Tai Lopez Teaches Us About Success like a Real Son of a B*tch, and We Should Thank Him for It
The controversial Lambo bro isn't what he seems
Tai Lopez is almost as controversial as Donald Trump or Elon Musk.
I’d argue he’s worse. He’ll probably make you sick to your stomach. I spent the day doing research on him and what I found makes him a real son of a b*tch.
You probably recognize Tai from his famous Youtube ad “here’s my garage” which shows a brand new Lamborghini. He has one of the largest followings online and appears to be an absolute playboy.
There are pictures with bikini girls for every day of the week. He lives in a mansion that critics discovered is rented. And he says he owns Lambos and Ferrari’s but one Youtube viewer noticed a rent-a-car label on his keyring.
The guy made most of his money from shady dating sites. Then he got into questionable crypto projects.
So why am I writing about him then?
Some of the greatest teachers are the people we disagree with. I did Tai’s flagship 67 Steps program many years ago. It was actually pretty good. I found his understanding of history to be notable. He comes across as well-spoken and well-read.
Even though the pictures on Instagram show him as a playboy, what’s weird is he doesn’t come across like that behind the scenes.
I read a website of customer complaints about him. He’s certainly done some shady stuff in the past. But he’s also bought some iconic businesses such as Radio Shack.
So the bottom line is I’d probably not buy his stuff or do business with him. But we should thank him for what he can teach us about success because the guy does have some amazing ideas such as these.
1. “You can run from your problems but not from the flaws in your thinking.
Always start by fixing your brain. Train it to remove logical fallacies.”
This is the #1 thing I got wrong.
I tried to solve problems instead of fixing my thinking. It wasn’t until I found Tony Robbins that I started questioning my thinking. Boy, there were holes!
Here’s how I fixed my thinking:
Learned to listen to people on both sides of an argument (like Tai)
Studied philosophy, stoicism, and ancient history
Read books on psychology
Tested my fears (such as flying in planes)
Mixed with more people from vastly different cultures
That last one is key. People from third-world countries helped me see I had everything I needed already. That life wasn’t unfair and, in fact, there were people far worse off than me.
Until you fix your reasoning you’ll keep creating arguments with yourself that bring you down and rob you of success.
2. “If you’re having a hard time sticking to a schedule/procrastinating there’s a simple solution. Reduce the time. Do less but be consistent.”
Every guru wants to shame us for procrastinating.
Sometimes we just need to start smaller. Instead of go from zero to hero, go from nothing to 5 minutes. I did it with the gym after lockdowns ended.
I went to the gym then walked straight out. Second time I went for 2 minutes, then 5 minutes …and so on. Consistency is more powerful than time spent.
It’s the same lie 9-5 workers fall for. They think years of experience is the differentiator. But most people have one year of experience that they repeat for 40 years and label it a professional career.
Once you have the habit then you back it up with a system. All of this is useless, though, if you don’t also add experimentation and iteration. Doing the same thing repeatedly – that doesn’t work from the start – doesn’t lead to success either.
I see it with writers. “But I wrote every day on LinkedIn for 2 years.” That may be true but if the posts aren’t valuable, then nothing happens.
Habit + Consistency + System + Experimentation + Iteration
3. “To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want.”
Society has bred a generation of complainers.
They often use platforms like TikTok to b*tch about everything. “Life isn’t fair” they say. Tai reminded me that entitlement is a disease. You have to deserve what you want and that comes by earning it.
I feel like I deserve the success I’ve had on Substack. Why? I wrote for 10 years every day to earn it. It’s a fair trade. See what I mean?
4. “Everything wrong in your life is just a sign. A signal to change. Be humble enough to bow your knee and listen and act.”
When things go wrong the dumbest thing to do is complain.
Tim Ferriss often says when things go wrong ask yourself, “How am I complicit in creating the conditions I say I don’t want?”
Disasters are a sign, a gift, an opportunity. If you ignore them then you keep getting the same results you’ve been getting.
I spoke to a young man recently who got wiped out financially two years ago by crypto. He was pissed about it. Rightfully so. But then I said “it’s been two years, what changes have you made to make a comeback?”
“None so far.”
That’s the issue. Anyone can play a Sherlock Holmes game of spot the problem, but if nothing changes, then the same financial struggles continue.
If money is a problem, what can you do differently? If work is a problem, what’s a small change you can make? If your partner hates you and the kids are on drugs, what’s a decision you can make to change things?
The framework I love is 1% better each day. Apply it to a big problem.
Just don’t stand still and continue making zero changes expecting change (or for other people to help).
5. “All you should really be trying to do in life is get to a place where you don’t have to worry anymore.
That’s like life’s main purpose.”
That’s a definition of financial freedom I’ve never heard, and it came from the biggest Lambo Bro on the internet. He’s literally the face of the meme!
Money can buy peace of mind. It doesn’t need to be a lot either.
I’ve found when money is tough for me it forces my brain to focus on it 24/7. It’s like a form of mental illness, and it ruins how I treat people. I become transactional, selfish, and start asking for discounts and coupons.
Use money to remove stress and worry less.
6. The best advice on the internet to stay sharp
1. Play chess.
2. Have in-depth conversations with smart people who hold opposite opinions.
3. Read the writings of history’s greatest thinkers.
I told you Tai’s image is deceptive.
