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The Rise Of NELK, Donald Trump & Global Chaos - Kyle Forgeard (4K)

Kyle Forgeard is a content creator, entrepreneur, and co-founder of NELK. From Canada to global fame, the NELK Boys have become a household name. From pranks and viral videos to building an empire, Kyle and his crew have captured the attention of millions. But how did they rise to such heights, and what was the journey like along the way? Expect to learn what Kyle thinks of Canada at the moment, the biggest differences between living in Miami and LA, Kyle's friendship with Donald Trump, what drives the NELK boys to push the boundaries further, the most revenue Kyle has ever made in a single day, the best way to build a brand today, what Kyle has learned being friends with Dana White, if SteveWillDoit will ever return to NELK YouTube videos and much more… - 00:00 The Downfall of Trudeau 04:43 Spending Time With Trump 09:16 The Responsibility of Having a Large Platform 12:48 Kyle’s Experiences in LA 22:53 The Secret to NELK’s Growth 28:23 The Most Amount of Money Kyle Made in a Day 36:42 The Most Money Kyle Has Spent in a Day 42:36 What Kyle Has Learned From Dana White 52:01 The Situation With Bob Menery 1:02:01 YouTube’s Cancellation of Steve 1:07:32 Zuckerberg’s Transformation 1:13:46 What Still Drives Kyle? 1:22:16 The Toughest Part of Kyle’s Work 1:33:34 How to Plan a Good Video 1:42:27 Where to Find Kyle - Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours with any purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get a 20% discount on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a 20% discount on Nomatic’s amazing luggage at https://nomatic.com/modernwisdom Get the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostKyle Forgeardguest
Jan 19, 20251h 43mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Kyle Forgeard on Trudeau, Trump, Nelk’s empire, and online rebellion

  1. Kyle Forgeard discusses Canadian politics post‑Trudeau, the global shift against hyper‑woke culture, and his close-up experiences with Donald Trump and Dana White. He explains how NELK grew from broke pranksters to a merch and alcohol empire, driving huge voter registrations and shaping young male internet culture. The conversation covers the power of independent media versus legacy news, the rise of streaming and platforms like X and Meta, and the behind‑the‑scenes grind of building NELK, Full Send, and Happy Dad. Kyle also reflects on leadership pressure, burnout, loyalty, and staying authentic while managing massive influence and responsibility.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Cultural backlash is reshaping politics and platforms.

Kyle describes Canada as having ‘lost its identity’ under Trudeau through hyper‑political correctness and poor immigration management, and links the recent election results in the U.S. and globally to a broader revolt against overreach, censorship, and enforced language norms.

Independent creators now rival legacy media in political influence.

NELK helped register hundreds of thousands of young voters through ‘Send the Vote’ and saw Trump’s internet strategy outperform traditional networks, highlighting how podcasts and YouTube now ‘own’ the 18–35 male attention that TV used to command.

Ask widely and read the room: Trump’s decision style is highly social.

Kyle notes that Trump constantly polls everyone around him—from top advisors to caddies and YouTubers—asking, ‘What do you think?’ and using those informal ‘polls’ to guide decisions, pairing ego with genuine curiosity about public reaction.

Longevity beats virality; build a foundation, not a moment.

NELK took ~10 years of steady grind, road‑tripping, fan couch‑surfing, and incremental growth rather than going viral overnight, which Kyle contrasts with short‑lived ‘internet moments’ who lack the experience, judgment, and infrastructure to sustain success.

Revenue is vanity; profit and control are what matter.

Despite a $30M merch drop in 30 minutes, Kyle stresses how production costs, lawsuits, and splits drastically reduce take‑home pay, and warns creators against giving away equity or signing with the wrong managers, advocating moving slowly and treating partnerships like marriages.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

“Canada is not the same country that I knew growing up.”

— Kyle Forgeard

“The secret to Nelk is there was never one moment that made us. It’s just been like this the whole time.”

— Kyle Forgeard

“Revenue sounds nice, but when you talk about profit, it’s a whole different story.”

— Kyle Forgeard

“Shutting people up is a good fucking feeling.”

— Kyle Forgeard

“People are really desperate for authenticity. You can’t inauthentically be authentic.”

— Chris Williamson

Canadian politics, Trudeau’s legacy, and rising anti‑woke sentimentDonald Trump’s personality, tactics, and social media dominanceNELK’s rise: early hustle, LA party era, merch empire, and demonetizationIndependent media vs legacy news and the power of podcasts/YouTubeBusiness lessons: partners, managers, revenue vs profit, and scalingDana White’s loyalty, UFC growth, and models of authentic leadershipCreator burnout, travel, routines, and the importance of a strong team

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