Brett Johnson: US Most Wanted Cybercriminal | Lex Fridman Podcast #272

Here are the timestamps. Please check out our sponsors to support this podcast. 0:00 - Introduction & sponsor mentions: - Public Goods: publicgoods.com/lex and use code LEX to get $15 off - NetSuite: netsuite.com/lex to get free product tour - Blinkist: blinkist.com/lex and use code LEX to get 25% off premium - MasterClass: masterclass.com/lex to get 15% off - Onnit: lexfridman.com/onnit to get up to 10% off 3:15 - Early years 37:32 - Phishing and social engineering 55:36 - SolarWinds cyberattack 1:01:23 - Future social engineering fears 1:04:04 - Early cybercrimes 1:16:38 - Cybercrime entrepreneurship 1:20:06 - ShadowCrew 1:51:10 - Dark web 1:59:56 - ShadowCrew arrested 2:11:55 - Cybercrime 2:17:02 - Love 2:49:06 - Prison 3:17:18 - Life after prison 3:39:06 - Advice for young people 3:40:30 - Hope for the future 3:43:59 - Meaning of life

I'm glad he's seen the error of his ways, but I keep coming back to the people whose retirement accounts he robbed. Think about that. Working your entire life towards this goal and having it stolen from you. And then the guy who does it gets to act like a hero for turning his life around and yucking it up with Lex for 4 hours. Something about that just bothers me.

It’s rare u can listen to someone you’ve never heard of for nearly 4 hours and immediately want another 4. This was off the charts

When you grow up in a cycle of dysfunction, drugs, and crime, your thinking and behavior will always be colored by this. Unless you’ve experienced it firsthand, it’s hard to grasp how difficult it is to break these norms. Congrats to this man for changing his life. These stories need to be told so those of us that have experienced it see examples of ones that make it out.

Lex is really good at asking the questions that will get interesting philosophical and/or emotional answers.

Oh man, the diversity of interviewees, this is such a special channel!

This guest came out of left field, Lex. Great job. People need to know that this type of story is a real thing in the US, the richest country on Earth. It's a surreal world we live in.

This guy is getting a lot of pleasure telling his stories... I get the sense he still doesn't care about the hurt & trauma he has caused. I would believe he understands the gravity of his choices if he spent the rest of his life working to pay those poor people back. I appreciate the calm & quiet Lex maintains. He let's the guy spill & spill & spill.

I literally sat the whole interview and oh man was this a good one thanks for sharing

textbook narcissism, psycopathy and antisocial personality disorder. the glibness, charm, recklessness, disregard for authority, manipulation of every character in his story. amazing interview - Lex just allowed him to speak

Best Lex Fridman episode ever. This guy could carry 8 hours of material. Well done. Esp staying out of his way and letting him talk.

I can imagine a lot of people will think he’s cool while he’s laughing and joking like he doesn’t care what he’s done, he doesn’t seem sorry, he’s never to be trusted, but people will still fall for his bs, he’ll still manipulate people in a different way. He really is a narcissistic psychopath

Idk how this channel keeps popping up on my auto play. I usually let YouTube auto play for hours, and lately about half the time I do this I see an interview from this channel. I'm always waking up to it or falling asleep to it. But today, this interview actually caught my attention. I'm going to subscribe now, and go down the rabbit hole of interviews I've missed!!

This was an incredibly fascinating conversation. Lex, you are KILLING these, please more of these cyber security/cyber criminal sit downs, they're fire

Seriously sat here and watched entire 3 hours and 47 minutes of this epicness ♾☀️🖤 thanks lex appreciate your time and consideration!!!

Lex this has got to be one of your best interviews ever. Elon musk, bustamante and this guy. I have listened to all 3 interviews like 30x each

I am a therapist. I have worked in private practice and with people getting out of prison. I did CBT both types of spaces. I believe it makes a difference. I have listened to this 2 times. I find it fascinating. I have been a therapist for 25 years.

Lex BY FAR has the greatest introductions ever. They are so graceful, unequivocally precise, and greatly capturing. Rock on sir.

I can relate to his childhood. I was selling drugs at 12 to pay all the bills for my mom and moved out to live on my own at 14 and continued to selling massive amounts until I turned 18 and could get a job without a parent's signature. I took a huge pay cut but was able to get a license and buy a house and move to the county, start a landscaping business and I'm still in that house 22 years later. Now I have a metal fabrication shop.

I commend you for what you are doing with your channel. Thank you for allowing us to hear stories straight from the people who lived them.