Transcript

Asking Beverly Hills Billionaires How They Got So RICH!

From School of Hard Knocks · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 23 min · 6,022 words · 43 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Asking Beverly Hills Billionaires How They Got So RICH!", an episode of School of Hard Knocks published May 23, 2025 (23 min, about 6,022 words). It mentions 20 people, works and ideas, including Beverly Hills, Chipotle, God, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Sales.

What this episode is about

The content explores the insights and experiences of billionaires and millionaires in Beverly Hills, highlighting their diverse paths to wealth, including unconventional backgrounds such as entrepreneurship in fast food and involvement in organized crime. By directly engaging these affluent individuals, key lessons on financial success and personal choices are revealed, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and strategic decision-making.

Key takeaways

  • From burritos to billions, sometimes success is just a roll away.
  • Innovators don't just think outside the box; they redefine its very existence—like using dental gel for nails.
  • Mafia moves or not, financial wisdom often comes with a side of hard knocks; lessons learned, not taught.
  • Globalization in the '80s? Bold moves mean broad views—market the world, not just your neighborhood.
  • Saving money beats spending it on status symbols; even a Rolls-Royce can be a smart investment at the right price.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Beverly Hills, Mark Cuban, Shaquille O'Neal, Chipotle
  2. – 10:00: Beverly Hills, Sales, Investment, Organized Crime
  3. – 15:00: Determination, God, Christianity, John Gotti
  4. – 20:00: Beverly Hills, May 28th, Chipotle, God
  5. – 22:51: Chipotle, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Investment, Beverly Hills

Notable quotes from "Asking Beverly Hills Billionaires How They Got So RICH!"

  • You want success in life, get these two things right. Number one, guys, today I'm in Beverly Hills, one of the wealthiest zip codes in the entire world, home to some of the…
    about Beverly Hills · at
  • What's your secret to selling? You got to sell yourself first. I got to go.
    about Sales · at
  • Bought it at an auction for 175. I could buy a hundred of them brand new, but I wouldn't spend 500,000 on a car. Do you believe in God? Of course I believe in God. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't.
    about God · at
  • Used to bring into our operation 8 to $15 million a week. How is that possible? We were defrauding the government out of tax on every gallon of gasoline. And I was selling a…
    about Organized Crime · at
  • Right to you so you can actually talk to them on a Zoom call live and not just watch them. And it's called Billionaire Day. And it's our first ever virtual event where we make…
    about Billionaire Day · at
  • Spot, all you have to do is go down and click the link in the description of this video, and I'll see you on May 28th along with the billionaires. With that being said, let's…
    about May 28th · at
  • Without God, I would not be here. How can a kid from Ghana, from the slums of Ghana? I grew up in a place called Ashtown. How can a kid from Ashtown be on my wra make it to Beverly Hills to be.
    about Ghana · at
  • Growth as it relates to comp sales performance, but also in new restaurant growth. This year, we'll build between 315 to 345 new Chipotle restaurants. So, we're opening a…
    about Chipotle · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • John Gotti — Person · Referenced figure in organized crime · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a benchmark for high-stakes negotiation/meetings in the organized-crime world.
    The US government. Back when you were in the mafia? How did that happen? I would rival that with sitting down with John Gotti. But the government was probably my most…
  • Mark Cuban — Person · Referenced celebrity entrepreneur interviewee · 2 mentions · first at
    Cited to establish the host's credibility and the caliber of guests on the channel.
    Is this your Rolls-Royce? Yeah. I have the biggest business media channel in the entire world called the School of Hard Knocks where I interview guys like Shaq, Mark Cuban. What did you What did you What did you do to get a Rolls-Royce? I.
  • Shaquille O'Neal — Person · Referenced celebrity interviewee · 2 mentions · first at
    Used as social proof for the host's channel stature and interview access.
    Is this your Rolls-Royce? Yeah. I have the biggest business media channel in the entire world called the School of Hard Knocks where I interview guys like Shaq, Mark Cuban. What did you What did you What did you do to get a Rolls-Royce? I.

