# I Was Worth $5 Million at 23. Eight Months Later I Was Negative $1 Million | Ep. 416 with Leo Pareja CEO of eXp Realty

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/founder-s-story-648906/i-was-worth-5-million-at-23-eight-months-later-i-was-negative-1-million-ep-416-with-leo-pareja-ceo-of-exp-realty
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/founder-s-story-648906/i-was-worth-5-million-at-23-eight-months-later-i-was-negative-1-million-ep-416-with-leo-pareja-ceo-of-exp-realty.md
Podcast: [Founder's Story](https://stenobird.com/podcast/founder-s-story-648906)
Published: 2026-07-06T18:20:25+00:00
Episode link: https://bleav.com/shows/founders-story/
Audio file: https://clrtpod.com/m/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/1184/afp-969439-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/a7765f3f-02e4-4ded-bca1-01a20b7f82a5/episodes/65459eda-9e4a-4ec0-a27e-858235968c57/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=a7765f3f-02e4-4ded-bca1-01a20b7f82a5&awEpisodeId=65459eda-9e4a-4ec0-a27e-858235968c57&feed=NVPdHs07
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Duration seconds: 2452

## Resource

Daniel Robbins sits down with Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty, for a raw conversation about ambition, identity, failure, and the real meaning of success. Leo reveals why becoming the number one agent at Keller Williams left him feeling empty, how the 2008 financial crisis took him from a reported $5 million net worth to negative $1 million in months, and why those experiences completely changed how he leads, raises his kids, and builds companies. The conversation also dives into AI, the possible death of enterprise SaaS, founder identity, content, representation, and why courage is not the absence of fear—it is moving forward while terrified.

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## Transcript

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