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

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