Companies & orgs

  • Chipotle — Company · Referenced company (growth/operations example) · 5 mentions · first at
    Discussed in detail: revenue targets, store expansion pace, no franchising, and cash/zero-debt balance sheet.
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill — Company · Referenced company (case example) · 4 mentions · first at
    Presented as a high-scale, no-franchise growth model with strong balance sheet and operational accountability.
    What is Chipotle going to do in revenue this year? We'll push close to 13 billion this year in annual sales, which is really incredible for our organization. We still feel like we can double that over the next 5 to 10 years.
  • Columbo Family — Company · Referenced organized-crime family · 1 mention · first at
    Cited as the family connection enabling entry into an organized crime group in New York.
    My dad was the under boss of one of the major families, the Columbbo family. And my dad proposed me for membership.

Concepts & topics

  • God — Concept · Core topic (faith as driver of success) · 2 mentions · first at
    Multiple interviewees attribute success, accountability, and life transformation to belief in God.
  • Sales — Concept · Core topic · 2 mentions · first at
    Interviewees emphasize persistence, selling yourself, and not taking 'no' as key to closing deals and scaling.
  • Investment — Concept · Core topic (capital allocation) · 4 mentions · first at
    Appears via reinvesting profits, potential TikTok stake, and investing in consumer/team experience for growth.
    Sir. And we have 12.7 million across social media followers, so it'll be worth it. Is this Tik Tok? Yes, sir. I got a chance to buy part of Tik Tok next week. Are you serious?…
  • Organized Crime — Concept · Core story element (wealth origin) · 2 mentions · first at
    Used to illustrate how business principles (delegation, negotiation, incentives) can appear in illegal contexts.
  • Determination — Concept · Core motivational theme · 2 mentions · first at
    A former organized-crime participant emphasizes determination as the decisive factor for overcoming lack of resources.
    Let me tell you something. Determination is everything. Don't ever feel sorry for yourself. Don't ever think somebody's going to give you a hand out or help you. You got to work. When I started, my.
  • Responsibility — Concept · Core topic (management distinction) · 1 mention · first at
    Used to contrast with accountability: shared responsibility without a single accountable owner leads to failure.
    So, there's a difference between responsibility and accountability. If you and I are both responsible for a task, who's accountable? No one. And so, we talk about this idea in operations.
  • Frugality — Concept · Core financial behavior · 1 mention · first at
    Highlighted via advice to save money and avoid waste, even among very wealthy individuals.
    Million entrepreneur, what's the best financial advice you've been given? The best financial advice in the world, save your [ __ ] money and don't waste it on stupid [ __ ]…
  • Christianity — Concept · Core topic (faith framework) · 1 mention · first at
    A former organized-crime participant describes studying religions and choosing Christianity, linking it to transformation.
    Spend the rest of my life in prison and that would have been it. So, I studied every faith and I came out of there believing in Christianity with all my heart. And it's all…
  • Pharmaceutical Emancipation — Concept · Referenced strategic vision · 1 mention · first at
    A plastic surgeon frames building a major pharmaceutical plant in Ghana as enabling regional self-sufficiency.
    Ghana. It's going to be the biggest plants in subsaharan Africa. When it's all said and done, West Africa will have pharmaceutical emancipation. That's the key to me becoming a…

Places & events

  • Beverly Hills — Place · Primary setting · 9 mentions · first at
    The host conducts cold-approach interviews with wealthy people in Beverly Hills to extract business lessons.
  • Ghana — Place · Referenced growth market / origin story · 1 mention · first at
    A plastic surgeon describes growing up in Ghana and launching a pharmaceutical plant there as a path to billionaire status.
  • Ashtown — Place · Referenced origin location · 1 mention · first at
    A plastic surgeon cites growing up in Ashtown (Ghana) as part of a rags-to-riches narrative.
    Without God, I would not be here. How can a kid from Ghana, from the slums of Ghana? I grew up in a place called Ashtown. How can a kid from Ashtown be on my wra make it to…

Sponsors

  • May 28th — Event · Promotional event date · 3 mentions · first at
    The host promotes a free virtual event on May 28th providing live Zoom access to three billionaires.
  • Billionaire Day — Event · Promoted virtual event · 1 mention · first at
    The host markets a free, live Zoom event giving attendees access to three billionaires on May 28th.

