Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Episode: Mom's Car: Erick Richardson
Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging and freewheeling episode of "Mom's Car," Dax Shepard and co-host Aaron sit down with their mutual friend Erick Richardson—a recurring character in the Armchair universe. They dive deep into Erick's remarkable and unlikely journey from high school underachiever to millionaire attorney, explore hilarious and harrowing stories from his past, and reflect on themes of addiction, moral dilemmas, and the strange quirks of life. Interspersed with the usual Dax and Aaron tangents, the conversation is honest, funny, and at times unexpectedly profound.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Erick’s Unlikely Rise: From D-Minuses to Millions

• Background: Erick explains his poor academic performance in high school (graduated third from the bottom) and lack of ambition early on.
  • "I graduated 646 out of 648 at Westlake High School. At the bottom of my class. I was the third worst." (02:00, Erick)
• Turning Point: A near-death experience on a catamaran led Erick to "talk to God" and promise to do something with his life.
  • This brush with mortality spurred him to focus and excel academically, eventually transferring to USC and making valuable business connections: "After I went to law school...I didn't have good grades...but you went to USC, so I'm the big Trojan, so I'm gonna give you a shot." (04:12, Erick)
• Law Firm Success: Despite bad grades, Erick became a partner, bought out the firm, and quickly amassed wealth through unconventional compensation—taking stock in companies.
  • "He taught me a way to make money as an attorney...take stock in companies as part of compensation." (05:10, Erick)
  • Within years, his income ballooned, allowing him an extravagant lifestyle: "Four or five years. And then by year five, I was making a lot...like five million a year in a good year." (06:24, Erick)
• Lifestyle and Addiction: Erick openly discusses how his wealth fueled his addiction, his attempts to manage it, and how the 2008 financial crisis led to greater personal struggles and rehab.
  • "As you know, I still had a drug problem at the time." (05:35, Erick)
  • "In 2008, with the great financial crisis, it became less lucrative to be an attorney. And that's when I got a really bad drug problem." (10:49, Erick)

Money, Vice, and Vulnerability

• Drug Stories: Dax and Aaron dive into the thrill and danger embedded in addiction stories, discussing bravado and their own histories as well.
  • “The danger of it was part of the fuel for it...we were endlessly trying to prove we were fearless." (08:37, Dax)
  • "I loved having, like, a bag of coke in my pocket and being at a business meeting with a bunch of lawyers..." (09:34, Erick)
• The Role of Enablers: Erick describes surrounding himself with nurturing, "mom-like" assistants, and reflects on their own caretaking tendencies.
  • "You have that attractive quality where you want to take care of Eric and nurture him." (10:16, Dax)

The Tortoise Farm and Vivid Materialism

• The Tortoise Story: Dax insists every story about Erick involves the "giant tortoises." Erick describes acquiring ten rare Aldabra tortoises during his drug period, envisioning a bizarre business plan:
  • "I just got excited about the idea of a tortoise farm. So I bought them." (15:33, Erick)
  • Turns out tortoises breed only after 30 years: "But they don't start breeding until they're 30 years old. So that became kind of a problem." (15:48, Erick)
• Financial Sinkhole: The maintenance cost is immense and ongoing: "I definitely have several hundred thousand dollars into these tortoises. I mean, their food is fifteen hundred dollars a month." (16:24, Erick)

Hilarious Product Tangents and Classic Armchair Banter

• Bill and Linda Roberts Paper Towels: The trio imagines absurdly thick, personal-branded paper towels—"for urinating and all" (21:01, Aaron)—riffing on fake infomercials and sales pitches.
  • "If you have any problem, here's our address and phone number. They know damn well sure no one's gonna call." (19:04, Dax)
• Mike's Hard Coffee: Further mock-business concepts ensue, like 50-gallon drums of bad coffee sold only to people who own trucks.
  • "The coffee's not good. But it works the same as good coffee." (21:40, Dax)

