Life Wide Open with CboysTV – Episode Summary

Podcast: Life Wide Open
Episode Title: Getting Audited and Fined 2 Million Dollars
Release Date: October 18, 2022
Hosts: CJ, Ben, Ryan, Mike, CboysTV team
Episode Theme:
This episode dives into the wild behind-the-scenes of CboysTV: childhood fibs, epic pranks, wild investment losses, a shocking $2.1 million fine from the authorities, being (almost) audited, and more. The guys swap hilarious stories, business lessons, and personal anecdotes, blending their signature irreverence with genuine learning moments about risk, honesty, and lessons from their YouTube journey.

Table of Contents

1. Opening Banter & Childhood Fibs (00:00–12:50)
2. Jokes, Pranks, and Trolling (12:51–19:02)
3. Original Pranks & Social Experiments (16:04–19:18)
4. Fishing Tournament Cheaters (19:25–26:26)
5. The $2 Million Fine: Building the Dirt Bike Track (27:19–39:56)
6. Investments, Gambling, and Crypto Losses (41:01–48:20)
7. NFTs, Hype, and Recession Talk (48:20–52:15)
8. Speed Demons vs Slowpokes: Driving Debates (56:01–62:30)
9. Getting Audited and Tax Fears (52:35–55:10)
10. High School Memories & Language Goofs (64:01–70:00)

1. Opening Banter & Childhood Fibs (00:00–12:50)

• The episode opens with classic Cboys goofing—Evan’s noxious flatulence and jokes about internal organs ("Jeffrey Dahmer would have turned Evan away." – Mike, 00:16).
• Ryan launches into memories of telling little white lies as a kid:
  • Telling his dad he dented the car at Cherryberry, not a house party. ("It's getting drunk at a house party. I told my dad I was at Cherryberry." – Ryan, 02:09)
• Everyone shares cringe-worthy stories of being caught in harmless lies as teenagers ("I held true to my guns like I always do … this kid is a real idiot" – Mike, 05:03), reminiscing about adolescent mischief and the anxiety of being found out.
• Discussion reveals a dynamic of truth-telling to parents vs. easy “bullshitting” with random people. ("You and I could bullshit somebody so easy ... if it's with parents, totally different." – Ben, 06:09)

2. Jokes, Pranks, and Trolling (12:51–19:02)

• A Cboys staple: convincing gullible guests of outlandish stories just for inside laughs.
  • Example: Convincing "Gavin the Three Wheeler Kid" that Ryan isn’t allowed to hang out with the group outside of filming, making up elaborate explanations that stretch believability ("...we just stretched it so far.” – Ben, 08:04).
  • Another: Pretending Mike doesn’t believe in banks, using his bartending cash stash to deceive friends and girlfriends.
• They discuss the joy (and ethical tug-of-war) in a good troll, especially when the mark is super gullible and everyone’s in on the joke.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “90% of the time when you guys are trolling, it’s all made up, right?” – CJ (08:50)
  • “It’s super fun to be on the inside of it, but when you’re on the outside…it sucks.” – Ryan (09:00)

3. Original Pranks & Social Experiments (16:04–19:18)

• CJ details his “original idea” for a social experiment:
  • Planting a toilet paper roll at bar urinals to see what people do: "...am I supposed to wipe this down after I’m done?” – Ryan, 17:47
• Speculation about escalating the prank by adding fake poop or waiting for confused reactions, proving the Cboys’ endless appetite for public mischief.
• The team marvels that this may be a pioneering (if pointless) prank.

4. Fishing Tournament Cheaters (19:25–26:26)

• Big topic: the viral story of fishermen rigging tournaments with weighted fish.
• They describe the takedown video:
  • “Full grown men all in this big fishing tournament…just standing there, completely neutral expression, whole crowd yelling at him.” – Ryan (20:16)
  • Huge winnings at stake—over $200,000—and immense outrage when the fraud is exposed.
• Discussion veers into legal questions: are these cheaters criminally liable? Would DNR (Department of Natural Resources) get involved?
• Key Takeaway: Opportunities with large stakes attract cheats, but eventually, the truth always surfaces—and it’s both dramatic and embarrassing ("Dude, talk about embarrassing everybody." – Mike, 22:23).

5. The $2 Million Fine: Building the Dirt Bike Track (27:19–39:56)

• A cautionary tale from behind-the-scenes:
  • The Cboys commission a new dirt bike track on their property—"just moving some dirt"—and, without realizing, trigger multiple regulatory violations.
• A local complaint brings the county and then the state Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
• Five violations, each “$10,000 per day since the start of construction,” stack up to a theoretical $2.1 million fine. (“We all sat there together quietly…did we just have a $2.1 million fuck up?” – Ben, 32:37)
• The panic, guilt, and anxiety:
  • “It was scary. If it was one percent of that [$2.1M], that’s $21,000.” – Ryan (32:53)
• Resolution:
  • The officials, seeing it was an honest mistake, fine them ~$1,700. Still, between hydroseeding and remediation, the experience cost thousands and taught a hard lesson about getting permits and respecting local rules.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “We literally didn’t know what we were doing, and we learned a lesson from it.” – Mike (37:18)
  • “...being clueless enough where you don’t even have to lie.” – CJ (37:31)

6. Investments, Gambling, and Crypto Losses (41:01–48:20)

• Pull Tabs Addiction:
  • Ben details his budding “pull tabs” gambling habit—losing, then winning $500, “electric for how excited we were”—but disclaiming that “all who play are losers, especially Evan.” (42:41)
• Ryan’s Crypto Woes:
  • Shares his shocking crypto loss:
    • “The market value of my crypto is $16,838…my return on investment is negative $31,330.” – Ryan (43:57)
    • “You could have bought a cool car and totally had…Your Camaro would be going up in value more than your crypto.” – Mike (44:37)
• Contrast between gambling (“You guys dump in all the money") and the faux righteousness of “investing” in crypto.