Full transcript with timestamps

Is this your Rolls-Royce? Yeah. I have the biggest business media channel in the entire world called the School of Hard Knocks where I interview guys like Shaq, Mark Cuban. What did you What did you What did you do to get a Rolls-Royce? I invented 1981. This car was 520 grand. I could buy a hundred of them brand new. Excuse me, sir. Question for you. How old were you when you made your first million? About 34. And what do you do for a living out here in Beverly Hills? I actually roll burritos for a living. You roll burritos? I do. What do you mean? I'm the CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. You're the CEO of Chipotle? I am.

What's the most amount of money you made in a single year as a CEO? 9 million. $9 million. So, what was the worst financial decision that you made throughout your career? Marriage, actually. No. Marrying the wrong person. Excuse me, sir. How did you get rich? Excuse me. How did you get rich? You said I was rich. Come on. I can tell. Come on. I'm just a boy just like all y'all. What did you do to become wealthy? What line of business were you in? You're not with the news, are you? No. I was part of an organized crime group in New York and I made my first million dollars that way. Organized crime. Organized crime. Mafia. You were in the mafia? Yeah. Your last message to the younger generation, give them one more that's not because you were a high school dropout. But you but you made more than 99.9% of business professors everywhere. Give them one more tactical lesson about business that's not taught

in school. I always say two things, too. You want success in life, get these two things right. Number one, guys, today I'm in Beverly Hills, one of the wealthiest zip codes in the entire world, home to some of the richest people on planet Earth. And today I'm going to be cold approaching multi-millionaires and billionaires out here in Beverly Hills to ask them the real question that everybody wants to know. How did you get rich and build your fortune? We're going to be figuring out what these people did to build multi-million dollar and billion dollar companies and how you can do the same.

So stay tuned until the end cuz this one's going to be crazy. But let's get this video on the way. Is this your Rolls-Royce? Yeah. I have the biggest business media channel in the entire world called the School of Hard Knocks where I interview guys like Shaq, Mark Cuban. What did you What did you What did you do to get a Rolls-Royce? I invented gel nails. 1981, actually. So, you have you always been a business owner? 1981, I invented gel. What's the greatest lesson you've learned about entrepreneurship since 1981? That's 40 years ago. 40 years of business. 44 years ago. You got to keep trying, [ __ ] What's the most amount of money you made in a single year? I made over 100 million. How did you scale out to do over nine figures in sales? What was your secret to scale out? with $200 on Venice Beach. Here's a picture the first day on Venice Beach.

Oh my gosh. $200. So, and you invented that? How were you an innovator? How important was it for you kind of being an innovator and thinking like how did you come up with that idea? Tell me. Use gel on my teeth. I took it from my teeth. If stay in your teeth, they'll stay on your hands. Were you a good salesman? I always sell every day. What's your secret to selling? You got to sell yourself first. I got to go. There go. Can we pull up here real quick for one more minute? I promise. It'll be worth it. I promise you. We do 200 million views a month. 200 million. Yes, sir. And we have 12.7 million across social media followers, so it'll be worth it. Is this Tik Tok? Yes, sir. I got a chance to buy part of Tik Tok next week. Are you serious? You thinking about it? It's a lot of money, but it's the best platform in the world.

Absolutely. Did you borrow any money at any point in time? Did you raise money or was it all bootstrap? Never had a line of credit, never had a mortgage, never borrowed money in 44 years. Actually, why not? You didn't want to take on that risk from profit. Sell gel for $25 that cost a dollar. How'd you scale? Just kept putting the profit back in. Just reinvest and reinvest. What's more important? Product or distribution? Product and distribution. I'm in 90 countries. If you don't have the product, can't supply. How'd you go global? Cuz a lot of people, they don't think about those international markets that they can get into. Now, 1980s, I started traveling all over the world.

Myself, Africa, 26 hours with a half hour stopover. I knew in in the 80s that global was the play. What were those conversations like getting into foreign markets? Because a lot of people they hear people say, "Oh, globalization, globalization. How do you actually go on YouTube?" Thanks, brother. I appreciate I'm not here, but I still follow you. I appreciate you. It means a lot. Hire interpreters and you just keep going until you find somebody good. Were you a good negotiator? My mother said I could sell a cat off a dead fish truck. Did you come from a rich family? No. My father was a plumber. He used to clean [ __ ] in toilets. Now, as a $und00 million entrepreneur, what's the best financial advice you've been given? The best financial advice in the world, save your [ __ ] money and don't waste it on stupid [ __ ] This car was 520 grand. I bought it at an auction for 175. I could buy a hundred of them brand new, but I

