The Diary of a CEOLiver King Responds To Steroid Accusations! | E171
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 7:10
Early Childhood Joy, Father’s Death, And A Violent Home
Johnson recounts growing up without a father, a mother who acted as both parents, and a household where physical beatings felt ‘normal.’ Up to around age 10 he remembers life as joyful and active with his brother and neighborhood friends, before everything changed.
- •Father died in the Air Force when Brian was around 2–3; he has no memory of him.
- •Mother was ‘really tough,’ often beating him and his brother; later he realized she was repeating her own upbringing.
- •Early childhood (before ~10) felt carefree: skateboarding, sports, roaming freely, lots of laughter.
- •Grandparents were similarly harsh, which he now interprets as them ‘doing the best they can’ with what they knew.
- 7:10 – 19:40
Bullying, Self‑Loathing, And Discovering The Gym As Salvation
The transition to middle school and loss of his closest friends turns his life into what he calls a ‘living hell’ of daily beatings, humiliation, and isolation. He finds refuge in a weight bench given to him by his mom’s boyfriend, discovering that strength is the one area where he can control outcomes.
- •Friends move away; he’s undersized, ‘funny‑looking,’ and becomes a constant target for bullying.
- •He kept a ‘hit list’ of tormentors and was frequently blindsided and knocked out at school.
- •Tried to tell his mom he wouldn’t go back to school; her stern refusal closed that emotional channel.
- •Begins lifting weights around age 10 on an old bench, realizing it’s the only domain where effort reliably changes outcomes.
- •By ~14 he’s stronger, has changed his appearance (earrings, slicked hair, bomber jacket), and starts earning respect and blending in.
- 19:40 – 32:40
Rites Of Passage, Fighting Back, And Gratitude For Suffering
Johnson reflects on never standing up for himself, contrasting himself with a new kid, Chuck, who fought back and gained acceptance. He now sees those years as his first ‘rite of passage’ and says he wouldn’t erase them and would even send his sons through equivalent hardship—with caveats about guidance.
- •Tells a defining story where he literally tells a would‑be fighter, ‘I’m a pussy’ to avoid conflict—something he was long ashamed to admit.
- •Believes he needed someone to explicitly give him permission to fight back and accept blood, suspension, and consequences.
- •Frames ages 10–14 as a necessary forging process that built the ‘unrelenting evolutionary hunter’ he is today.
- •Argues that self‑made people undergo several rites of passage; his kids also ‘need the equivalent’ even if not identical.
- •Acknowledges the real risk—many peers ended up dead, jailed, or bringing guns to school—but says with some guidance he’d still ‘press the button’ on hardship for his sons.
- 32:40 – 40:40
Obsession With Control, The Gym, And The Dark Side Of Extremes
He explains how bullying catalyzed a lifelong obsession with controlling outcomes, especially through 3–4 hours a day in the gym. While he now runs interdependent teams, he admits his fixation with training and control has a dark side that can crowd out balance.
- •Says he became ‘obsessive about controlling outcomes’ and stopped relying on others.
- •Still starts every day with the hardest task—long, punishing workouts—so that everything else feels easier.
- •Admits he has tried time off (e.g., during five‑day fasts) and notices his brain works better but he feels compelled to return to intense training.
- •Recognizes the gym as a survival mechanism that ‘saved’ him from bullies and still alleviates the pain of not training.
- 40:40 – 47:40
From Brian Johnson To Liver King: Releasing The ‘Primal’ Self
Johnson describes the Liver King persona as his most authentic ‘primal’ self, arguing that social norms domesticate people away from their wild nature. He believes repeated exposure to life‑and‑death intensity in training brought this version of him out permanently.
- •Views everyone as born ‘primal’—wild, free, undomesticated—until social norms push conformity and niceness.
- •Heavy lifting and dangerous efforts (e.g., 500‑lb squats) summon a deeper, survival‑oriented self.
- •Claims Liver King ‘ate Brian Johnson’ and that the corporate, nice, people‑pleasing version is gone.
- •Says being fully uninhibited and authentic feels like a ‘party’ and he has no desire to go back.
- 47:40 – 57:20
Accountability, ‘Being A Dick,’ And The Case For Harsh Honesty
He explains why some people see him as a dick: he calls out excuses in real time and values public accountability over social comfort. Using examples from his driver showing up late to restaurant feedback, he argues modern society has become too soft and excusing.
- •Tells his kids he’d rather they look stupid or like an asshole than like a ‘pussy’ for not standing up.
- •Gives an example of confronting his driver about excuses instead of simply accepting late arrival.
