Grant Cardone is once again in the spotlight for a comment that, while not new, is still raising eyebrows for how out of touch it sounds.
In a viral clip, the real estate mogul and self-described financial influencer said that earning $400,000 a year would make him feel embarrassed as “a husband, a father, basically as a human being.”
Cardone, who has built a multimillion-dollar brand around real estate investments and motivational seminars, went on to say that it’s impossible to live on $400,000 a year, which breaks down to about $35,000 a month, a number he clearly thinks is far too low.
“You guys haven’t done the math because you cannot live on 400 grand a year,” he said.
“If you think you can live on 400 grand a year, I might have to go back and add number one. Anybody can make 400 grand a year. All you got to do is show up.”
He added that his goal was to push people to aim much higher. “I want to move a handful of people in the room to go from 400 grand a year to start thinking about how do I make 4 million,” he said.
At one point, Cardone even joked that his private jet “eats $2.7 million a year.”
The Young Turks Respond
Cardone’s comments caught the attention of commentators, including Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur from The Young Turks.
During their segment, the hosts criticized Cardone’s statements as out of touch and harmful.
“Was I not a man when I was poor, but I became a man when I became rich?” Uygur asked.
“Only dumbasses like this think that way.”
Kasparian added that Cardone’s message appeals mainly to young men who are drawn to hustle culture and the promise of wealth.
“I think this appeals to a lot of, like, young men who want to be inspired, who believe in the hustle and think that, like, if I just apply myself, I can be fabulously wealthy,” she said.
The Homeownership Debate
Cardone has also faced criticism for telling people not to buy homes. In one of his videos, he said, “Homes were not built for people. Homes were built for banks. The bank created that product to sell money.”
While Kasparian acknowledged there’s a point about interest costs, she and Uygur noted that Cardone ignored the fact that homeownership has helped millions build equity and long-term wealth.
“If it’s such a bad investment to buy a house, why is private equity doing it?” Uygur asked.
“Because right now, private equity companies, some of the savviest people in finance, are buying residential property all across the country.”
Blaming Workers for Inflation
Cardone also blamed inflation on regular people, claiming it happened because they wasted their pandemic stimulus money.
“A bunch of you people went out and spent money that you shouldn’t have spent,” he said. “You went and bought a goddamn Gucci bag with it. That’s why you got inflation.”
Kasparian refuted that claim, citing data showing corporate profits were the real driver.
“Over half of this increase, 53.9%, can be attributed to fatter profit margins, with labor costs contributing less than 8%,” she said.
‘Your Worth Is Not Based on How Much Money You Make’
Both hosts argued that Cardone’s worldview encourages insecurity and unrealistic expectations.
“This is part of what lead to depression for people, because they believe guys like this,” Uygur said, pointing out that the median U.S. household income is about $70,000.
Kasparian closed the segment with a reminder that personal value has nothing to do with earnings.
“If you base your self-worth on how much money you make, that is a recipe for disaster,” she said.
“Your worth is not based on how much money you’re bringing to the table, period.”
For everyday Americans trying to pay their bills, build a life, and maybe save a little along the way, Cardone’s message feels not just out of touch but entirely dismissive.
The takeaway? You don’t need a private jet to be worthy of respect.