wouldn't spend 500,000 on a car. Do you believe in God? Of course I believe in God. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't. How important has faith been for your success? 100%. Did you always 100%. Did you always have that belief in God or was it something that you kind of got at at a later age when you realized how important? I think the most important religion in the world is act on to others you wish them to act on to you. Don't do anything to anybody you wouldn't want them to do to you or your daughter. Now you're sitting in a Rolls-Royce. This is a lot of people's dream car. How can somebody own a Rolls-Royce in today's world? Give me one more golden nugget that a lot of people are missing out on. The younger generation, what are they missing out on in terms of business and creating financial freedom and creating the life that they want to live? Best thing to do is keep trying. Babe Ruth led the league

in home runs and strikeouts in the same year. This wasn't my first business. I failed three times before and I was 18, 19, and 22. But I kept shooting and then I hit the big one. So, you got to just keep trying. You can't give up. Could I get your number? Yeah, sure. Absolutely. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. It means a lot to me. Thank you. Big questions. Thank you, sir. That's why you got a big following. Yes, sir. Yeah, but you kept good questions coming. Absolutely. You didn't get stuck. So, we just interviewed a nine figure entrepreneur who was pulling up in his Rolls-Royce. You know, I had to stop for that interview. But my favorite part about that entire interview was when he said, "Save your money." Listen, the wealthiest people that I know are some of the most frugal people. He said, "I could buy 500 of these Rolls-Royces, brand new and in cash, but he chooses not to, cuz he's focused on building an

empire." Crazy start to this Beverly Hills video. We got to keep this one rolling and go get another one out here, you guys. Come on. Excuse me, sir. How did you get rich? Excuse me. How did you get rich? Who said I was rich? Come on. I can tell. Come on. I'm just a boy, just like all y'all. What did you do to become wealthy? What line of business were you in? I'm in the oil and gas business. I drill oil wells in Kansas. That's what I do. How did you get into oil and gas? Did you come from a lot of money? I did not. I came from nothing.

I'm a high school dropout, brother. So then what was your turning point to financial freedom if it wasn't instilled in you? Financial freedom. I think everybody's trying to get there, bro. You, me, her. So you're drilling oil and gas. Are you kind of doing the model where you're going to people's houses where you find the oil and you're like, "No, I'm not the land man. I'm just the guy who puts the deals together." So, you're the middleman. Something like that. So, there's a saying that I heard one time. I interviewed a really successful Wall Street gentleman that whenever wealth is transferred from one person to another, there's somebody in the middle there transferring the wealth, that person also becomes wealthy. Is that kind of what you're saying is is what's going on here? I think you could look at it that way, right? Give me your best sales and negotiation advice right here. That's

one of the biggest components that I've seen. Don't take no for an answer. So, you're big on persistence. 100%. How many times did you try to get a yes? like put it in perspective for them how hard it was to get those yeses sometimes. Some transactions come together easier than others. My friend, do you own a business? I own many businesses. Are you diversified or is it just oil and gas? Uh, I'm involved in a couple of different things. I don't have any more time to give you though, my friend. Could we get a minute with you walking real quick? Is that okay? Sure.

Why not? What do you What do you want to talk about? I got you right here. All right. So, across these businesses in terms of total revenue, what was the most amount of money you made in a year? Yeah, that's uh that's kind of a personal question, but I don't feel really comfortable answering the question. More than $10 million could be more than 100. No, certainly not. Definitely more than 10. If it was 100 million, I would be off in the south of France hanging out right now. Three of you. We're definitely in Beverly Hills that way. So, let me ask you this. How did you scale from a seven figure to an 8 figureure business? Let's talk about scaling. Listen, I'm a oneman I'm a oneman operation. You just got to be ready for the opportunity when it finds you. Do you think that you could have scaled a lot more if you brought other people? Sure. If I didn't spend so much time doing other things and enjoying

life, I probably could have. Now, give me the best financial advice that you ever got from a mentor. If there's Don't be afraid to spend money, you'll always make more. Scary money, don't make money is what you're saying. I mean, that's a saying, but that's a different thing. What I'm saying is when you're out there hustling, trying to make it happen. Don't be afraid to spend a few dollars and enjoy yourself along the way. So, was there an investment that you made where a lot of people were kind of telling you not to do it or they were doubting you maybe in an instance? And if so, kind of what happened? I think that's a good question, but I don't have an answer for that question other than to tell you I'm going that way. It's been real. Yeah. Enjoy your afternoon.

