@theventure — 24x breakout selling NetJets

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THIS RAPPER GOT DROPPED AFTER ONE ALBUM, THEN SOLD HIS PRIVATE-JET COMPANY TO WARREN BUFFETT.

@theventure

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Promoted product

NetJets

NetJets is the world’s largest private jet company, offering fractional aircraft ownership and private jet card programs. Experience the ultimate in private jet travel, from departure to return.

Why it worked

The video uses a compelling narrative arc, starting with an unlikely premise (rapper turned jet company mogul) and following a journey of innovation and perseverance. The inclusion of recognizable figures like Warren Buffett and 50 Cent adds significant interest and credibility.

Summary

The video tells the story of Jesse Itzler, who went from being a rapper with one hit song to founding a private jet company. After facing initial rejection, he created a card offering pre-paid private jet hours, which eventually led to NetJets acquiring his company for a significant sum.

Structure

1Jesse's early career as a rapper
2His transition to entrepreneurship with a music label
3The creation of a private jet card concept
4

Original caption

Jesse Itzler sells things before he has them. He sold the New York Knicks an anthem he had not written, then recorded it in his closet. He sold 25 hours of private jet flying before anyone had agreed to lend him a plane. He commits first and works out the delivery afterwards. The best example is the one nobody talks about. Itzler was backing a coconut water brand called Zico and wanted Coca-Cola to buy it, so he told Coke's chief executive that Matt Damon was behind it. Damon was not. Itzler went and got him, and Damon ended up climbing a coconut tree on camera for the brand. It works because he only promises what he can deliver. Damon already had a coconut tree in his garden, so it was a fair bet rather than a lie. Even then the deal took four years. Coca-Cola bought a minority stake in 2009, took control in 2012, and bought the rest in 2013. He has not stopped. He paid David Goggins to live in his house for a month and wrote a bestseller about it, built and sold an endurance event where people climb a mountain until they have done the height of Everest, and bought into the Atlanta Hawks. He is married to the woman who invented Spanx. In 2021, Coca-Cola sold Zico back to the man who founded it. Follow @theventure for the greatest founder stories ever told.