- •Cites primitive tribes lacking a word for ‘I’m sorry,’ instead emphasizing ‘I’ll get better.’
- •Believes what people often need isn’t acceptance of excuses but blunt reminders that they are capable of more.
- •Frames his mission as moving people from dependence to independence to interdependence via extreme ownership.
- 57:20 – 1:07:40
Have We Gone Soft? Modern Suffering And The 9 Ancestral Tenets
Johnson argues that without built‑in hard times, modern men have become ‘soft, manicured’ and the world is suffering from conditions nearly absent in the tribes he visits. He introduces his nine ancestral tenets as a multi‑factorial antidote to depression, anxiety, infertility, and metabolic disease.
- •Cites stats: ~70% overweight, 50% on prescription meds, 20% infertile, 80% living paycheck to paycheck.
- •Claims in six indigenous tribes he studied, depression, anxiety, infertility, autoimmunity appear ‘non‑existent.’
- •Lists the 9 tenets: sleep, eat, move, shield, connect, cold, sun, fight, bond.
- •Asserts each tenet directly alters hormones and neurochemistry; neglecting them drives mental and physical illness.
- •Says he rarely meets someone living all nine fully who has a ‘shitty life.’
- 1:07:40 – 1:18:40
Tribes, Grounding, And How Indigenous Lifestyles Embody The Tenets
Drawing on time with the Maasai and other tribes, he illustrates how they intuitively live his tenets: barefoot grounding, constant sun exposure, tight social bonds, and organ‑based diets. He contrasts this with Western disconnection from nature and reliance on processed foods and artificial light.
- •Notes tribes are perpetually barefoot and thus constantly grounded to the Earth’s negative charge.
- •Emphasizes sun exposure, minimalist clothing, intense daily movement to fetch water and hunt.
- •Describes communal hunts where failure means the tribe doesn’t eat; strong shared purpose and roles.
- •Outlines simple sleep hygiene modeled on tribes: early morning sun, last meal 3–4 hours pre‑bed, watching sunset, dim light/firelight at night.
- •Highlights diets of nose‑to‑tail animal foods, e.g., Maasai eating blood, milk, and meat with excellent dental arches and health.
- 1:18:40 – 1:27:00
Sleep On Wood And Other Extreme Lifestyle Tweaks
He elaborates on his sleep practices, including using wooden planks with a thin wool mat instead of a modern mattress. The goal is better mobility, reduced chemical exposure, and a more ancestral sleep environment, though he acknowledges most people can start with simpler steps.
- •Shows visitors his wooden‑plank bed with a very thin wool mat; wife once slept directly on wood.
- •Argues modern beds act like casts, reduce mobility, and often off‑gas chemicals; springs may conduct ambient EMF.
- •Points to tribal elders who can deep squat comfortably into old age because they never stopped doing it.
- •Offers simpler starter tactics: early sun, meal timing, sunset viewing, blue‑light blocking, and gradual sleep‑surface changes.
- 1:27:00 – 1:35:40
Simplicity Versus The Wellness Industry, And The Food Tenet
Host and guest agree that many modern mental health ‘solutions’ are overcomplicated to be monetized, whereas the real levers are simple behaviors like sleep, movement, and diet. Johnson expands on food: he believes abandoning nose‑to‑tail eating for cheap processed convenience has backfired massively.
- •Critiques wellness products and courses that complicate basic needs so they can be sold.
- •States his companies often tell people to do free things first: get cold, eat egg yolks, ground, sleep better.
- •Argues ancestral diets center animals and organs; tribes often eat liver and marrow first and leave muscle for dogs/birds.
- •Shares his sons’ severe allergies/asthma that improved dramatically after removing processed foods and seed oils and adding liver, marrow, and bone broths.
- •Says many people are ‘buying convenience’ with processed food but paying later in pain and lost potential.
- 1:35:40 – 1:46:40
Bonding, Loneliness, And Rejecting Screen‑Sedated Lives
Responding to rising loneliness statistics, Johnson stresses bonding as a primal need. He condemns the way work, phones, and streaming sedate people into tolerating lives they dislike and argues that daily in‑person connection is non‑negotiable for health.
- •Notes UK’s loneliness ‘czar’ and US data showing the median number of confidants dropping to zero.
- •Says most people hate their jobs, come home to lives they don’t love, and numb themselves via screens and meds.
- •His kids get 40 minutes of earned screen time; otherwise the family prioritizes face‑to‑face conversation and shared experiences.
- •Gives examples of his kids initiating conversations with strangers; people react with suspicion, evidence of lost social skills.
- •Frames in‑person bonding as essential for purpose, wisdom transfer, and emotional fulfillment.