Your last message to the younger generation, give them one more that's not because you were a high school dropout, but you but you made more than 99.9% of business professors ever. Give them one more tactical lesson about business that's not taught in school. Don't take the first no or the second no. You got to be able to uh keep pushing forward. Just last one cuz you're in oil and gas is such a niche business. How does that how does that even happen? How do you even get into you know I met someone on the internet and you went into business together. He was already in the business. So relationships are very important. They are. Do you think what you know or who you know is more important? I think it depends on what you do for a living. I think in some cases who you know is more important than what you know and in other cases what you know is everything.

But when you first started you were a high school dropout. Man, this guy doesn't take no for a [ __ ] answer here. You're going to have to edit this part out. But real quick, you're a high school dropout. You didn't have credibility. How did you build that first relationship with a successful person to take you places that money can't? I run people over for fun, my friend. What do you mean you do? That means if you want something badly enough, you got to go out there and make it happen. I love it. You got amazing advice for appreciate you guys, man.

That's why you don't take dope for an answer, man. Got the oil and gas mogul coming down the street here. He was on the run, but I'm always going to do everything I can to get this game for you guys. It's not toxic. It's a high school dropout. Build a business doing more than $10 million a year. Crazy interview out here in Beverly Hills. Let's keep it rolling, you guys. Come on. Excuse me, sir. Sir, question for you. Yes. How old were you when you made your first million? I was 26. And what line of business were you in? A little different than most. Uh you're not with the news, are you? No. I have one of the I have one of the biggest business media channels in the world. We grew a channel to 12 million followers. Just asking people how they made it for the younger generation. So, we're going to be helping the younger people. Yes, sir. I was part of an organized crime group in New York and I made my first million

dollars that way. Organized crime. Organized crime. Mafia. You were in the mafia. How did you get into the mafia? My dad was the under boss of one of the major families, the Columbbo family. And my dad proposed me for membership. What's the most amount of money that you made in a single day? Well, let's go for a week. I mean, $10 million in a week. 102 million. We used to make between We used to bring into our operation 8 to $15 million a week. How is that possible? We were defrauding the government out of tax on every gallon of gasoline. And I was selling a half a billion gallons of gas a month, taking down 30, 40 cents a gallon. Can we interview you for a minute real quick?

Ask you a couple quick questions for the champ. As long as it's helping the kids. Yeah. Is that cool? Yeah. What's the lesson about business you learn from doing business in the mafia? That school will never teach somebody. Business is business. It's whether you're doing it on the street or you're doing it in a legitimate world. You got to follow a certain pattern. And I always went by the motto, do what you do best, delegate the rest. I got the right people around me. I motivated them to do the work that I knew I wouldn't do. And I was kind of the mastermind of the leader. and um worked out same way now. You brought up delegating. When you found those people, how did you retain those A players, that top talent? Cuz it's one of the hardest things to do in business. And we know that talent is ultimately the endgame in business. How do you keep great talent around you? Treat them right. Give them

your expectations right up front. Treat them right even though you're the boss and you're the leader. You know, I always said this, there's a difference between a leader and being a boss. You know, a leader is only a leader when somebody willingly wants to follow them. And so if you set that tone with your people and they believe in you and they're committed to the business, that's when you can have success and keep them. Unless they're doing something wrong and you noted, you know, they just want the right person.

Craziest deal you ever closed? No, you don't want to know. Tell me. Craziest deal I ever closed with the government. The US government. Back when you were in the mafia? How did that happen? I would rival that with sitting down with John Gotti. But the government was probably my most successful negotiation was with the government. Cuz if I didn't negotiate properly, I wouldn't be standing here. I'd be doing life in prison. So how did you negotiate with the government? I went in there with an advantage because they wanted me really bad and I had beaten them five times.

So, I knew I had the edge on them. They wanted to get a conviction on me. And so, if I was willing to give them that, then they had to give me something in return. Basically, I had a huge fine, huge restitution. I had a helicopter, jet plane. I gave them all of that. Gave him a bunch of money at the time, but I got a very low prison sentence as a result compared to what I could have got. You went to prison? I did. For how long? Eight years. What's the most interesting thing that you learned about people while you were in prison? I learned this in prison in a big way.

