Digital Social Hour: Ken Van Vorhis — "Living in a Tesla to Build Wealth: A Bold Strategy"

Episode #1509 | August 26, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Ken Van Vorhis

Overview

In this revealing and unconventional episode, Sean Kelly sits down with Ken Van Vorhis, a self-described "homeless by choice" entrepreneur who's been living out of his Tesla to maximize his investments—particularly in cryptocurrency—and build long-term wealth. Ken unpacks the reasoning, discipline, and mindset behind his decision to sacrifice comfort for financial gain, discussing everything from crypto investment strategies and leveraging debt to daily routines, networking, the value of discomfort, and future ambitions. The conversation is raw, honest, and occasionally provocative, offering both practical tips and hard-hitting philosophy on unconventional paths to success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Live in a Tesla? The Motivation and Strategy

• Intentional Choice, Not Necessity
  • Ken emphasizes this lifestyle is 100% by choice, driven by a desire to save money and accelerate his investing goals.
  • “I wasn’t happy with the results that I was getting...so I’m just going to live in my car. And, like, I saved an extra thousand dollars a month right away. And then we've just been doing it ever since.” — Ken (01:31)
• All-In on Crypto
  • Ken moves every available dollar into crypto investments, currently holding 100% of his liquid assets there.
  • “A hundred. 100%” — Ken, on what percentage of his net worth is in crypto (02:30)

2. Crypto Portfolio & Investment Mindset

• Current Holdings and Philosophy
  • Ken is focused on altcoins for short-term returns, with XRP as his top holding, while planning to eventually become a Bitcoin long-term holder.
    • “My largest holding right now is XRP...I rode that from 55 cents up to like...$3.20. Right now, we're doing good again.” — Ken (03:13)
  • Emphasizes the goal of leveraging crypto for loans, not necessarily selling.
    • “My plan is to just hold it until it gets institutional adoption, and then I can just take loans against Bitcoin, just like a HELOC against the house...” — Ken (04:18)

3. Day-to-Day Life and Sacrifice

• Routine and Structure
  • Despite being "homeless," Ken maintains a disciplined routine: working a 9-5 sales job, hitting the gym, and eating at the same places—earning familiarity with local businesses.
    • “Every single day in the morning, I get up, I chug an energy drink, I drive over...I hold a sales job...After I get off work...hit the Lifetime Fitness...go grab some food and then I repeat that day...it does not change.” — Ken (05:56)
• Sacrifices and Perceived Freedom
  • Surprisingly, Ken feels much happier and freer living this way, describing the removal of rent and traditional living stressors as “dropping that weight.”
    • “Yeah, I’m so much happier. I feel free. I’ve actually never felt this good in my entire life.” — Ken (05:24)

4. Why Lifetime Fitness? Mindset and Environment

• Paying $330/month Gym Membership as an Investment
  • Chooses a luxury gym to be around high achievers, using the environment for motivation.
    • “I intentionally try to put myself in situations where I am the lowest in the room...it puts me in this constant position of ‘I need to be doing better, I need to be catching up.’” — Ken (06:40)
  • Values the networking and potential for high-quality connections over less expensive gym options.
    • “Best decision I’ve ever made was that gym membership. I think that's the highest ROI that I'm currently spending.” — Ken (08:09)

5. Living with Multiple Cars

• Mobile Assets and Logistics
  • Currently owns three cars, with one as his home, one for storage, and a recent purchase—a Tesla Model Y—for comfort and security.
    • “Homeless. I have three cars...I actually park them all next to each other in the same parking lot.” — Ken (08:57)
  • Explains advantages of Tesla's Camp Mode for safety and practicality.
    • “Everyone's telling me to get an RV or to get a van. And I'm like, you guys obviously don't know about Camp Mode because I can turn my car into a thermostat...It's got a security system, it's got sentry mode.” — Ken (09:32)

6. Social Life and Dating

• Deliberate Abstinence from Dating
  • Ken has chosen to avoid dating to maintain focus, reflecting on discipline and the value of self-improvement over seeking validation.
    • “I don't. I'm too locked in right now, man. I don't want any distractions at all.” — Ken (12:51)
  • Skeptical of modern dating culture, observing the pervasive influence of materialism, especially in circles he frequents (Newport Beach).
    • “If you focus entirely on just increasing your income and investing...they just come around. Like, I'm literally homeless. And, like, I still get, like, people approaching me...and I'm...in a car.” — Ken (14:57)
• Viral Gym Culture Discussion
  • Both speakers joke about “girls with tripods” in gyms and viral social media phenomena, reflecting on the dating climate.

