from Glendale High School, Bet-David joined the United States Army, serving in the 101st Airborne Division in his early 20s. During his early adulthood, he lived a lifestyle which he has said was focused on partying, and has claimed to have briefly worked as a bodyguard for a leading Los Angeles cocaine dealer. This period, according to Bet-David, contributed to his worldview.[6]
After his time in the Army, Bet-David reconnected with a high school friend who introduced him to Christianity, to which he subsequently converted.[1][6]
Career
edit2001-2009: Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Transamerica
editOn September 10, 2001, Bet-David was hired as a financial advisor at the Glendale branch of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. He later went on to work at Transamerica for nearly eight years.[1]
2009-Present: PHP Agency Inc and Valuetainment
editPHP Agency Inc
editPatrick Bet-David founded PHP Agency in 2009, focusing on life insurance and financial services. The company, which operates as a multilevel marketing business, was acquired by a major insurance provider two years prior to the interview. Bet-David has positioned himself as an aspirational figure for the agency, leveraging his entrepreneurial journey as a model for success.[1][10]
Valuetainment
editOn November 9, 2012, Bet-David launched the Valuetainment channel on YouTube. He spent the first few years doing videos that featured him giving his philosophies on business and life. Bet-David then decided to grow the Valuetainment YouTube channel by bringing on guests.[11] In a 2015 article for Fortune, he encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to consider dropping out of college, arguing that real-world experience often outweighs formal education unless pursuing a degree in a specific field like medicine or engineering. He has continued to share these views through his Valuetainment platform, which focuses on business and self-development.[9]
In 2015, Bet-David released the video "The Life of an Entrepreneur in 90 Seconds," which gained significant attention on YouTube and Facebook, increasing his visibility online.[1] Valuetainment hosts conventions featured notable speakers like Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Johnson, and Nick Saban, and has expanded into a media company.[1][12]
Political commentary
editAs Valuetainment grew, Bet-David ventured into political commentary, launching the PBD Podcast, which hosts debates and interviews on American politics and cultural issues. His shift into the political sphere has attracted notable interviews with Donald Trump during the 2024 election.[1] However, Bet-David's political stance and involvement have sparked controversy in some circles.[13][14][15][16]
In a July 2024 interview with Jesse Watters on Fox News, Bet-David suggested that Donald Trump should return to his 2016 campaign messaging, focusing on selling the American Dream rather than engaging in constant attacks. Bet-David emphasized the importance of appealing to Independent voters and avoiding being drawn into the negative discourse pushed by Trump's opponents.[17]
Criticism and controversy
editDespite his success, Bet-David has faced criticism over his business practices, particularly regarding his insurance company, PHP. Prominent critics, including YouTuber Coffeezilla, have accused PHP of operating as a multilevel marketing (MLM) scheme. While Bet-David does not dispute this, he has emphasized that other industries, such as real estate and insurance, also utilize MLM structures.[1]
A 2019 article in The Daily Beast raised concerns about the company’s business model, suggesting it relies more on recruitment fees than the sale of insurance products. The article claims that PHP Agency’s business model is more reliant on recruitment than on selling insurance, and many of the company's income appears to come from fees paid by the recruits themselves. Critics, such as Douglas Brooks, an attorney specializing in multilevel marketing lawsuits, described the model as similar to a lottery, where only a few people succeed while the majority lose money.[18]
Books
edit- Bet-David, Patrick (2012). The Next Perfect Storm. Open Road Integrated Media, Incorporated. ISBN 9780615650975.
- Bet-David, Patrick (2012). Doing the Impossible: The 25 Laws for Doing the Impossible. Valuetainment Publishing. ISBN 9780997622300.
- Bet-David, Patrick; Ellsworth, Thomas N. (2016). The Life of an Entrepreneur in 90 Pages: There's An Amazing Story Behind Every Story. Valuetainment Publishing. ISBN 9780997441000.
- Bet-David, Patrick; Ellsworth, Thomas N. (2017). Drop Out and Get Schooled: The Case for Thinking Twice about College. 2B Consulting LLC. ISBN 9780997441024.
- Bet-David, Patrick; Dinkin, Greg (August 18, 2020). Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy. Gallery Books. ISBN 9781982154806.
- Bet-David, Patrick; Dinkin, Greg (December 5, 2023). Choose Your Enemies Wisely: Business Planning for the Audacious Few. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 9780593712849.
- Bet-David, Patrick (2024). The Academy. Permuted Press. ISBN 9798888455609.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Inside the Unlikely Success of Patrick Bet-David". The Spectator. September 12, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ "Valuetainment YouTube Channel". YouTube. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "About Valuetainment". YouTube.
- ^ "PBD Podcast YouTube Channel". YouTube. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "About PBD Podcast". YouTube.
- ^ a b c Zak, David (November 1, 2024). "Watching the Trump Victory Among the Podcasters". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Seven Data Points That Explain the 'Podcast Election'". Bloomberg.com. October 17, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ "Patrick Bet-David Birthday".
- ^ a b Bet-David, Patrick. "This Entrepreneur Thinks You Should Drop out of College". Fortune. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ "Jennifer Bet-David". PHP Agency. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ Radhyan, Chirag (December 17, 2023). "Grew Up In a 'High Intense War and Bombings,': Patrick Bet-David Seeks Once 'Ignorant' Mike Tyson's Advice on How to Control His Aggression". EssentiallySports. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ McGahan, Michelle (August 9, 2024). "Entrepreneur and New York Yankees Owner Patrick Bet-David Unmasks Powerful Keys to Success With Podcast Host Brad Lea". Newsweek. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ "Entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David discusses what an American buyout of TikTok could look like". CNBC. March 15, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ Kim, Soo Rin; Ibssa, Lalee; Walsh, Kelsey; Hensley, Sarah Beth (October 17, 2024). "Trump again questions Harris' racial, ethnic identity in podcast interview". ABC News. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ "Trump spills details about Barron's love life". The Independent. October 18, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ "Trump Blames Zelensky for Russia's Invasion of Ukraine". The Daily Beast. November 10, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ Bet-David, Patrick (July 30, 2024). "Patrick Bet-David: Trump Needs to Go Back to 2016 Speeches, Sell Me on the Concept of the American Dream". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Sommer, Will; Weill, Kelly (May 30, 2019). "George W. Bush, Kobe Bryant, Jordan Peterson Promote Shady Multilevel Marketing Company PHP Agency". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 22, 2024.