Anybody that's in prison that never got respect on the street wanted all the respect in prison. So I learned three things, three words that will help you get through your prison time pretty good. Please, thank you. Excuse me. You want to cut somebody on the line, please. You don't mind if I get ahead. You know, you don't disrespect them by just jumping in because that's disrespect. You know, they take it as a big thing. Somebody hands you something, you say thank you. You want something from somebody, you say please. Those three words go a long way. And do you believe in God? I do very much. I'm accountable to God in my life. And I always say two things, too. You want success in life, get these two things right. Number one, in this life, we are who we hang out with. You have to surround yourself with the right people.

No question about it. And number two, who you are accountable to in life is going to direct the path that you go on. So now, when I was on the street, I was accountable to my oath. I took an oath. I was accountable to my boss. I was a criminal. Now I'm accountable to my God first, to my family, my wife, my children. Don't want to get in trouble, so I do the right thing. Accountability is everything. For somebody who's questioning their belief in God, trying to find that relationship, what advice would you tell to them? How did you find your relationship and belief in God? You know, I was thrown in solitary confinement. I actually spent 3 years, 29 months and 7 days in solitary. And it was during that time that I I believe that there was an afterlife. There was an eternity. And I wanted to study every religion cuz I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life in prison and that would have been it. So, I studied

every faith and I came out of there believing in Christianity with all my heart. And you know, it's all about for me a relationship with God. It's not about rules, regulations, how do you turn your life around. It's about having a relationship and being accountable to God. When that happens with you, you're transformed from the inside out. You know, I'll tell you this. You can take the boy out of Brooklyn. You can't always take Brooklyn out of a boy. I still have the same thoughts I had when I was on the street. Sometimes things happen. I want to react a certain way.

But now, accountability to God. I don't want to get myself in trouble. Don't want to put my family in that situation. So, I behave differently. I react differently. Even though the thought process can be the same, I react differently. Did you tell me about a time where you got done wrong in business? Well, that happened more than once. Because remember, you're dealing with with people on the street. So, you put your little trust in somebody and you always you never trust anybody 100% no matter who it is. But I trusted in people, you know, I'll give you an example. This is silly example, but I give you an example. There's a guy that was really in bad shape. I gave him a job, right? I gave him $3,500 a week back then. This was in the late 70s, early 80s, to go to gas stations and collect my money. Somebody handed him a paper bag. They brought it to me. That was it. After about 6 months, he came to

me and asked for a raise. And I said to him, "Do you think you're worth $3,500 a week? I'm doing you a favor. What your problem is, you're counting the money in the bag and and looking at how much money I'm making and think that you deserve that." I said, "So, you're fired." And he, you know, I wasn't going to fire him. I was trying to teach him a lesson. I said, "No, you're fired. Don't talk to me ever again. You're gone." And he came back cuz he really needed the money, but I taught him a lesson. Don't count my money. Just do your job. That's it. Your last message to the younger generation. Somebody, they don't come from money. They don't come from a rich family. They want to make it like you did. What's your last message to the younger generation watching this right now? Give him one more golden nugget.

Let me tell you something. Determination is everything. Don't ever feel sorry for yourself. Don't ever think somebody's going to give you a hand out or help you. You got to work. When I started, my dad went away when I was a young kid. I got in serious trouble. I was on trial when I was 19 years old. I had no money. I had no money even to pay a lawyer, but I was determined to make it. So, you got to do it on your own. Don't expect anybody to help you. You got to be determined. And don't let anybody dissuade you. If you feel you have the ability to do something, then it's your determination that's going to make it happen. nothing else. I love it. You got amazing advice, my friend. Appreciate it. Thank you so much for your time.

Appreciate you, guys. One conversation with a billionaire changed the way I think about money forever. And that's why on May 28th, I'm doing something insane. I'm bringing three billionaires right to you so you can actually talk to them on a Zoom call live and not just watch them. And it's called Billionaire Day. And it's our first ever virtual event where we make it free to get access to billionaires. Did you know that 99% of people will never get mentored from a billionaire in their entire life? Well, on May 28th, I'm putting you face to face with not one, not two, but three of them. And it's 100% free. This isn't a live stream.

