Someone I talk to quite frequently online claims to be a successful investment banker with a multi-million pound property portfolio and who earns hundreds of thousands per annum (who also happens to live in a flat above a betting shop)

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My gut instinct is that truly rich people would never boast about their 'multi-million pound' property portfolio online or that it would be so easy to find out where they live. He literally shared a video of his new home plus location (Camden), plus its quite easy to search on companies house). Plus when you look at his linkedin, he seems to be doing sales/marketing rather than investment banking.

In fact his latest comment to someone who posted is ''i'm working on several long term projects with my current employer that if I manage to pull it off, within the next 5-8 years, I expect to earn an 8-figure sum for my role in brokering this deal and the first figure won't be a 1. I know life is grim and tough, that's why I'm so busy making more money rather than bitching about how the NHS isn't good enough. I'm off to Dubai to negotiate some deals in November, I'm flying business and being put up in one of those ludicrously expensive hotels in Dubai that's totally over the top. I make sure I take care of myself by being rich, I suggest you try that too since you're just as aware as I am for the need to become rich.'

I know it should bother me less but he is honestly quite rude about people less fortunate than him and frankly quite boastful. There are times when he boasts about he lives in a luxurious house and people who are familiar with the london property market have pointed out that flat above betting shop isn't really considered a 'luxury home'; not that there is anything wrong with such; its just not somewhere you tend to imagine multi-millionaires living in even in London as its a far cry from penthouse apartment in Kensington (which is what i imagine multi-millionaires would opt for if they prefer apartment living). However, he keeps insisting that he is so incredibly rich. I know that a lot of mumsnetters probably do invent fantasy lives but why does he do it AND also share his real life identity so people with some Googling skills can see through it. I am guessing if he wants to keep his privacy, he wouldn't share his real life name and photos of himself and vlogs! And if his life is real, well does it sound really likely to you?

I am not sure why it bothers me, but I guess its because I have engaged with him and i can see the inconsistencies; so the thoughts don't go away? Plus I guess he assumes when I point out the inconsistencies that I must have a 'working class mindset' and I must be poor, so i guess him being insulting is getting to me (even though it shouldn't!)

Oh and he isn't a troll, i am quite sure of that.

He’s a fantasist knobhead OP, but then you seem oddly obsessed- let it go and stop engaging with him. It’s like the old saying about wrestling with pigs, you can’t win and he’ll enjoy it, so spend you time on more interesting pursuits or just read as fiction.

I think the reason why I looked into this was I actually believed him as he didn't make so many outlandish claims in the past. He claimed to earn well, and have multiple properties and to have many holidays and that didn't seem unbelievable for someone of his age and education (and no kids)...I actually thought he was an interesting person, if a tad boastful at times.

He’s chatting shit from the off.
why even invest in a liar ?

So he is horrid about other people. Even without the lies, why bother?

A fantasist. I’d disengage and revisit in a year or so, see what’s changed. It sounds exhausting.

So everyone agrees he is a fantasist. Is it solely because someone with that much money wouldn't boast about his deals online or would live in a nicer place? I don't doubt there are people out there like that!

This is an Elsa let it go moment.

You realistically know he's lying and he's not pleasant, stop visiting his website and move on, the deep dive into planning permissions and where he lives etc is ridiculously intense unless he's scamming you for money, move on.

He could be setting the scene for the people he contacts and grooms (privately) to suggest they invest money in his amazing investments guaranteed to bring amazing returns. That will never see their money again.

He could find his blog gets a lot more hits when he is controversial.

He could just be a weirdo.

It's not all or nothing. You seem very obsessed he lives in an expensive flat bug not as expensive as you would expect for a multi millionaire. He could live in the flat for any of the many reasons anyone else could. Why do you care?

It’s called “Authority Posting Strategy” and is linked to Law of Attraction. He posts this stuff to attract people who identify with what he is saying, who then ask ‘how can I do this?’ At which point he offers his ‘coaching services’ at a ridiculous cost and rinses the ‘client’.
Writing authority posts can be a legit way of finding clients if you have actual services of benefit to people and are good at writing posts they will identify with, but lately a lot of scammers are using it badly and leaving people confused and with a distinct sense of unease. I’d bet he has precisely zero clients.