The people we disagree with have so much to teach us. They reveal flaws in our thinking and blind spots. They show us cultural limitations and reveal university programming that’s often out of date.
This essay is proof of how powerful controversial figures that the mainstream hates still offer value. Don’t forget to study history too. If you want an incentive to do it then read Morgan Housel’s book “Same As Ever.”
Basically, once you understand what history has to teach, you can apply it to your finances and even get wealthy from it. It’s why I expect 2020 bat virus-style scenarios at least every 5 years, and I invest accordingly.
If you’re not careful you’ll live at only 10% of your potential – Tai Lopez
7. “You can't tell everybody everything you know because most people can't handle the truth.”
As a writer this one cuts deep.
I get to learn from some amazing people. I often can’t share these learnings in public places like Medium because there are too many normies who don’t get it. They can’t dare comprehend there’s more to life than red versus blue politics.
The truth sucks. The world is unfair. The wealth gap is bigger than ever. There are more scammers than ever. Most jobs are painfully boring. We’ve been sold a dream to get a job, buy a house, and drown in debt. (Even I fit this mold to a degree.)
But it’s often not the dream it’s made out to be. I don’t say any of that to be pessimistic, it’s just unless you accept reality, you can’t make changes and do the opposite of most people.
The truth hurts but it’s full of wisdom too.
8. “STOP being cynical. START being open to new experience.”
It’s easy to call everything a scam.
When the iPhone came out my boss at the time thought it was magical. I still had my Nokia and refused to buy an iPhone. I called Apple phones a scam.
“Touch screens will get dirty, the glass will shatter, and they’ll stop working.”
I was wrong because I was cynical. I’m seeing the same right now with the new Apple Vision Pro headset.
Most people are calling it a stupid ski mask. I think it’s incredible. The current version is just a test. Eventually we’ll be all using a headset, more likely glasses, instead of a phone.
If you apply cynicism to everything, you miss all the big opportunities. If you’re a full-time cynic, wake the f*ck up. Stop being a loser.
When I challenge people to start new experiences they often take it personally. They blame me for offending them or even talking about their financial position.
It’s not my intention but that’s how they take it. Why? Because when you ask someone to change and they’re full of fear and refuse, they can take it as an insult.
We’ll do anything to resist change.
The more you take personally, the worse your life becomes – Tai Lopez
9. The 33% formula'
Divide up your life.
Spend 33% of your time around people lower than you, you can mentor them.
Spend 33% of your time with people who are on your level – your friends and peers.
Spend 33% of your time with people who are 10-20 years ahead of you. Those are your mentors.
I freaking love this formula.
Being successful is useless if you don’t help those who are up and coming. The next level is cool too. Spend time with people on your level because they’re easiest to relate to, and ditching all your friends for some success dream is stupid.
As they say, never forget where you came from.
The final 33% is crucial. You have to hang out with people ahead of you to expand your thinking. Not just rich people but old people in retirement villages, and even the dying if you wanna get real crazy.
10. “Increase your attention span. Your ability to concentrate predicts your long-term success at almost anything.”
Attention spans are dying. A mass murder of brains is happening right now.
TikTok is programming a new generation to be endlessly entertained and distracted, instead of interesting and plugged into reality.
It’s why I write mostly long-form essays. I don’t want to attract dopamine junkies who need shortcuts, hacks, and false idols to worship to feel like they’re making progress, when all they’re really doing is gluing their heads to a phone.
Improve your attention span. Use the phone less. Make the screen black and white. Turn off all notifications. Filter emails. Read more books. Spend time in the real world and in nature. Walk to new places. Travel and meet new cultures.
Just don’t sit there looking at a phone.
Final Thought
I told you Tai Lopez is a piece of sh*t son of a b*tch.
But there’s a lot we can learn from him. My biggest takeaway is don’t judge a person by their social media presence. Behind all the models, Lambos, mansions, and clickbait headlines there can be a person who can teach you something.
P.S.
Tai Lopez bought fame.
Depending on which comment you read, dude spent anywhere from $50,000 to $30M advertising on social media.
I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of cash lying around. Instead, I've used completely free routes to grow my business.
One of them is my LinkedIn strategy.
$0 spent. Half a million followers gained. Endless business opportunities.
If you've ever struggled to make LinkedIn "work" for you, join my free masterclass: How to Get 100,000 Views On LinkedIn With 15 Minutes Per Day.
Class starts in a few hours.
(There is a limit)
Great read, Tim. The point about deserving to be where you are resonated. It reminded me of a recent post on Medium where I said Gen Z has a wrong take on work/life balance after a 21-year-old trainee told me I needed to respect his work/life balance. We're paying him for learning so I thought asking him to do an extra task was OK. I still think so. But... That polarized the readers of the post. Half told me I was right and the other half said I was an a**hole. I loved that. Hitting a nerve with the second half felt good.
Interesting article today, showing that most people have something useful to teach us and not to dismiss people out of hand because there is something (or even a lot of things) you don't like about them. Just wanted to point out the quote you attribute to Tim Ferris "How am I complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want?"comes from Jerry Colonna https://www.reboot.io/team/jerry-colonna/ who Tim has interviewed a few times. It is a very useful phrase to keep in your head and check in with regularly! Highly recommend Jerry Colonna's book Reboot - he is known as the CEO whisperer.