The Real 'War Dogs' Gunrunner Who Made $300 Million Trafficking Arms | David Packouz - Entrepreneur

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➡️ About The Guest

David Packouz went from being a struggling massage therapist to landing a $300 million Pentagon contract supplying weapons to the Afghan Army. Partnering with his former schoolmate Efraim Diveroli, their Miami-based company AEY Inc. rapidly transformed into a major military contractor – until their empire came crashing down amid allegations of fraud and illegal arms trafficking from Chinese and Eastern European sources.

After pleading guilty and serving house arrest, Packouz traded guns for guitars, reinventing himself in the music tech world. He founded Singular Sound and created the BeatBuddy, a revolutionary drum machine that helped wash away his reputation as an international arms dealer. His wild journey from weapons trafficking to musical innovation later inspired the 2016 Todd Phillips film 'War Dogs,' starring Miles Teller as Packouz."

➡️ Show Links

https://www.instagram.com/davidpackouz/
https://x.com/DavidPackouz/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-packouz-7268929/

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➡️ Talking Points

00:00 - Intro
03:01 - David’s Journey Begins
08:14 - Choosing Culture Over Religion
15:50 - First Steps in Business
26:30 - Entering the Arms Trade
31:05 - Selling to the Government
33:33 - Red Flags in a Partner
41:27 - Big Arms Deals
50:40 - The $300M Deal
1:00:20 - Sponsor: Business Made Simple Podcast
1:00:50 - Fact vs. Fiction in War Dogs
1:04:24 - What Went Wrong in the Deal
1:31:18 - Why the Feds Came After David
1:37:50 - Preparing for House Arrest
1:55:20 - Finding a Market for BeatBuddy
1:57:14 - Sponsor: Range Rover Sport
1:58:49 - BeatBuddy’s Secret to Success
2:00:53 - Selling and Marketing Music Tech
2:06:25 - Spotting a Winning Product
2:12:20 - Fixing Problems: Software vs. Hardware
2:14:47 - Mastering Behavior Change
2:16:50 - Marketing to the Masses
2:18:44 - Making One-Time Sales Profitable
2:21:02 - Managing Multiple Businesses
2:27:11 - Will David Sell His Companies?
2:29:37 - Lessons from Arms Dealing
2:53:15 - Who Can Do Government Contracting?
2:57:18 - War Dogs Academy: Where to Start
3:05:40 - Why the Government is a Dream Client
3:14:20 - Advice to My 20-Year-Old Self

➡️ Success Story Podcast - Stories Worth Telling

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Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator & speaker, Scott D. Clary.

On this podcast, you'll find interviews, Q&A, keynote presentations & conversations on sales, marketing, business, startups, and entrepreneurship.

Scott will discuss some of the lessons he's learned over his own career, as well as have candid interviews with execs, celebrities, notable figures, and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas, and insights.

He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their stories to help pass those lessons on to others through both experiences and tactical strategies for business professionals, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between.

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