7. The Mindset Around Wealth, Success, and 'Being Poor'

• Poverty as a Mindset
  • Strongly maintains that ‘being poor’ is primarily a matter of mentality and environment.
    • “100%. Like, there's even people that I know who, like, have money because they made it through luck...and just the way that they talk, I'm like, why do you talk like that?” — Ken (19:17)
• Surroundings and Leveling Up
  • Considers environment and proximity to successful individuals to be the biggest factors in wealth-building.
    • “I spend as much time as I can trying to put myself around other rich people, and so that way I can think like they do.” — Ken (19:30)

8. Approach to Networking

• Natural vs. Forced Connections
  • Advocates for organic relationship-building over traditional "networking events."
    • “But then once I got to Lifetime, I realized it’s just being in the same place as people. Conversations naturally happen...” — Ken (21:24)
  • Suggests consistency and peer-level familiarity as more effective than overt networking tactics.

9. On Formal Education, Sales, and Career Skills

• Education and Self-Directed Learning
  • Did not attend college—believes it’s unnecessary unless one has a specific career goal.
    • “If you don't know what you want to do with your life, college is the worst thing you can do...just explore different jobs. In particular sales and marketing.” — Ken (23:01)
• Sales as a Superpower
  • Views sales and persuasion as the most vital business skills.
    • “People say sales, but it’s really persuasion. That’s what it is...If you have that skill, any conversation can go the way you want it to.” — Ken (25:26)
  • Describes initial grind in low-paying sales roles for the sake of training, leading to rapid income growth once switching to higher-paying sales jobs.

10. Dealing With Debt and Credit

• High-Leverage Living
  • Ken is carrying substantial debt (~$130k), mostly from cars and loans, but is managing it strategically as his income grows.
    • “My debt to income has gone down every single month consistently.” — Ken (33:04)
  • Plans to eventually roll negative equity from cars into appreciating or income-generating assets like an exotic rental car (Lamborghini Urus).

11. Online Presence, Social Media Strategy, and Rage Bait

• Content Creation Philosophy
  • Ken documents the “real” process transparently, including failures and setbacks, deliberately using viral/controversial content to fuel growth.
    • “I rage. I do. I post financial rage bait on purpose. I rage bait the fuck out of people.” — Ken (29:41)
  • Attributes much of his following to hate comments, which fuel algorithmic boost.
• Community Building
  • Transitioning from Discord to WAP for creating a monetized and more flexible community hub.

12. Lessons and Influences

• Learning from Online Gurus, Not Reinventing the Wheel
  • Credits online role models (Hormozi, Gary Vee, Tai Lopez, etc.) for actionable success principles.
    • “I just did what they fucking told me to do...Mark Cuban told me to get a sales job. I got a sales job. Now I’m making 120 grand a year. It was that simple.” — Ken (56:57)
  • Humility in learning is key: “Who am I to think I’m arrogant enough not to listen to these people...” (57:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Decision to Live in a Car:

"I wasn't happy with the results that I was getting...I was trying to buy as much crypto as I possibly could, and I wasn't getting anywhere...I'm just going to live in my car. And, like, I saved an extra thousand dollars a month right away."
— Ken (01:31)

On Feeling Happier Without a House:

"I've actually never felt this good in my entire life."
— Ken (05:25)

On Gym Environment:

"I intentionally try to put myself in situations where I am the lowest in the room...it puts me in this constant position of 'I need to be doing better, I need to be catching up.'"
— Ken (06:40)

On 'Poverty is a Mindset':

"There's even people that I know who have money because they made it through luck...and just the way that they talk, I'm like, why do you talk like that?...It's the people they surround themselves with."
— Ken (19:17)

On Online Hate and Social Growth:

"What all the haters don't realize is that when you comment hateful shit on my post, it boosts the algorithm to people who want to see it, and then they become my followers."
— Ken (29:43)

On Sales and Life Strategy:

"People say sales, but it's really persuasion. That's what it is...you can control any conversation ever."
— Ken (25:26)

Key Timestamps

• 01:27 — Ken's intentional decision and reasoning to live out of his car
• 02:30 — 100% of net worth in crypto—investment mindset
• 03:13 — Crypto strategy: Biggest holdings and timing
• 05:24 — Greater happiness and fulfillment from "homelessness"
• 06:40 — The power of environment: Luxury gym as mindset leverage
• 09:32 — Why Tesla is better than an RV or van for secure car-living
• 12:51 — Avoiding dating to stay hyper-focused
• 19:17 — "Being poor is a mindset"—Ken's philosophy
• 21:24 — Organic networking: the value of proximity
• 23:01 — Ken's rejection of college and advocacy for sales/marketing skills
• 25:26 — "Sales is really persuasion."
• 29:41 — Using rage bait for social growth
• 33:04 — Strategic approach to debt and negative equity
• 56:57 — Learning from successful role models—taking action on advice

Final Thoughts

This episode stands out for its radical candor, blending radical financial strategies, real-life experimentation, and a no-excuses attitude. Ken Van Vorhis reveals a world where sacrificing social norms, comfort, and even stability can serve as building blocks for extraordinary returns—financially, personally, and socially. Whether you agree with his choices or not, his philosophy—absorb wisdom, act obsessively, and never fake being genuine—offers plenty to challenge conventional narratives about work, wealth, and happiness.

Instagram: @thelifeofaken
[Catch Ken's day-by-day journey and updates on his personal and financial grind.]