This isn't a course. This isn't a podcast. It's three private live calls on Zoom for one day with people who built generational wealth, where you'll be able to ask the billionaires your questions live. And it's 100% free. No pitch, no fluff, just pure value. But there is one catch. There will be no recordings. There will be no replays. You must be there live to get access. So, if you're seeing this before May 28th, you can still get in and grab your spot. That being said, once you miss this, it will be gone forever. I want you guys to understand that there's 800 billionaires in the United States, and on May 28th, I'm bringing three of them on a live call right to you. So, if you've ever wanted to sign to change your life, to build generational wealth, and start becoming financially free, this is it. Literally, guys, this has never happened in history. And I'm doing this to overd deliver for the School of

Hard Knocks family. So, if you want a spot, all you have to do is go down and click the link in the description of this video, and I'll see you on May 28th along with the billionaires. With that being said, let's go get this next interview. Excuse me, sir. Question for you. How old were you when you made your first million? About 34. How old are you now? 52. You're 52? And what do you do for a living out here in Beverly Hills? I'm a plastic surgeon. You're a plastic surgeon. Do you own your own practice? Yes. How long have you been a business owner? I've been in business here for about 13. It's my 13th year. and I go all over the world interviewing the most successful business owners for the younger generation. Can I get one minute with you for the channel real quick?

Right on my car. You get a minute? Just one second. What was the most amount of money that you've made in a single year? 9 million. $9 million. So, what was the worst financial decision that you made throughout your career? Marriage. Actually, marriage, you know, marrying the wrong person. I love the Bible. You know, it said for you to do well in life or it's part of God's principle is partners to be there equally yolked. Let's say a young entrepreneur is dating right now. What's the biggest red flag that you would look out for to tell you that that's not the right person for you? It's not the right person if you guys don't share the same faith. Period.

You have to share the same. You have to share the same faith because you know sharing the same faith that means your values are in alignment. You know you have share values, share beliefs and share the support. So these are the things and if you can't share all these with one person, you guys are not in sync. It won't work out. It won't work out. And then when the home phone is not good, it takes away your attention to create your creation. Your creative methodology goes down and you don't want that. Do you believe in God? Oh yes.

Without God, I would not be here. How can a kid from Ghana, from the slums of Ghana? I grew up in a place called Ashtown. How can a kid from Ashtown be on my wra make it to Beverly Hills to be one of the best plastic surgeons in the world? It's God. One of the best plastic surgeons in the world, you said. Yes, I do believe that. Yes. Have you ever met a billionaire before? Of course. I have a lot of billionaire friends and my goal is to be a billionaire so I can do more work actually. So, how are you going to become a billionaire? Give me the blueprint right now. Bluepoint diversification. I'm in the process of launching a pharmaceutical plant in Ghana. It's going to be the biggest plants in subsaharan Africa. When it's all said and done, West Africa will have pharmaceutical emancipation. That's the key to me becoming a billionaire. That's incredible, man. You think God wants people to be wealthy? Yeah. God, he

talks about in Genesis 1:26 that, you know, go ahead, take dominion over the land. God wants us all to prosper. And even Jeremiah 29:11, I have plans for you to prosper. So God wants all to prosper. Okay? It's not about money cuz some people are, you know, prosperous financially and some people are prosperous in different avenues. So God is the ultimate give up wealth. My man, that was that was amazing, my friend. We just interviewed a plastic surgeon out here in Beverly Hills that made $9 million in a single year. And he said, "I got goals to becoming a billionaire."

He said, "I know a lot of billionaires. I'm friends with them, but I want to become a billionaire." And what did he say he's doing? He's building a pharmaceutical plant out in Ghana in one of the wealthiest countries in Africa. Crazy good interview out here in Beverly Hills. And he just gave some amazing advice to you guys. We got to keep this one rolling and go get another one out here in Los Angeles. You guys, come on. Excuse me, sir. Sir, what did you do to become wealthy? I actually roll burritos for a living. You roll burritos? I do.