I would like to able to spot scammers and it bothers me that I believed his story for years....I always thought I was a very non naive person!

I should add that bullshitting and lying isn’t the right way of doing this and I’ve never seen that done by anyone who isn’t a scammer, but posting about genuine achievements is how it’s theoretically supposed to attract clients.

OP it sounds like one of those typical guys who lie about their lifestyle and make out to be an Instagram millionaire when really they still live at home with their parents.

Do those people who live in modest home for a variety of reasons also try to make out their home is an extremely luxurious home (and equivalent to a 3 bed house in zone 2). I mean, I hope one day I can be wise enough to see bullshitters from the onset, not years later when they are talking about million pound deals (while doing 'international logistics for a South American asset manager- no idea what that even means!)

(while doing 'international logistics for a South American asset manager- no idea what that even means!)

It means nothing, it's just total crap. He's picked investment banking as it's specialised so he can get away with making stuff up and people don't have the knowledge to pick up the bullshit.

I've worked in investment banking for most of my career and he's creating jobs and scenarios that don't exist. I also spent an evening with asset managers a few weeks ago and none of them are needing logistics experts, South American or otherwise.

Why is it on his LinkedIn then? Does he have no job? I definitely don't want any bullshit on my LinkedIn!

So everyone agrees he is a fantasist. Is it solely because someone with that much money wouldn't boast about his deals online or would live in a nicer place? I don't doubt there are people out there like that!*

Not every fantasist/scammer will be the same. Some will boast about everything (Tinder Swindler - swaggering around in Aston Martins, dressing in head to toe Gucci, taking pics outside multi million pound properties etc). Some will brag about their mystery job, military career, SAS training. Some will just not stack up like this guy - unless he’s a philanthropist who has given all his wealth to charity and lives in a flat above a betting shop out of choice, then I’d guess he’s just a low level insecure bloke with some sort of pathological lying issue. Block, avoid. Someone who has to boast and big themselves up by making others look small is not a nice person.

He sounds a Walter Mitty character

Sounds like most people are seeing through his BS

But you're right, someone that young working 25 hours a week and living in a flat over a betting shop is BS that he's a multimillionaire! It is extremely unlikely.

He sounds like he has a chip on his shoulder and would be terrible to date - there's always some naive girl who falls for it - (bet he "forgets his wallet" when he goes out on a date!)

His main thing is also giving career advice to young people and graduates...basically he says a lot of stuff about how only degrees from Oxbridge and top Russell group universities are worth the paper they are on and how he managed to start a career in corporate finance despite being from a working class background.

That's how I started reading his blog as I also studied at one of the London universities so felt like we have something in common .

I mean this kindly but you're wasting your time trying to disprove it. If you want to work out whether his LinkedIn is fictitious, I'd start with connections. If he works in investment banking, he should have colleagues working for the same company on there.

I can see you've invested a lot of time in following him and it's hard to feel you've been duped. Wherever the truth lies, surely it's better to draw a line and unfollow him, particularly as you find him boastful.

When I started reading his blog, he was living in an ex council flat in zone 1 (which he bought years ago). I was also renting an ex council flat as a university student and knew it didn't mean that you were hard up. He then said he bought another 1 bed flat in zone 1 during the 08 crash and then subsequently bought this 2 bed flat above a shop cos he wanted more space. He has a partner so that partner presumably also had a flat.

I was interested in reading as at that time, I was also looking to get on the property ladder in London. At the start, the whole thing really didn't look blatantly untrue .

He has only ever worked for small funds/asset managers so not many connections there...

I'm struggling to understand why you're so invested in this person. I'd consider him untrustworthy and start reading someone else's blog.

Yes, what would the asset managers need a logistics manager for? They trade in financial investments don't they? Where's the logistics? :)

You seem to have become quire fixated on this OP.

You struggle to comprehend that some people lie because they can. He may not have an ulterior motive, just lives quite a sad little life and lies online because it pleases him to do so.

I ask - are you neurodiverse?

I understand why people lie, but it's all over his personal LinkedIn too..it's not like someone setting up a Mumsnet account and saying they earn £1 million a year. That is a username that can't be traced back. He isn't a scammer either. He has lots of personal details that are true.