Inside Daily Wire: Jeremy Boreing Breaks Silence on Ben, Candace & Tucker | PBD #819
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The Daily Wire achieved its best year in subscriptions and revenue in 2024, despite the termination of Candace Owens and Boreing's own departure.
- ❖Jeremy Boreing believes Tucker Carlson is 'the most dangerous person in American politics' due to his perceived willingness to 'lie for power' and his 'socialist' economic views.
- ❖Daily Wire's strategy involved building a brand that could endure the loss of any host, including Ben Shapiro, by expanding into movies and children's entertainment.
- ❖Boreing attributes Candace Owens' termination to her 'cynical, narcissistic determination' to chase clicks and money, leading to anti-Semitic rhetoric.
- ❖The current social media algorithm prioritizes addictiveness over user choice, potentially leading to 'civilization-destroying' damage.
- ❖The conservative movement is more fractured than ever, with influential figures actively working against Republican prospects in upcoming elections.
Insights
1Daily Wire's Talent-Agnostic Growth Strategy
The Daily Wire intentionally built its brand to be robust enough to survive the loss of any individual host, including its biggest names. This involved diversifying beyond podcasts into movies, documentaries (e.g., 'What is a Woman?', 'Lady Ballers'), and children's entertainment (Bentkey). This strategy proved successful, as the company experienced its best year in subscriptions and revenue in 2024, even after the departure of Candace Owens.
We started very methodically trying to build the Daily Wire brand to be able to lose any one of its hosts, up to and including Ben... The first movie added as many subscribers just on itself as we had added in 5 years of just being a podcast company... The year that I fired Candace Owens, we ended that year better than we started it... 2024 is the best year of subscriptions and the best year of the of revenue in the history of the company.
2Jeremy Boreing's Ideological Conflict with Tucker Carlson
Boreing has long viewed Tucker Carlson as a 'dangerous person in American politics' due to Carlson's perceived willingness to 'lie for power' for policy objectives and his promotion of a 'very bad' vision for America. Boreing characterizes Carlson's ideology as 'left-wing economic populism, socialism' combined with 'right-wing social populism,' which he sees as fundamentally anti-American and not conservative.
He said, 'You didn't ask me what was true. You asked me how I what on what I would base my authority to outlaw it.' And man, it blew my ears back... I told people even as early as November 2018... 'Tucker Carlson is the most dangerous person in American politics.'... I think Tucker has a vision for the country. I just think it's very, very bad one.
3The Strategic Importance of 'Breaking' New Talent
While signing household names like Jordan Peterson can elevate a brand, the core economic model for a digital media company like Daily Wire lies in identifying and 'breaking' new talent. This involves cultivating raw talent that may not have an established audience, building a brand around them, and providing opportunities for growth. This strategy is more profitable and sustainable long-term, even if some talent eventually leaves to go independent.
You secure the brand with some household names but the the economic model is in breaking new talent... We're responsible for helping come alongside that talent, cultivating it, building a brand around it. The day comes when she wants to leave, well, she can take that.
4Social Media Algorithms and Societal Impact
The changing algorithms of social media platforms, exemplified by X's open-source algorithm, are designed to maximize addictiveness by prioritizing content users 'slowed down on' rather than what they explicitly chose to follow. This shift, combined with anonymity and foreign influence, is seen as potentially 'civilization destroying' because it feeds baser instincts and bypasses individual curation, making it harder to edify the soul or foster critical thought.
The algorithm is now being built to maximize the addictiveness of content... Today, for the first time ever, the algorithm is only going to serve you what you slowed down on, not what you chose to scroll on. You don't get a say in what you get fed.
Bottom Line
The current political climate (post-Trump win) has led to platforms treating conservative creators more favorably, creating a 'great moment for independent talent to have independent success.' However, this is cyclical, and networks will become more valuable again when platforms turn against conservatives.
This suggests a strategic window for independent conservative creators to build direct audiences and revenue streams, but also highlights the need for long-term planning that anticipates future platform hostility and the potential return to network reliance for protection and distribution.
Independent conservative creators should aggressively build owned audiences and explore diverse monetization channels now, while also considering strategic alliances or network integration for future resilience against platform shifts.
The 'Epstein pedophile class' narrative, though potentially unfounded in its broader implications, holds significant political weight among college-aged Americans and the 'dissident right,' making it a potent wedge issue for impugning leadership.
Regardless of factual accuracy, the narrative's emotional resonance and ability to undermine trust in institutions and figures means it will continue to be a political weapon. Leaders and media organizations must understand its appeal to certain demographics and its potential to shape public opinion.
For political strategists, understanding the underlying grievances that fuel such narratives is key to addressing voter concerns. For media, it highlights the challenge of combating misinformation and the power of emotionally charged, conspiratorial content.
Opportunities
Conservative Media Roll-Up
Acquire and consolidate multiple online conservative media companies (e.g., Daily Wire, Blaze) into a single, digitally-focused 'super company.' This would leverage combined talent, audiences, and resources to create a dominant force, potentially offering talent equity to align incentives and foster a unified message.
Key Concepts
Lowercase R Republicanism
This model describes a leadership approach where a public figure must both represent and lead their audience. It involves navigating the tension between populist demands (the 'mob') and elitist views, avoiding becoming a pure populist or an isolated intellectual. The leader's job is to find a balance, guiding the audience while remaining mindful of their concerns.
Elon Musk's Vision Selling
In certain types of companies, particularly those selling a vision for the future, success involves consistently presenting a vision that is slightly ahead of current reality. This inspires the audience to invest, and sustained growth depends on consistently delivering on those ambitious promises. The vision must always be aspirational yet achievable through continuous delivery.
Lessons
- Prioritize mission and ethical foundation over pure profitability when selecting talent to avoid ideological drift and maintain brand integrity.
- Diversify content offerings (e.g., podcasts, movies, children's entertainment) to build a resilient brand that is not dependent on any single personality.
- Actively cultivate and 'break' new talent, as this is the most profitable and sustainable long-term strategy for media companies, rather than solely relying on acquiring established names.
- Be aware of and strategically respond to changes in social media algorithms, understanding their impact on content distribution and audience engagement.
Notable Moments
Rupert Murdoch's 'Superman' transformation
Boreing recounts a meeting with Lachlan Murdoch where Rupert Murdoch, initially appearing frail, instantly transformed into a commanding figure upon realizing he had guests. This illustrates the enduring power, tenacity, and presence of a legendary business leader, even in old age, highlighting the psychological aspect of leadership and influence.
Quotes
"Tucker Carlson is the most dangerous person in American politics."
"10 out of 10 times I would have fired her again. Nine out of 10 times I would have fired her 2 months earlier."
"The Ben Shapiro brand was becoming much bigger than The Daily Wire brand."
"If you add to that foreign influence, addictivity, uh man, I just think that the the damage that's being done not just to kids, the damage that's being done to all of us by the ubiquity of social media right now is potentially civilization destroying."
Q&A
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