What do you mean? I'm the CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. You're the CEO of Chipotle? I am. Do you think I could interview you real quick? I I go all over the world interviewing the most successful people for the younger generation. Can I get one minute with you for a Sure. Yeah. Yeah, let's do that. Is that okay? Yeah, of course. Did you come from a lot of money? I did not. So, you didn't have rich parents. I grew up in very humble beginnings. How humble? My first job was at a McDonald's restaurant flipping burgers. My high school career, I spent washing dishes and we had to earn money. So, you went from dishwasher to the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world, pretty much. How in the world does that happen?

Come on. Look back at your career. Whether you recognize it or not, you're building a reputation within your industry. But I would tell you, you're always interviewing. And whether you think others are watching or not, believe me, they are. You will be judged on your ability to drive performance. And I'll tell you, you earn credibility by delivering results. Full stop. I always say that credibility kills all bad attitudes. It sure does. Everyone celebrates the winners. You know how you network with successful people become successful. There you go. I love this.

What is Chipotle going to do in revenue this year? We'll push close to 13 billion this year in annual sales, which is really incredible for our organization. We still feel like we can double that over the next 5 to 10 years. How is that possible? Uh just through growth in scale, both in in organic restaurant growth, individual restaurant growth as it relates to comp sales performance, but also in new restaurant growth. This year, we'll build between 315 to 345 new Chipotle restaurants. So, we're opening a Chipotle almost every 24 hours here in 2025. And we believe we can get to 7,000 restaurants in North America and then probably double that again outside the United States. How many locations does Chipotle have right now? Just over 3,800. But you guys, there's no franchising with Chipotle. No franchise. I think it's important for us to protect the integrity of the brand.

And I have been largely unwilling at this point to allow someone else to run the brand because I don't know that anyone can do it better than we can internally. And so I think brands get into franchising when they get to a scale that they feel like they can't manage or they need investment. And so they they look for other partners. At Chipotle, we have an extraordinary balance sheet. We call it a fortress balance sheet. We have just over two billion in cash or cash equivalents on the balance sheet with zero debt today.

And we generate enough cash to continue to put cash in our reserves, do share buybacks quarterly, as well as support our own growth. What's the best advice you ever receive from a mentor that business school won't teach somebody? So, there's a difference between responsibility and accountability. If you and I are both responsible for a task, who's accountable? No one. And so, we talk about this idea in operations around who's accountable. Who's the one person that has to ensure that this job gets done? We may share responsibility, but one of us has to be accountable. You know, they don't teach that in school, right? I know you have another business analogy like that that could help some people out. There's an old adage in this industry. You can't save your way to prosperity. And I would lean into this idea of abundance versus scarcity, meaning I continue to invest in the consumer experience, continue to invest

in the team member experience, and that will always pay outsized dividends for you and your firm. You got amazing advice, my friend. Thank you. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you spending time with you guys. What's your name? Scott. Scott. Great to meet you. Yeah, good to meet you, bro. You guys, Beverly Hills was incredible, but I need you guys to like and subscribe for amazing content we've got coming every single week because I'm traveling the world every week to go find and interview the wealthiest and the most successful business owners for you. And if you watching this right now want direct access to the millionaires and billionaires that I interview, I give it to you guys every single week inside of my private entrepreneur community that I built this last year that has now become the number one community for business owners in the entire world because every single week you have the ability to get

access to the people that I interview on live calls where you can ask your questions directly to them and get personalized one-on-one mentorship and advice every week. So, if you want to join the community, the School of Mentors, the number one community for business owners in the world, down to the link in the description of this video. I can't wait to see you on the inside.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Asking Beverly Hills Billionaires How They Got So RICH!"?

Scott (Host), CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill (Guest), Plastic Surgeon (Guest), Mafia Member (Guest), Oil and Gas Businessman (Guest).

What is "Asking Beverly Hills Billionaires How They Got So RICH!" about?

The content explores the insights and experiences of billionaires and millionaires in Beverly Hills, highlighting their diverse paths to wealth, including unconventional backgrounds such as entrepreneurship in fast food and involvement in organized crime. By directly engaging these affluent individuals, key lessons on financial success and personal choices are revealed, emphasizing the…

What is mentioned in this School of Hard Knocks episode?

20 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Beverly Hills, Chipotle, God, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Sales, Investment. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Asking Beverly Hills Billionaires How They Got So RICH!"?

The episode runs 23 min; the transcript is about 6,022 words in 43 timestamped sections.

More from School of Hard Knocks

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.