Imagine, if you will, a 15-year-old standing in front of a fancy hotel. Today, he has put in more effort than usual. He’s donned his best short-sleeved blue shirt, white trousers, matching blue-white sneakers, and blue sunglasses to top it off. You might assume he’s about to go on a date, but no, in fact, he’s here to have his picture taken as he leans against the hood of a red Ferrari, dreamily gazing into the distance.
‘Nailed it,’ he whispers to himself while uploading the picture onto Twitter, along with the caption, ‘How I became a millionaire at 15. A thread.’ In the subsequent series of messages, he tells a story following the classic rags-to-riches formula. You’ve likely seen it countless times. It goes something like this: ‘Much like yourself, I used to be a loser too. Then I uncovered this one secret… and it changed everything for me! And it can change your life as well!’
As much as we dislike this crude tactic, if done well, it works wonders. The catch lies in its execution. There’s a certain art to it. You actually need to relate to your audience. Want to find out how well our “Boy Wonder” managed? Just for fun, here are some snippets from his hero’s journey:
“At nine years old, I raised two thousand dollars for charity through a door-to-door campaign.”
“At eleven, my dad loaned me a thousand bucks, for me to invest.”
“I mowed lawns, detailed cars, and sold polished golf balls that landed in my yard from the neighboring golf course.”
I don’t know about you, but… Do I even need to finish that sentence? By the way, notice how he’s forgotten all about the ‘rags’ in his rags-to-riches storyline?
In any case, he proceeds to claim he’s some type of investing genius, more or less. If you want to pick his brain, just subscribe to his newsletter. Don’t be surprised, however, if you receive a pitch for an expensive course of his sometime in the future.
Here’s the kicker. A Twitter user spotted a sticker on the Ferrari. Upon zooming in on the rear window, it turns out the car is a rental. His post went viral alright, just not the way he intended. Even Elon Musk found out and joined in on the laughter at his expense. While I’m writing this newsletter, the lad is putting on a brave face, making one post after the other, obviously believing that all publicity is good publicity. I won’t say his name here; suffice it to say his last name rhymes with Muttley.
Okay, enough with the jokes. To me, it seems this kid comes from a privileged background. He doesn’t lack money, and most likely never will. In fact, I’ll even give him some credit. He wanted to overcome the notion that he’s been handed everything in life, but he went about it the wrong way, slavishly following advice handed out by scammy business gurus. That is precisely the type of behaviour these gurus want from their followers, by the way. They actively discourage critical thought, telling tall tales of those who found success by accepting their advice at face value, all in an effort to manipulate those who listen.
So, in a way, he’s brainwashed himself, trapping himself into a philosophy which excludes all naysayers, much like you’d expect from a cult. I sure hope he breaks free at some point and sees the folly of his ways; I truly do. Unfortunately, this happens more than you might imagine. Lately, I’ve seen a YouTube channel, built on giving advice to other creators, which has clearly gone down the business guru rabbit hole. And let me tell you, it’s disappointing to see regular people completely lose their brains like that, worshipping at the altar of short-term tactics and self-aggrandizing clowns, transparently copying one trick after the other.
Let me end this newsletter on some advice, which I’ve recently picked up while listening to a podcast discussing cults. The guest had survived this self-help cult, and he mentioned how they discouraged the use of your own intuition. They tell you to ignore your own feelings, as they have all the right answers. What they’re truly after, is for you to mindlessly follow their lead. And remember, even organisations or groups that are ostensibly not cults, can employ cult tactics to their own benefit. So, keep questioning, and keep listening to that voice that says, ‘Something feels off.’ Food for thought.
Yours truly
Vincent J. Dancet