Viral 2010s Entrepreneur, Tai Lopez, Credits His $100,000,000 YouTube Ad to Time He Spent Living With the Amish

Tai Lopez used to be the most-hated man on the internet.

Tai, pointing to his new Lamborghini in the infamous "Here in my garage" video.Photo byTai Lopez / YouTube

Not because of illicit behaviour.

Or major controversy.

But because of how many darn times you had to hear him say,

"Here in my garage, just bought this new Lamborghini here".

If you weren't an avid YouTube viewer in the mid-2010s, the 10 words above represent one of the first entrepreneurs to invest heavily in YouTube ads.

The then, 38-year-old self-help guru, and California native, created the viral ad to promote his online "67-step" program -- steps that allowed him to "make money while travelling and having fun."

The advertisement can now be found on Tai's YouTube channel, titled "Here in my garage (Official)", with 71 million views. But, in its heyday, it would reach many more, and has earned the self-help guru a self-reported $100,000,000 in revenue.

A viral hit in which Tai chalks up to "good copywriting."

But, ironically, the skills that allowed Tai to create the infamous ad didn't start with a hunger for money or "materialistic things." In fact, it was from his time working as a farmhand before a short stint living with the Amish.

Born in Long Beach California, Tai was raised in a trailer park. After gaining initial work experience under now famed organic farmer, Joel Salatin, Tai became obsessed with a small community of neighbouring Amish.

On an episode of The Iced Coffee Hour, he recounts what was so appealing about their culture.

"I didn't have a very happy childhood and the Amish are like super happy people... I guess I was fighting my demons and I was like, 'I wonder what it would be like to go live with like peaceful people... It was a very cathartic experience.'"

Through this experience, Tai was able to see the world in a way most people never do -- living the simple life. Tai was also able to experience a late-life upbringing polar opposite to his own -- one where parents didn't yell, get divorced, or move away.

Tai re-visiting his roots on an Amish farm (2018).Photo byEveryday Tai Lopez / YouTube

He also learned many valuable lessons such as hard work, how to cure boredom with books, and most importantly, the value of community. Skills that would undoubtedly contribute to the powerful hook behind his viral YouTube ad -- one that would go on to fund the next chapter of his life.

Ironically, after nearly 5 years of living the simple life, Tai returned to society in his late twenties to begin building his business -- full of glitz, glamour, and plenty of electricity.

Speaking about one of his first businesses, in the nightlife scene, Tai recounts cashing in on the lessons he learned from living with the Amish.

"This is going back to what I learned at the Amish, build a community, build a tribe... that's basically what social media is... you've built your tribe.. everything from YouTube to TikTok to OnlyFans... humans are chasing their tribe."

This understanding of humans' innate tribal nature lent itself to one of the key selling points of his 67-step program -- community.

But, reflecting on his drastic pendulum swing from living in Swoope Virginia driving tractors to the Hollywood hills and Lamborghinis, he admits his unique upbringing made him soft -- or more balanced, depending on how you look at it.

Nearing the end of the conversation, Tai ponders how his life may have been different if he hadn't spent time living with the Amish:

"I wonder, what would have happened if I hadn't gone to the Amish. I think I would have been a better businessman, more ruthless."

Learn more about Tai's story of unlikely success, here.

Hey, I'm Hudson! I write about social media, marketing, and modern entrepreneurship. Hit follow for more stories like this one.