Patrick Bet-David
Born 1978 · Age 48
Iranian-American entrepreneur, author, media personality, founder of PHP Agency and Valuetainment, and host of the PBD Podcast.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth in Tehran, Iran
Born in Tehran into a Christian family of Assyrian and Armenian descent.
Family flees Iran; refugee camp in Germany
Bet-David and his parents left Iran as refugees during the Iran–Iraq War; spent time in a refugee camp in Erlangen, West Germany.
Childhood work — collecting cans
As a child he collected cans and bottles to raise money to help his family and buy items like a Nintendo.
Immigrated to the United States; settled in Glendale, CA
The family immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Glendale, California (sources indicate arrival around 1990 when he was ~12).
Joined the U.S. Army (101st Airborne)
After high school Bet-David joined the U.S. Army and served with the 101st Airborne Division (exact enlistment year not specified; estimated after high school).
Hired as Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
Hired at the Glendale branch as a financial advisor on September 10, 2001.
Joined Transamerica (financial services)
Left Morgan Stanley and later worked at Transamerica for nearly eight years (exact start year not specified; 2002 is an estimated start to fit 'nearly eight years' before founding PHP in 2009).
Founded PHP Agency
Founded PHP Agency, a multilevel marketing company focused on life insurance and financial services. Initial team ~66 agents (source indicates he founded at age 30 with 66 agents).
Married Jennifer Bet-David
Marriage to Jennifer Bet-David (sources indicate marriage year as 2009).
Launched Valuetainment YouTube channel
Launched Valuetainment, a media channel focused on entrepreneurship and business content (Wikipedia date: November 9, 2012).
Uploaded viral video 'The Life of an Entrepreneur in 90 Seconds'
Short video went viral and significantly increased his public profile; reported view counts range into tens of millions (NationalToday notes upload Oct 31, 2015).
Published 'The Life of an Entrepreneur in 90 Pages' (book adaptation)
NationalToday reports the 2015 viral video was published as a book in 2016 titled 'The Life of an Entrepreneur in 90 Pages'.
Birth of daughter Senna Rose
One of his children, Senna Rose, born May 27, 2016 (source: Mabumbe profile).
Announced plans to attend Harvard Business School (online post)
Reportedly announced on his website in September 2016 that he was going to Harvard Business School (announcement reported by NationalToday).
PHP Agency raises $10 million expansion capital
Reportedly raised $10 million in expansion capital from investors including Atalaya Capital, Gabriel Brener, Oscar De La Hoya, and Ambina Partners.
PHP reaches large agent footprint (reported)
Sources report PHP grew to thousands of agents (NationalToday cites ~12,000 agents across 49 states; other sources list higher counts later). Year association is reported around this growth period.
PHP Agency convention with ~8,000 attendees
PHP hosted a convention with over 8,000 attendees; speakers included Kobe Bryant and former President George W. Bush (reported in coverage of 2019 event).
High-profile interviews on Valuetainment
Over time Bet-David interviewed many notable figures (examples across years include Kevin Hart, Mark Cuban, Ray Dalio, Magic Johnson, Steve Wozniak, Donald Trump). Dates vary by interview.
Critical Daily Beast article on PHP's business model
The Daily Beast published an article alleging PHP's model relied more on recruitment fees than insurance sales and raised criticisms of earnings claims.
Launched PBD Podcast (PBD.Podcast)
Expanded into political commentary and long-form interviews with the PBD Podcast; infobox indicates PBD Podcast years active from 2020.
MIT Technology Review critique
MIT Technology Review published criticism (May 7, 2020) alleging his platform hosted anti-vaccine and COVID-19 misinformation and that interviews were often non-confrontational.
Published 'Your Next Five Moves'
Co-authored with Greg Dinkin; published Aug 18, 2020 (Gallery Books).
Birth of daughter Brooklyn Ivy
Reported birth of daughter Brooklyn Ivy on June 26, 2021 (source: Mabumbe profile).
PHP Agency acquired by Integrity Marketing Group
PHP Agency was acquired by Integrity (a fellow MLM/insurance marketing company) in 2022; some sources describe Bet-David's proceeds as a 'multi-nine-figure exit' (language varies by source).
Interview with Reza Pahlavi (Crown Prince of Iran)
Valuetainment/PBD content included an interview with Reza Pahlavi reported Nov 20, 2023.
Published 'Choose Your Enemies Wisely'
Published 'Choose Your Enemies Wisely: Business Planning for the Audacious Few' (Dec 5, 2023), co-authored with Greg Dinkin per publisher listing.
Published 'The Academy' (book)
Published 'The Academy' in 2024 (Permuted Press; ISBN listed in sources).
Valuetainment conventions featuring celebrity speakers
Valuetainment platform grew into a media company and hosted conventions featuring high-profile speakers (references include Dwayne Johnson, Nick Saban among speakers).
Public criticisms and scrutiny intensify
Between 2019–2024 multiple media outlets (Daily Beast, MIT Tech Review, Media Matters, Coffeezilla) publicly criticized Bet-David and PHP's structure and Valuetainment's platform practices.
Interview with Bishop Mari Emmanuel referenced
Valuetainment hosted/interviewed Bishop Mari Emmanuel; coverage referenced in April 2024 (Jerusalem Post article dated April 15, 2024).
Media Matters critique of PBD podcast
Media Matters published criticism (May 13, 2024) alleging the podcast provided a platform for far-right figures and bigoted/conspiratorial views.
Opinion piece: Advised Trump on 2016 messaging
Bet-David authored an article published July 30, 2024 (RealClearPolitics) advising Donald Trump to return to 2016-style speeches and messaging.
YouTube & podcast audience metrics (snapshot)
Wikipedia snapshot (Oct 21, 2024) lists Valuetainment subscribers at ~6.39M and PBD Podcast at ~2.21M; combined views ~475M for PBD info block.
Public net worth estimates reported ~200M
Profiles compiled in 2024–2025 (Mabumbe, NationalToday) list estimated net worth around $200 million based on businesses, investments, and an exit from PHP.
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