The truth behind the ANDREW TATE controversy: how banned TikTok star, made his millions. And what you can learn from him

If you haven’t heard of him, you’re either living under a rock or have no access to the internet, because Andrew Tate is EVERYWHERE. Or at least he has been everywhere until his recent removal from social media platforms.

Most people know him as one of the most controversial men on the internet, but he’s also a successful businessman, a very successful one at that. 

I’m not here to pass judgement on Andrew Tate as an individual or comment on his internet personality – I really couldn’t give a toss about that. I’m here to explore how he made his way into the business world, how he’s grown his empire and most importantly, what we can learn from him. 

Who is Andrew Tate?

American-British Emory Andrew Tate lll.

Andrew Tate is a British-born professional kickboxer, entrepreneur, and YouTuber who gained fame for his controversial and outspoken opinions. He was born on December 1, 1986, in Washington, England, and grew up in a family of martial artists.

His father was an international chess master who taught his son everything he knew.

Tate is a four-time world kickboxing champion and has won numerous other titles in his career. He started training in martial arts at the age of 6 and began competing in kickboxing tournaments at the age of 16. He turned professional at the age of 19 and quickly rose to prominence in the sport. He won four prestigious titles. 

In 2009, Tate appeared in series seven of Big Brother. Whilst on the show, a pornographic video of him appeared on the internet which led to his controversial removal from the show.

That’s when he turned his hand to growing his business empire. 

In addition to his success in kickboxing, Tate is also an entrepreneur and has founded several businesses, including a digital marketing agency and a webcam studio. He is also an active YouTuber, with a channel that has over 250,000 subscribers. He is known for his controversial and often polarizing opinions on topics such as politics, masculinity, and relationships.

Tate has been the subject of several controversies over the years, including accusations of racism and misogyny. He has also been involved in public feuds with other online personalities, including YouTuber KSI and fitness model Paige Hathaway.

Despite the controversies surrounding him, Tate has a dedicated following of fans who appreciate his unapologetic and outspoken personality.

Webcams 

Tate is often known for causing controversy, but one of his most criticised business ventures was, in fact, his first. After stumbling across a webcam ad on a website, Tate contacted several of his ‘girlfriends’ and encouraged them to quit their jobs and work for him and his brother. Two agreed and began working for him as cam girls at his home. In just a few years, he recruited upwards of 75 girls across four locations (homes he rented) and was pocketing 50% of the earnings. Following a supposed altercation with one of the women, he packed his bags, pocketed $30M in cash (apparently) and decided to concentrate on other avenues. Presently, it’s claimed he has little involvement in the company but still takes a generous 20- 30% cut of his former girlfriends’ incomes. 

Andrew Tate’s Casinos 

Andrew Tate has also ventured into the casino business and has been involved in the development and management of several casinos in Europe. He is the founder of the Blackrock Casino in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

The Blackrock Casino is a luxurious casino that offers a wide range of games, including roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. The casino also has a VIP area for high rollers and a sports betting area. The casino’s interior is designed to provide a luxurious and comfortable experience for its customers, with plush seating and elegant decor.

Tate has also been involved in the development of several other casinos, including the Casino 23 in Moldova and the Diamond Casino in the Georgian city of Batumi. These casinos are also known for their high-end amenities and luxurious interiors.

Tate’s foray into the casino business is not surprising, given his background in entrepreneurship and his success in other ventures. He has described himself as a risk-taker and someone who enjoys taking on new challenges.

Despite his success in the casino business, Tate has also been the subject of controversy in this area. In 2018, the UK’s Gambling Commission fined one of his companies, Bets of Mates, for not having adequate anti-money laundering measures in place. The company was fined £160,000, and Tate issued a public apology for the incident.

Overall, Andrew Tate’s casinos are known for their luxurious and high-end offerings, but they have also been the subject of controversy in the past.

Hustlers University 

In 2021, Tate, launched Hustlers University, a monthly subscription platform offering unlimited access to different business consultancy and tips on topics such as Crypto, Stocks & Trading, E-Commerce and many more. Priced at $50 per month, Tate claimed that at its peak Hustlers had over 120,000 members, raking in millions of dollars a month – but at the time of writing, the site was shut down following his ban from social media.  

In exchange for a commission, Tate encouraged his members to recruit other like-minded people who wanted to earn anywhere between “10K to 500K a month in their selected field”. It has since been branded a ‘pyramid scheme’ and ‘scam’, though reports suggest Tate has plans to launch Hustler’s University 3.0 following the financial success of the first. 

