Get Rich or Lie Trying: Ambition and Deceit in the New Influencer Economy

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Description

Being an influencer is now the top future career choice for children. What if you could spend your life adored by fans, receiving freebies and countless riches. What if you could bypass the worst job market for generations

But as Symeon Brown explores in this searing expose, the reality is much more murky. From YouTube pranksters in LA to Brazilian butt lifts, from pornographers on OnlyFans to fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, these are the stories that lurk behind the filtered selfies and gleaming smiles.

Exposing the fraud, exploitation, misogyny and environmental destruction at the core of the influencer economy, Get Rich or Lie Trying asks if our online race for fame and riches is costing us too much. A revealing window onto a broken financial model that often resembles a pyramid scheme, this incredible blend of reportage and analysis will captivate and horrify you in equal measure.

'A compelling read. It had my whole household talking!' - Reni Eddo Lodge, bestselling author of Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race

Reviews

'Symeon Brown is one of Britain's foremost thinkers.' - Yomi Adegoke author of Slay In Your Lane and Vogue columnist

'A monumental and overdue interrogation of the winners and losers of modern influencer and hustle culture. It is rigorously researched and written with both sincerity and a great deal of empathy.' - Jason Okundaye writer and columnist

'Highly original and thoroughly entertaining. A deliciously well written deep dive into the smoke and mirror filled multi-billion-dollar world of influencer culture and 'business' - Nels Abbey author of Think Like A White Man

Author Bio

Symeon Brown is a reporter and journalist at Channel 4 News. He was shortlisted for an Orwell Prize in 2019 and shortlisted at the 2018 British Journalism Awards. He has written for a range of publications including Vice, Guardian, Huffington Post, CNN, New Statesman and The Voice.