Today is the first day of Joe Rogan's new $100 million deal with Spotify.
He runs the world's most popular podcast, but most people don't know Joe's story.
Time for a thread 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
He runs the world's most popular podcast, but most people don't know Joe's story.
Time for a thread 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
1) Joe Rogan was born in Newark, NJ and comes from Italian and Irish decent.
His father was a police officer and his parents got divorced when Joe was only 5 years old.
Joe and his father haven't spoken since he was 7 years old.
His father was a police officer and his parents got divorced when Joe was only 5 years old.
Joe and his father haven't spoken since he was 7 years old.
2) Joe Rogan's parents' divorce was mainly due to frequent episodes of domestic abuse.
Rogan has said he doesn't hate his father, but you can imagine the challenges for a child to experience that situation.
Rogan has said he doesn't hate his father, but you can imagine the challenges for a child to experience that situation.
3) Joe Rogan and his mother moved around the United States often during his childhood.
He lived in Newark, San Francisco, Gainesville, and they eventually landed in Boston, Massachusetts.
Boston was home throughout high school and Joe's early career.
He lived in Newark, San Francisco, Gainesville, and they eventually landed in Boston, Massachusetts.
Boston was home throughout high school and Joe's early career.
4) Throughout his teenage years, Joe Rogan became one of the world's best mixed martial artists.
He claims his interest in the combat sport was because he was "terrified of being a loser."
At 19, he won the US Open Championship taekwondo tournament.
He claims his interest in the combat sport was because he was "terrified of being a loser."
At 19, he won the US Open Championship taekwondo tournament.
5) Joe Rogan retired from competitive martial arts at the young age of 21.
He was starting to experience head injuries and wanted to prevent further damage.
With the closing of one door, another opened.
He was starting to experience head injuries and wanted to prevent further damage.
With the closing of one door, another opened.
6) Rogan's buddies from martial arts always thought he was hilarious, so they convinced him to perform at a standup comedy club.
Joe was nervous and refused to do it for 6 months.
He took the time to prepare material and practice diligently, before finally taking the stage.
Joe was nervous and refused to do it for 6 months.
He took the time to prepare material and practice diligently, before finally taking the stage.
7) Joe Rogan's comedy career got off to a rough start.
He taught martial arts, delivered newspapers, drove a limousine, did construction work & completed duties for a private investigator to earn income on the side.
Eventually Rogan moved to NYC to do comedy full-time.
He taught martial arts, delivered newspapers, drove a limousine, did construction work & completed duties for a private investigator to earn income on the side.
Eventually Rogan moved to NYC to do comedy full-time.
8) In 1994, Joe Rogan moved to Los Angeles.
He started on a MTV comedy show, but eventually signed a development deal with Disney.
When asked if he could act, Rogan responded with "If you can lie, you can act, and if you can lie to crazy girlfriends, you can act under pressure"
He started on a MTV comedy show, but eventually signed a development deal with Disney.
When asked if he could act, Rogan responded with "If you can lie, you can act, and if you can lie to crazy girlfriends, you can act under pressure"
9) Rogan's acting career included stints on NBC's NewsRadio, Fox's Hardball, and a pilot show called Overseas.
Throughout his acting career, he continued to hone his craft of comedy by doing frequent standup routines at Hollywood's famous Comedy Store.
Throughout his acting career, he continued to hone his craft of comedy by doing frequent standup routines at Hollywood's famous Comedy Store.
10) Toward the end of his acting career, Rogan did a few fight interviews for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
He eventually had to quit because they weren't able to pay him enough money to travel to various event locations.
He eventually had to quit because they weren't able to pay him enough money to travel to various event locations.
11) When the UFC was bought in 2001 by Zuffa, Dana White recruited Rogan to be a color commentator.
Rogan refused to be paid at first, but was compensated with great tickets for him and his friends.
After numerous events, Rogan agreed to become a salaried color commentator.
Rogan refused to be paid at first, but was compensated with great tickets for him and his friends.
After numerous events, Rogan agreed to become a salaried color commentator.
12) Rogan was pursuing other endeavors alongside his UFC work.
He signed a record deal with Warner Bros Records, started developing a TV show called The Joe Rogan Show, and even looked into making a cartoon.
Those plans all went to the wayside when NBC came calling again.
He signed a record deal with Warner Bros Records, started developing a TV show called The Joe Rogan Show, and even looked into making a cartoon.
Those plans all went to the wayside when NBC came calling again.
13) This is when Joe Rogan became the host of Fear Factor, a popular TV show that challenged contestants to do crazy things.
Rogan claims he took the job to get material for his standup routine, which makes this career move even more awesome.
Rogan claims he took the job to get material for his standup routine, which makes this career move even more awesome.
14) Fear Factor ended up being a national success and Rogan drastically increased his fame.
This newfound recognition led to many other opportunities, but none were noteworthy until the 2009 launch of what would become The Joe Rogan Experience.
This newfound recognition led to many other opportunities, but none were noteworthy until the 2009 launch of what would become The Joe Rogan Experience.
15) From 2009 until today, Joe Rogan has pioneered various forms of content on the internet.
He has built the #1 podcast in the world, including interviews with pretty much every celebrity you can think of.
The show was downloaded more than 2.5 billion times in 2019.
He has built the #1 podcast in the world, including interviews with pretty much every celebrity you can think of.
The show was downloaded more than 2.5 billion times in 2019.
16) Many people criticize Rogan for his willingness to engage in conversations that touch on sensitive and/or controversial topics.
He is widely considered to be a core member of the Intellectual Dark Web — an informal group that seeks truth over consensus.
He is widely considered to be a core member of the Intellectual Dark Web — an informal group that seeks truth over consensus.
17) After building the largest podcast in the world, Rogan ultimately signed an exclusive licensing contract with Spotify.
They will host his audio and video episodes, while his highlight clips will still be posted to YouTube.
The contract is reportedly worth $100+ million.
They will host his audio and video episodes, while his highlight clips will still be posted to YouTube.
The contract is reportedly worth $100+ million.
18) The details of Rogan's contract with Spotify are not widely known.
Regardless of the details, it is obvious that he got paid a lot of money for licensing the content exclusively to the streaming platform.
Regardless of the details, it is obvious that he got paid a lot of money for licensing the content exclusively to the streaming platform.
19) Most people know Joe Rogan for the podcast or for Fear Factor.
They didn't see the decades of work that he has put into honing his craft and perfecting his niche in the world.
Rogan epitomizes the idea of an "overnight success."
They didn't see the decades of work that he has put into honing his craft and perfecting his niche in the world.
Rogan epitomizes the idea of an "overnight success."
20) Whether you love or hate him, you have to respect the fact that Rogan built one of the most powerful content platforms in the world.
He has a bigger audience than most legacy media organizations and his influence can't be understated.
Hard work pays off.
He has a bigger audience than most legacy media organizations and his influence can't be understated.
Hard work pays off.
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