The War Room 

The War Room joins wealthy businessmen and those who strive to be, in discussions about borrowing money, finances and women. In other words, glorified networking (ish). This exclusive community connects male members via virtual rooms, to discuss various topics including finance, fitness, biohacking, news leaks and more and to help individuals learn, grow and succeed in specific fields. It’s safe to say we can draw similarities from Hustler’s University, but the stark difference is that The War Room charges a more meaty one-off fee of £4,147 which increases over time as it gains more members. 

Social Media 

Very early on, Tate made a name for himself for his extremely controversial comments, amassing millions of followers across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok over the years. Whilst it’s unknown how much money he made from his social media accounts, he used his online ‘stardom’ to promote Hustlers University and The War Room, successfully recruiting more paying members. 

What can we learn from Andrew Tate?

In all areas of business, there are fans and critics. But in Tate’s situation, he has used any and all media attention, (good and bad), to promote his companies. 

Business is like chess

There are a lot of comparisons we can draw from chess in terms of how you run a business. From a very young age, Tate understood that you need to anticipate every move, consider all possible outcomes and pay attention to every piece on the board before taking your turn- the same applies to business. The more moves ahead you can think and the better you can anticipate your opponents’ moves, the more successful you will be. 

Only those closest to Tate will know whether his misogynistic and offensive remarks about women in particular are his ACTUAL beliefs. But what we do know is he utilised the media attention to promote and consequently expand some of his businesses- was it his plan all along? 

Being liked can help you on your way to the top and in many circumstances, it’s certainly beneficial. But what is more important than being liked is being KNOWN. Sometimes you need to think outside of the box to make your name and brand known, and that doesn’t necessarily mean you will be liked. 

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel 

Casinos have been around for hundreds of years, there’s nothing new there. But what can we take from Tate’s transition into the casino industry, and is there a lesson to be learnt? Tate opened a casino and offered visitors free coffee – nothing extravagant, right? Maybe not, but it did set his business apart from the competition as mentioned previously.

Tate’s success in the casino biz proves that not every venture has to be the first of its kind. It doesn’t have to be a new, revolutionary concept. But it does need to have its own unique brand and selling point, otherwise, what can you possibly offer to a customer that they haven’t had, seen or experienced before? 

Vanilla doesn’t sell.

Tate is controversial. He’s hated by many. But one thing he’s certainly not is boring because boring doesn’t sell. A brand isn’t just a business, it’s the people behind it and in the case of Tate, his personal brand helped his companies, particularly The War Room and Hustler’s University, boom.

As noted earlier, Tate made his social debut on Big Brother and quickly developed a reputation for being a bit of a knob. He was kicked out, as we know, and received a lot of online hate. You’d think that would be the end of it, but guess what, it was just the beginning- he used his ‘fame’ to profit.

If you didn’t already know, I appeared on Channel 5’s, Rich House, Poor House, a few years back and had no qualms whatsoever about showing my real personality to viewers. Because whether or not people liked me, (obviously I hoped they would!), I knew it would help get my name out there more,  gain me more followers on social media and ultimately benefit my businesses and increase the opportunities available to me. Would I do something like that again? Absolutely. And should you ever get the opportunity, my advice is to jump at it!

The fact of the matter is, you don’t need to sprawl a load of misogynistic, violent comments to promote your brand, as much as it has benefited Tate. But you do need to stand for something, and that needs to come across in whatever way necessary because people don’t pay for vanilla, they just don’t.

Have multiple lines of revenue 

When you are reliant on one of anything you are at risk. And if that one thing you are relying on isn’t even under your control then you are even more at risk.

Seeing Tate getting kicked off social media platforms just makes me think of all the times I see people online complaining about being locked out of their Facebook accounts or having their Instagram accounts hacked. These people who generate all of their traffic from this one particular source all of a sudden have their business put in serious jeopardy.

If you generate all of your customers from Instagram and that network goes down, where does that leave you? Fucked! 

Whether it is social media, certain members of your sales team, a key member of staff, or a single finance provider – I am sure your business is over-reliant on one single source in too many areas.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

In Tate’s case, his recent ban from social media is a financial blow, but he’s still profiting from his other businesses. Like me, he’s invested in and grown multiple companies to ensure that in the event of one failing, he’s still got money coming in from other sources.

In Summary

He may be a knob, but he is a successful one! And there is a lot to be learned so that your business can thrive too. So whenever you see someone garnering a lot of online attention, don’t join the masses and get involved in trivial banter about them. Use it as an opportunity to study someone you can learn and benefit from, even if you may not like their personality.

Need some more no-bullshit advice and tips to help your business succeed? Get in touch via this page or follow me on social media.