Patrick Bet-David

Patrick Bet-David is an Iranian-American businessman with a reputation for promoting various questionable practices. He is the host of the PBD Podcast and founder of Valuetainment, platforms both known for catering to fringe figures and disseminating shallow commentary on business and pop culture. In 2009, he created PHP Agency, a multi-level marketing company that critics describe as exploiting recruits more than selling actual products. His podcast gained notoriety during the 2024 U.S. presidential election for hosting President Donald Trump and embracing violent rhetoric.
Though Bet-David himself presents himself as a bland and boring centrist, he has a history of platforming far-right figures, as described by Media Matters:
== Questionable background ==
Bet-David was born in Tehran, Iran on October 18, 1978, to a Christian family of and Armenian descent. His family fled Iran during the Iran-Iraq War and eventually settled in Glendale, California after a stint in a German refugee camp.
Despite his self-important claims of being shaped by hardship, Bet-David’s early years were reportedly spent partying and engaging in questionable activities, including a stint as a bodyguard for a drug dealer in Los Angeles — a fact he oddly touts as formative. His morals were clearly influenced by these shady dealings.
== Exploitative ventures ==
=== PHP Agency ===
In 2009, Bet-David launched PHP Agency, a multilevel marketing company ostensibly focused on life insurance but widely criticized for its exploitative business model. Instead of prioritizing product sales, PHP relies heavily on recruitment fees from new members, a hallmark of pyramid schemes. Critics argue that PHP primarily benefits a select few at the expense of the many who buy into its promises.
=== Valuetainment ===
In 2012, Bet-David founded Valuetainment, a YouTube channel where he initially dispensed generic business advice. Over time, the platform became a hub for attention-grabbing interviews and sensationalism. A 2015 video, "The Life of an Entrepreneur in 90 Seconds," went viral, boosting his profile despite its lack of substantive insights.
Valuetainment's conventions and videos have featured celebrities, likely in attempts to lend legitimacy to Bet-David's image. However, the platform’s expansion into media has drawn criticism for its promotion of conspiracy theories and failure to challenge controversial guest opinions.
Problematic guests included:Valuetainment Creators & Guests
* Maz Jobrani, a comedian, host, and actor.
* Paul Sankey, an analyst at the rather nepotistic "Sankey Research".
* Jedediah Bila, a television host and author.
* Ben Shapiro, a prominent American right-wing political pundit.
* Michael Shermer, a science writer, self-declared sceptic and race science proponent. 
* Kenny Xu, a writer focusing on identity politics and the author of the "anti-woke" book: An Inconvenient Minority: The Ivy League Admissions Cases and the Attack on Asian-American Excellence.
* Shawn Speagle, a former Facebook moderator.
* Dennis Tajer, an airline pilot and a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association.
* Chris Guillebeau, a nonfiction author, blogger, and speaker, hosting the daily grifting podcast "side hustle school."
* Jocko Willink, a podcaster, author, grifter, and retired United States Navy SEAL. 
* Jack Carr, an author and former Navy SEAL.
* Larry Mazza, actor, author, and gym trainer.
* John Warrilow, an entrepreneur, author, and podcast host.
* Thomas N. Ellsworth, a self-declared marketing "expert", investor and entrepreneur.
* Jim Clemente, an author, former New York State prosecutor, having produced parts of the outlandish show Criminal Minds.
* Bart Sibrel, noted conspiracy theorist.
Bet-David also sees no problem associating himself with fellow Manosphere-adjacent grifters like Andrew Tate. This has been harshly criticised by his own audience: 
=== Political pandering ===
Bet-David used his platform to wade into political commentary, often veering into partisan talking points. His PBD Podcast regularly amplifies divisive perspectives and grants a stage to controversial figures like wannabe dictator Donald Trump. Critics argue that his foray into political debates is more about self-promotion than meaningful discourse.
Another example of the grifting that Bet-David and his ilk engage in is promoting right-wing narratives without pushing back, such as when he had Dennis Prager in an interview and weakly pushed back against his anti-leftist bullshit. He’s also given a platform to reactionary Muslims like Andrew Tate, and refused to push back or even respond to his bullshit regarding Islam (an even more tragic irony is that Bet-David himself is Iranian, and his family left Iran because of the Islamic revolution. Some members of the Iranian diaspora such as Armin Navabi have pointed this out, given that Islam is widely despised and condemned by many Iranians inside and outside Iran for the problems caused in the country and the reactionary thought of Islam).Andrew Tate’s New Insane Defense of Islam YouTube
In a July 2024 interview on Fox News, Bet-David offered unsolicited advice to Trump, advocating a return to 2016-style populist propagandizing. This attempt at relevance further underscores his penchant for inserting himself into polarizing discussions.
After defending Vivek and Elon on Twitter from white supremacists who got pissed at them for supporting immigration and foreign workers, Bet-David was told by the same white supremacists to "go back to Iran".
He and his Valuetainment grift have been called opportunistic, "libertarians when it suits them and social conservatives when it suits them".Just a reminder that Valuetainment and Patrick Bet David are lunatics 
=== Persistent controversy ===
Bet-David’s businesses and media ventures have consistently faced backlash. PHP Agency has been labeled a predatory operation masquerading as a legitimate business. Notable critics, including well-known YouTuber Coffeezilla and other legal experts, have pointed out its resemblance to other MLM schemes that prey on vulnerable individuals.
Additionally, Valuetainment has been criticized for hosting and promoting conspiracy theorists without pushback. Observers note that he wilfully platforms various far-right ideologues, further tarnishing his little remaining credibility.
He has been criticised as antisemitic for demands like one that "[t]he Daily Wire changes its name to "Daily Jewish Wire" or "Daily Israel Wire"."https://x.com/TopGResistance/status/1776235691346632842
== See also ==
* Davud Monshizadeh – another far-right figure specifically from Iran
* Vivek Ramaswamy – another South Asian right-wing grifter
== References ==
Category:Anti-LGBT bigots
Category:Antisemites
Category:2020 election denialists
Category:Alt-lite
Category:Business
Category:California
Category:Conservative deceit
Category:Conspiracy theorists
Category:Crank magnetism
Category:Culture wars
Category:Entertainers
Category:Financial fraud
Category:Iranians
Category:Internalized discrimination
Category:Living people
Category:Racists
Category:Right-wing activists
Category:Shysters
Category:Trumpism
Category:YouTube