7. NFTs, Hype, and Recession Talk (48:20–52:15)

• NFT skepticism:
  • The guys dissect the NFT bubble, hype cycles, and Logan Paul’s infamous $623,000 NFT now worth $10 ("He lost way more than you, but he also has way more money than you.” – Mike, 45:33).
  • Ben suggests some digital tickets may have real long-term value, but everyone remains skeptical.
• Banter on hype-driven assets (Dogecoin, NFTs) and parallels to financial bubbles.
• Segue into economic recession:
  • Is this as bad as it gets? How do interest rates, property markets, and general unease affect the guys directly?

8. Speed Demons vs Slowpokes: Driving Debates (56:01–62:30)

• Ben is accused of driving his Lamborghini “to the book”—only 5 mph over, even on open highways:
  • “We left Heydays before all of you guys, and we somehow ended up showing up last. You guys were in trucks with large trailers.” – Mike (56:01)
  • “All I’m saying is if you drive 55 in a 55, I can’t hang with you, man.” – CJ (59:10)
• The crew debates insurance costs, risk, and whether supercars demand super-speed.
• Philosophical differences: risk-averse vs. thrill-seeking, and the logic behind “just a little over” the speed limit.
• Hilarious beefs, including Mike wanting to eat bone-in chicken wings in Ben’s Lambo (“Can you maybe not eat chicken wings in my car?” – Ben, 61:35) and the social faux pas it creates.

9. Getting Audited and Tax Fears (52:35–55:10)

• CJ reveals he's being audited by the IRS (“...it’s from the IRS. I’m like, that’s never fun … I think they’re auditing you.” – CJ, 53:12).
• Group reflects on tax mishaps, the dread of IRS letters, and what it really means to be audited when you run a YouTube business.
• General fear and frustration with taxes, paperwork, and the lack of easy answers.
• Lighthearted suggestion that Ken might be “the one who hasn’t been paying at all.”

10. High School Memories & Language Goofs (64:01–70:00)

• Nostalgia about high school – skating to classes, “Drive Your Tractor to School Day,” and questionable fashion choices.
  • “I would wear, like, a white flannel and purple skinny jeans and…probably skate to school.” – CJ (64:49)
  • “It was either drive my tractor or skate to school.” – CJ (65:07)
• Running gag: group relentlessly corrects each other’s pronunciation or word use, even in serious moments or high-pressure situations; they see it as a sign of true friendship (“Maybe our delivery isn’t always the best.” – Ryan, 67:01).
• Banters on embarrassing moments, linguistic slip-ups, and how these little rituals keep the team’s camaraderie sharp and fun.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On being scared of bureaucracy:
  “We all sat there together quietly … did we just have a $2.1 million fuck up?” – Ben (32:37)
• On investing gone wrong:
  “The market value of my crypto is $16,838. My return on investment is negative $31,330.” – Ryan (43:57)
• On winning big then losing more:
  “We were like, just high-fiving and we were like, we’re going to take our win and we’re going to walk.” – Ben (42:10)
• On prank originality:
  "Has anyone ever done that? Ever put a toilet paper roll in a urinal?" – CJ (19:04)
• On friendship:
  “I think that’s what a good friend would do, though. Maybe our delivery isn’t always the best.” – Ryan (67:01)
• On pulling pranks:
  “It’s more of us...trying to see how far we can...make it seem so far fetched, but have them still believing us in a way—kind of making them seem stupid. And then it’s just an inside joke.” – Mike (06:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Fib Stories: 01:09–12:50
• Pranking & Trolling Discussions: 06:30–19:00
• Walleye Cheating Tournament: 19:25–26:26
• Dirt Track Fine Story: 27:19–39:56
• Crypto Losses/Gambling: 41:01–48:20
• Tax/Audit Worries: 52:35–55:10
• Driving Debates: 56:01–62:30

Takeaways & Tone

• Fun, irreverent, and confessional—classic CboysTV.
• Real lessons on consequences (“Always check the permits!”) and the unpredictable nature of business when you’re learning as you go.
• Friendship and laughter shine through, even as they stare down $2 million fines and $30k crypto losses.
• Listener gets the inside scoop—especially useful for aspiring content creators who might underestimate the bureaucracy behind “just moving some dirt.”

For fans and newcomers alike, this episode captures everything that makes Life Wide Open so infectious: friendship, honesty, stupidity, and the ability to make every mistake into a story worth retelling.