By Vinod Ram 
Early Life & Rise to Fame
Born Brian Johnson in Puerto Rico (raised in San Antonio, Texas) and a graduate of Texas Tech in biochemistry, Johnson transformed his physique dramatically in his 40s, inspired by rugged toughness and survival archetypes like Rambo and Conan the Barbarian. He adopted a strict “ancestral lifestyle”—centered on the “9 Tenets” of primal living—promoting raw organ meat, intense workouts, and mental resilience. His charismatic, eccentric content—such as bench-pressing his wife, draining bull testes, or dragging trucks—went viral and attracted over 6 million TikTok followers by 2021.
Business Empire
Leveraging his raw-meat persona and supplement branding, Johnson co-founded the Heart & Soil supplement line, reporting $100–300 million in annual revenue at its peak. The Netflix documentary Untold: The Liver King, premiered May 13, 2025, chronicled his meteoric rise, marketing mastery, family life, and eventual downfall.
Steroid Scandal & Image Shift
In late 2022, emails leaked showing Johnson was spending roughly $11,000/month on steroids and HGH—contradicting his long-standing “natty” claims. Initially in denial, he eventually issued a public apology, confessed to hormone use, and called himself out for misleading supporters. He faced a $25 million class-action lawsuit, later dropped. Since then, his content has leaned more introspective, acknowledging flaws and mixing in real food beyond raw meats.
Source: wikipedia.org , time.com
Achievements & Influence
- Built a massive online following (6M+ TikTok; 6.1M Instagram users).
- Grew a supplement brand to nearly $100M+ in annual sales.
- Star of a high‑profile Netflix doc, reaching global audiences.
- His marketing was lauded; critics saw him as a nuanced case study in health branding and misinformation.
Recent Trending News
Today (June 24–25, 2025), Johnson was arrested in Austin, Texas, facing Class B misdemeanor charges for “terroristic threat” related to a bizarre social media tirade in which he challenged podcaster Joe Rogan to a fight. The incident occured outside a hotel, where he wore tactical gear, brandished weapons, and appeared mentally strained. Videos show him pacing, holding tools like knives and ammo cans, and raving about sending a package to Rogan’s Austin venue. Netizens are torn—some express concern for his well‑being, speculating mental health struggles, while others are unsettled by the erratic behavior .
Why This Matters
Liver King’s journey reflects the volatile blend of viral marketing, influencer culture, health hype, and celebrity scandal. His latest arrest raises flags about influencer accountability, mental health, and the potential dangers of fame-driven extremism.
Brian Johnson built an iconic image around primal ideals, but the steroid admissions and emotional unraveling complicate his legacy. Whether this recent breakdown signals a personal crisis or a lesson in the limits of the influencer engine, Liver King remains one of modern media’s strangest, most potent case studies.
