Tai Lopez, the “here in my garage” guy who bragged about being prouder of his books than his Lamborghini Gallardo, was everywhere. His pre-roll ads played before nearly every YouTube video, spawning countless parodies and references. That iconic opening line became a strange little part of car culture lore ... until now.
Tai Lopez still runs his financial advice channel, boasting 2.49 million subscribers, though recent videos only scrape modest views. He posted a new video just last week, showing he is still active in the space. But last Friday, everything took a nosedive. The US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Lopez, along with Retail Ecommerce Ventures co-founder Alexander Mehr and COO Maya Burkenroad, with a high-stakes mess of fraud. The SEC accuses them of fraudulent securities offerings, misusing investor funds, and running a scheme that looks alarmingly like a Ponzi operation.
For those who grew up hearing that catchphrase before every viral video, this is a harsh twist. Tai Lopez, once a symbol of flashy internet hustling, now stands accused of scamming investors and betraying trust. The Lamborghini and books are a long-gone backdrop to a story that turned out far darker than those viral videos ever hinted.