Lifestyles Of The Rich And Not-Quite Internet Famous

For just $25,000 a month, you, too, can have your own social media team.

- Max Chafkin

Tom Bilyeu has a vision. It’s of a world in which Tom Bilyeu’s wisdom is available to you, aspiring business leader bereft of foresight, at any time, on any platform, in any medium, always and forever. “My product is educational content that changes your life,” says Bilyeu, 41, whose social media feeds are a never-ending stream of positivity. “Blast through ‘good enough’ and become capable of the extraordinary,” one Instagram post reads, the text running below a soft-focus photo of Bilyeu staring off into the distance. Another says, “Human potential is nearly limitless.”

For seven years, Bilyeu was, as he puts it, “the protein bar guy,” the co-founder and president of Quest Nutrition LLC, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of low-carb snacks that reached a $1 billion valuation in 2015. Last fall he left Quest and founded Impact Theory, an entertainment company that he says will be a 21st century equivalent of Walt Disney Co., making its money on long-running franchises. It’s a lofty goal. For now, Impact Theory’s main property is a YouTube talk show Bilyeu hosts from his living room, which averages about 45,000 viewers per episode.

Traditionally, people in his position might try to shop their idea to distributors. But Bilyeu opted for a different route after reading a blog post in November about a new service from VaynerMedia LLC, a New York-based media and marketing agency known for making viral videos for Budweiser and Toyota Motor Corp. Vayner normally works with corporate brands, but last fall it began offering its services to wealthy individuals, mostly businesspeople hungry for exposure, through VaynerTalent. Bilyeu signed up.