- 1:46:40 – 1:57:00
Optimism, Virality, And The Role Of The Liver King Brand
He explains why he’s optimistic despite cultural trends toward digital life: huge engagement suggests people feel something is missing. Bartett probes the role of his extreme aesthetic and persona in amplifying the message, which Johnson insists existed before social media.
- •Says his fast social‑media growth proves the ancestral message strikes a nerve; people feel their suffering is unnecessary.
- •Encourages everyone to ‘start with liver’ as the easiest dietary lever toward a better life.
- •Admits that if he looked like a gray‑haired scientist in a tie, the same message would get far fewer followers.
- •Claims he didn’t invent the shirtless, bearded persona for social media—he already lived that way (no shirt, no shaving, no toothbrush) while being ‘rich and anonymous.’
- •Describes tradeoffs of losing anonymity: constant fan interactions, needing to integrate kids into those moments, and treating it as validation that the message is spreading.
- 1:57:00 – 2:07:00
Steroid Accusations, Joe Rogan, And Self‑Limiting Beliefs
Johnson addresses Joe Rogan’s claim that he’s obviously on steroids. Rather than anger, he felt exhilarated to enter Rogan’s ecosystem and now wants a long‑form conversation about what such accusations teach people about their own perceived limits.
- •Reacted to Rogan’s comments with ‘cloud nine’ excitement because it massively expanded his reach.
- •Wants to challenge the idea that extraordinary physiques or achievements must be chemically aided, calling that a self‑limiting belief.
- •Insists he doesn’t use steroids and that his results stem from decades of training and living the nine tenets.
- •Repeats ‘cheating doesn’t scale’—arguing you can’t fake family, business, and fulfillment success with drugs.
- •Says he never promises people they’ll look like him; goal is the best version of themselves, not copying his physique.
- 2:07:00 – 2:18:20
Son’s PANDAS Crisis, Dietary Intervention, And Parental Helplessness
He recounts the harrowing period when his son Rad developed PANDAS, leading to obsessive thoughts, constant questioning, and despair so deep the boy wished to damage his own brain. Conventional medicine offered little beyond heavy sedation; he believes targeted dietary change played a key role in his recovery.
- •Describes obsessive questions about ‘bad guys’ spitting that spiraled into nonstop intrusive thoughts and screaming.
- •Son expressed wanting a baseball bat to injure his own brain rather than live with those thoughts.
- •Parents felt they had ‘lost’ him and read bleak prognoses of lifelong pharmaceutical sedation.
- •On Carnivore MD Paul Saladino’s advice, they removed 100% cacao and raw honey—food Rad craved—and enforced a strict keto‑carnivore diet.
- •Within days he improved markedly; in hindsight they realized his personality had been dimming for years prior.
- •He and his wife initially hid this story to protect their son but now share it for other desperate families.
- 2:18:20 – 2:27:40
Business Struggles, Anxiety, And Building An Ancestral Brand Empire
Johnson outlines a decade of business hardship, including near‑misses on payroll and borrowing attempts, which he now recognizes may have been anxiety in action. He then breaks down his current portfolio of 10–12 companies, all built around the ancestral lifestyle message.
- •For about ten years he and his wife struggled, often uncertain they could pay employees while everyone else drove nice cars.
- •Describes asking a lab tech if he could loan money to make payroll; everyone eventually said no, forcing creative solutions.
- •Views such pressure as another rite of passage that drove him to figure things out rather than paralyze him.
- •Now owns multiple supplement brands (Ancestral Supplements, Strong Jaw, The Fittest, Heart & Soil) plus supply‑chain and real‑estate ventures.
- •Every brand is positioned as a different ‘entry point’ into the same ancestral framework—sometimes via dental health, sometimes via organ supplements.
- •Claims the businesses generate over $100 million per year; he no longer operates as CEO of each but of the ‘ancestral lifestyle’ overall.
- 2:27:40 – 2:36:20
The Barbarian Rite Of Passage And ‘Soft Manicured Men’
He explains the Barbarian workout in detail and why he forced his son to complete it despite concern from his wife and coach. He argues modern society’s lack of real rites of passage leaves men weak, untested, and often self‑loathing.
- •Barbarian: 70‑lb kettlebells in each hand, 70‑lb backpack, 120‑lb sled, 20‑lb ankle weights, for one mile—took him hours the first time and genuinely scared him.
- •Created it to echo ancient rites like Spartan agoge, Aztec raids, and tribal vision quests; modern 16th birthdays and cars don’t confer earned status.
- •Made his 15‑year‑old son train for and complete it; refused to allow Liver Queen to check on him mid‑suffer for fear of emotional rescue.
