Podcast: Moneywise (LS 54 · TOP 0.5% what is this?)
Episode: $13M But Zero Cash: Why Net Worth Is a Lie
Pub date: 2025-04-15

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If you're a founder doing at least $3M/year in sales, check out Hampton: https://www.joinhampton.com/.

Mike Brown built an oil & gas empire, scaled his net worth to nearly $20 million, but ended up cash poor, losing $1.8M in a failed bet, and borrowing money from his wife to pay taxes. Now, he’s rebuilt his fortune, redefined what wealth really means, and is living a life designed around freedom, not just big numbers.

Here’s what we talk about:

• How Mike went from $2K in his bank account to making millions in oil & gas deals
• The "gold rush" mentality that led him to reinvest everything and regret it
• Why he thought $100M was the magic number (it wasn’t)
• The dangers of illiquid assets and chasing wealth at all costs
• Losing $1.8M on a distressed e-commerce acquisition 
• How divorce and bad bets forced a complete financial rethink
• Mike’s personal framework for financial freedom (12 months of liquidity, 5–7 years cash cushion, escape velocity)
• Why liquidity and cash flow > net worth
• His full portfolio breakdown today: fixed income, oil & gas, index funds, and zero angel investing
• The mindset shift: from "grow at all costs" to "invest for safety and joy"
• What it really feels like to sell your Lamborghini and love it
• How he's building a life he never wants to retire from — and helping other founders do the same

Cool Links:

• Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/
• Mike’s Wealth Business https://unbreakablewealth.com/

Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction to Mike Brown's Financial Journey
(02:36) Mike's Early Life and Money Lessons
(05:07) Navy to Entrepreneurship: The Million Dollar Deal
(07:24) The Gold Rush: Rapid Wealth Accumulation
(16:54) The Downfall: Divorce and Financial Struggles
(19:23) The E-commerce Disaster: Losing It All
(22:28) Rebuilding and Relying on Support
(24:55) Rebuilding with Cash Flow
(25:42) Lessons from Failure
(27:02) Current Portfolio Strategy
(28:41) Cash Flow and Investments
(31:11) Financial Freedom Levels
(33:53) Personal Monthly Burn and Joy
(36:17) Redefining Wealth and Happiness
(42:12) The Irony of Wealth
(47:24) Final Takeaways and Community

This podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances.
Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.

Your Host: Harry Morton

• Founder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.
• Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

 

The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Hampton, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.