Moral Dilemmas & Dark Thought Experiments

• Extreme Moral Questions: The group discusses moral dumbfounding questions—pushing social boundaries versus ethical responsibilities.
  • Erick proposes his signature questions, like choosing which child to save, or cutting off a baby's toe for $10 million:
    • "If you were in a creek, a dam broke...both your kids were there and you can only save one, it's a tough one to answer." (25:29, Erick)
    • "Would you cut off their little toe for $10 million right now? Most people will do it for $10 million." (35:18, Erick)
• Consent and Exploitation: They debate whether it's morally or legally acceptable for consenting adults to engage in extreme acts (e.g., cannibalism, self-amputation for money).
  • "I think anytime you're leveraging money over someone who's very desperate, morally, that's wrong." (34:01, Dax)
• Personal Price Tags: Open discussion about the price individuals would accept to lose a toe, or other body parts, with admissions ranging from $1 million to $10 million.
  • "I'd probably go for five. I don't think you really need your little toe." (36:54, Erick)
  • "That's the sad part about money...you think, oh, I'm gonna have money and I'll be happy. But then you realize, like, oh, no, no. The only thing that makes you happy is playing pickleball." (38:49, Dax)

Listener Mail & Solutions

• Bathroom Towel Dilemma: The team responds to a listener's predicament about her son with intellectual disability, who uses towels instead of toilet paper.
  • Erick's practical advice: "I think it's probably okay, but you just have to have some rules around it where you can only use this towel on the rack in the bathroom. So it's not all the towels." (42:29, Erick)
  • Dax suggests, "Just, you gotta leave him on the ground. Or a little hamper for his poop towel." (44:04, Dax)

Clothes, Confidence, and Identity

• Fashion Choices: The trio reflects on evolving fashion tastes, the pressure to appear stylish on TV, and the timelessness of Levi's jeans.
  • "What keeps me from buying clothes is I'm intimidated that I don't know what I like." (47:01, Dax)
  • "Once you commit to Levi's, it's over. This style has been cool since the 50s, right?" (49:25, Dax)
  • "They are, yeah. And I can't get out of them. I'm day 11 in these." (50:07, Dax, on 501 jeans)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Erick on Academic Redemption:
  "At the bottom of my class...kind of realized reality at some point." — (02:00)

• On Taking Unconventional Legal Risks:
  "Not a lot of people did, but he would take stock in companies as part of his compensation. So I kept doing that." — (05:10, Erick)

• On Living Large While Struggling:
  "I loved having, like, a bag of coke in my pocket and being at a business meeting with a bunch of lawyers when I was young like that. It seemed funny." — (09:34, Erick)

• On Nurturing and Friendship:
  "You definitely have that attractive quality where you want to take care of Eric and nurture him." — (10:16, Dax)

• On the Tortoise Farm Madness:
  "But they don't start breeding until they're 30 years old. So that became kind of a problem." — (15:48, Erick)

• On Moral Limits:
  "I think anytime you're leveraging money over someone who's very desperate, morally, that's wrong." — (34:01, Dax)

• On the Value of Simple Joys:
  "I think a lot of people are in a position that they would sell their legs. And then you think, oh, I'm gonna have money and I'll be happy. But then you realize, like, oh, no, no. The only thing that makes you happy is playing pickleball." — (38:49, Dax)

• On Toilet Water Laundry:
  "When I have an accident, I clean my under panties out first in the toilet. I dip them in and out of the toilet." — (45:31, Dax)

• On Friendship & Recovery:
  "Dax told me when I got sober...he's like, you have to find your Eric. He's like, it's a necessity. You have to find your Eric in Detroit." — (50:24, Aaron)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:56] Erick's high school GPA and early trajectory
• [02:51] Life-changing experience at sea
• [03:04] Academic turnaround and transfer to USC
• [05:06] Law firm success, uncommon compensation model
• [06:24] Wealth, extravagance, and addiction
• [10:49] Financial crisis leading to deep addiction
• [13:16] The infamous tortoise farm story
• [15:48] Realizing tortoise breeding was a (very) long-term plan
• [21:01] Bill and Linda Roberts Paper Towel riff
• [25:29] Moral dumbfounding/social experiment questions
• [33:56] Consent, money, and exploitation in moral dilemmas
• [42:29] Listener question: towel-wiping son; the gang offers advice
• [47:01] Discussion on fashion, confidence, and Levi’s
• [50:24] Recovery, support, and the value of friendship

Tone & Style

The tone is intensely conversational, honest, and full of tangential humor. The hosts and guest switch seamlessly between vulnerable confessions and lighthearted banter, keeping discussions accessible and relatable while broaching some darker and more profound topics.

For New Listeners

This episode is a quintessential example of the Armchair Expert formula: a blend of honest storytelling, self-deprecating humor, unconventional life wisdom, and heartfelt vulnerability. The banter is speedy, genuine, and peppered with deep moral and philosophical explorations—ideal for fans who enjoy both laughter and raw honesty.