logo
episode-header-image
Apr 15
52m 57s

$13M But Zero Cash: Why Net Worth Is a L...

Hampton
About this episode

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.

 

Up next
Yesterday
$10M Net Worth. $2.5M Cashflow. No Plans to Exit.
127 founders (net worth: ~$1M–$100M+) opened up their personal books. Want to see how your finances stack up? https://www.joinhampton.com/wealth-reportJay Berard’s never sold a company, but with $2.5M in cashflow and $10M net worth, is he confidence-rich or risk-blind?"Here’s wha ... Show More
46m 46s
Jul 1
$10M vs $100M: The Difference Between Being Rich and Really Rich
Jackie breaks down exclusive data from 127 millionaire founders inside Hampton, revealing how motivation, money management, and mindset evolve as net worth grows, from $1M to over $100M.Here’s what we talk about:Why financial security stops being a motivator after $50M—and what t ... Show More
25m 7s
Jun 24
Re-Up: I’m Worth ~ $500m. Here’s What I Regret (And Don’t) Spending On with Andrew Wilkinson
127 founders (net worth: ~$1M–$100M+) opened up their personal books. Want to see how your finances stack up? https://www.joinhampton.com/wealth-report.Andrew Wilkinson became rich in his 20s — but early wealth came with hard lessons. In this episode, Andrew opens up about:How he ... Show More
36m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
How To Get Rich Fast!
Success shouldn't mean sacrificing everything. Are you living The Wealthy Way? Join me as I share 17 money rules for building wealth without losing sight of what truly matters. With over $100 million in real estate transactions and multiple 7-figure businesses, I know the pa ... Show More
34m 45s
Apr 2024
CAPitalizing Success: Christopher Panagiotu’s Strategy from Ground Zero to Wealth Hero (#326)
“Enjoy every second.” -Christopher PanagiotuThis episode features Chris Panagiotu, a certified financial planner, author, podcast host, and founder of Capitalize Your Finances, LLC. Chris shares his journey from investing at a young age to becoming a leading financial advisor, em ... Show More
56m 1s
Apr 7
How I Wiped Out $2M in Taxes with One Real Estate Move w/ Cody Sperber 🏡 E116
On today's episode of Money Mondays, join Cody Sperber, "The Clever Investor," as he shares his journey in real estate, marketing strategies, and how he built a multi-million dollar business. Learn valuable tips on saving taxes, growing your wealth, and the power of investing in ... Show More
31 m
Jul 2024
How to Build a $600K/Year Rental Property Portfolio with NONE of Your Own Cash! with Josiah Smelser
Josiah Smelser is a real estate investor and appraiser who built a $17 million portfolio from scratch, without using any of his own capital. In this episode, Josiah shares his incredible journey from growing up in a small town in Alabama, to living in Tanzania at the age of 12, w ... Show More
1h 27m
Feb 2025
Codie Sanchez | The Secret to Making Millions Without Starting From Scratch
In this episode of The GaryVee Audio Experience, I sit down with Codie Sanchez, entrepreneur, and investor. After managing billions in assets on Wall Street, she broke free to build wealth by buying small businesses—and now she’s sharing the blueprint in her new book, Main Street ... Show More
40m 10s
May 5
Making Money Online? Here’s What No One Tells You | Dion Pouncil & Brandon Bowsky 💰 EP120
Think making money online is easy? Think again. Dion Pouncil and Brandon Bowsky drop the truth no one else will—real talk on failure, sales, investing, and what it really takes to win online. Don’t miss this raw and unfiltered episode...---Dion Pouncil is a licensed futures trade ... Show More
52m 12s
Apr 3
The Price of Success: Money, Influence & The Cost of Making It
 In a world where money has become survival, how do you break through? From the rise of social media giants to the unseen cost of success, this deep dive uncovers the raw truth about wealth, influence, and the game few can win.Get access to our real estate community, coaching, co ... Show More
10m 5s
May 23
E091 - I Made BILLIONS With This Simple Wealth Formula (10X Method) | Grant Cardone
Grant Cardone, real estate master and founder of 10X, joins the show for an honest breakdown of his journey from addiction and failure to billion-dollar success. It’s easy to assume his rise was all confidence and sales mastery—but Grant admits he would’ve skipped sales entirely ... Show More
1h 31m
Dec 2024
How Much of a Good Thing is Too Much? Victor Haghani Interview
Victor Haghani started his career at Salomon Brothers and shortly after became a managing director in the bond arbitrage group run by John Meriwether. He was a founding partner of Long-Term Capital Management and established its London office. The failure of LTCM was a life-chang ... Show More
1h 24m
Nov 2022
How to Buy a $2.3m Business with $100k in Cash + Your 401k
Burk Adams tapped his 401k to buy a business that reinvented his career, gave him back time, and catapulted his wealth. Topics in Burk's interview:Using your 401k to buy a business with ROBSBuying a business being the most impactful thing he's done in his lifeRealities of a C cor ... Show More
1h 34m