- •Frames critiques of ‘toxic parenting’ as misunderstanding a ‘soft, manicured man problem’ where many men hate who they’ve become.
- •Believes reaching the point where the ‘soul leaves the body’ and something deeper carries you builds transferable confidence for business and relationships.
- 2:36:20 – 2:42:00
Money, Status, And Using Wealth To Deepen Experiences
Asked about making over $100M per year, Johnson downplays money’s personal role but acknowledges it amplifies character and enables more adventures. He draws analogies to snowboarding and wake‑surfing, where sharing experiences with others matters more than the toys themselves.
- •Affirms that the nine‑figure revenue figure is true but says his ranch is largely self‑sufficient and even produces income from meat sales.
- •Argues money amplifies who you already are: generous people become more generous, assholes become bigger assholes.
- •Uses wealth to take spontaneous family trips (UK fights, Abu Dhabi, etc.) and deepen shared memories rather than to escape his life.
- •Views his ancestral lifestyle as achievable on modest means, given most tenets cost time and discipline, not products.
- 2:42:00 – 2:52:20
Meeting Liver Queen, Monogamy, And Maintaining Attraction
Johnson shares how he met his wife while snowboarding and immediately knew she was his soulmate. He argues that monogamy, while not universal historically, suits him and can work best when both partners commit to remaining physically and emotionally attractive to each other over time.
- •Met her on the mountain, left his friend to chase her down and offer to show her around, then quickly realized he needed to become a ‘better man’ to deserve her.
- •She pushed him to drop even white lies and to embody family‑man behavior like daily sit‑down dinners.
- •Cites field observations: roughly half of observed tribes are monogamous, half are not.
- •Believes monogamy offers parental‑investment advantages and better transfer of wisdom, provided both partners maintain their ‘10’ status through self‑development.
- •Critiques common modern pattern of letting physical and sexual attraction erode after marriage and kids.
- 2:52:20 – 3:05:00
Impatience, Modeling Emotion For Sons, And Male Vulnerability
In a self‑reflective segment, Johnson acknowledges that his lack of patience—especially under time pressure—can undercut the values he wants to model for his sons. He describes openly saying ‘I love you,’ hugging them hard, and not hiding conflict or tears, especially around his son’s illness.
- •Recounts snapping at Liver Queen over a misplaced product bag; she handled it with grace and quietly pointed out it was in his office, exposing his error.
- •Admits he has become more abrupt and less patient as he’s ‘run out of time,’ and realizes his son imitates that impatience.
- •Says he never heard ‘I love you’ from a father, so he makes a point to say it nightly and hug his sons deeply.
- •Lets his kids see arguments and reconciliation with Liver Queen, believing modeled behavior teaches more than lectures.
- •Has cried in front of his children when speaking about Rad’s PANDAS, calling it the one thing that brings him to his knees.
- 3:05:00 – 3:24:00
Secret Public‑Speaking Terror And Facing Fear For A Larger Mission
In response to a final question about something he’s never shared, Johnson reveals he has been ‘completely terrified’ of public speaking—to the point where words wouldn’t come out—yet pushes himself onto massive platforms like Logan Paul’s and ESPN because he feels obligated to spread his message.
- •Describes crippling stage fright: heart racing, inability to breathe, literally unable to form words in front of groups.
- •Swore he’d never do a podcast or go public as Liver King but changed his mind when he saw how much his message helped followers (like a kid who lost 60 lbs and quit alcohol).
- •Did not tell his family about his sleepless nights before Impaulsive, fearing they’d tell him he didn’t need to do it and thus make avoidance easier.
- •Now uses his experience to teach his sons about regretting inaction more than imperfect action; pushes them to talk to girls despite visible nerves.
- •Frames his ongoing choice to speak despite fear as his own rite of passage and an example of ‘heading danger head‑on to cut the consequence in half.’
- 3:24:00
Closing: Liver Tasting, Ancestral Optimism, And Mutual Respect
The episode ends with a symbolic act: Bartlett eats raw liver with Johnson and is declared an ‘official Primal.’ Johnson forecasts that as Bartlett leans further into the tenets, maintaining a six‑pack and high performance will feel more effortless, and the host praises Johnson as one of his most compelling guests.
- •They share raw liver on camera; Bartlett is surprised it tastes decent but notes the strong aftertaste.
- •Johnson reiterates that adopting more tenets makes favorable body composition and energy easier to maintain.
- •Bartlett calls Johnson one of his best guests: emotionally expressive, articulate, and impactful despite claiming fear of speaking.
- •Johnson affirms his belief that Bartlett will help spread the ancestral message after experiencing its benefits personally.
