An interesting story about Dan Bilzerian, whom many know as the king of Instagram. The guy really looks like the embodiment of luxury, but where exactly his money comes from is a more complicated question.

Officially, Bilzerian’s net worth is estimated at over $200 million. Everyone is used to associating this with his legendary poker matches with crazy bets, but the picture is much more interesting. Yes, he plays poker, yes, he has the vape company Ignite International Brands, yes, he occasionally appears in movies. But the real source of his wealth is a completely different story.

It turns out that a significant part of his fortune doesn’t come from his own activities but from family inheritance. His father built a serious business, and in addition, a trust fund was set up for Dan and his brother Adam. Wow — it turns out that most of Bilzerian’s wealth has family roots rather than being the result of his personal poker wins.

Regarding Ignite, it’s worth mentioning separately. The electronic cigarette manufacturing company indeed brought him fame and used his image in marketing, but in 2019, the company lost $50 million. Although this didn’t bankrupt Bilzerian thanks to his financial cushion.

Don’t forget about sponsorship deals either. For example, a deal with Reebok costs him about $5 million a year — a pretty good income just for being a well-known personality.

So, the story about Bilzerian’s wealth shows that even in the age of social media and personal branding, when it seems like anyone can get rich on their own, it often works as a combination: family capital, a successful personal brand, and the ability to monetize it all. What do people think about this?