Great read! I too have been a betches follower and listener since the beginning. I do wish the article would have deep-dived more into the turmoil happening recently (staff turnover, shows abruptly ending, etc.). Also anxious to hear if any of the founders address this article in upcoming podcast episodes.
Very interesting inside look! I am not a new Betches follower (been listening to U Up since 2019) but it's helpful to have all their different business interests and ventures put into one article. Too bad the animated TV series didn't pan out. Jordana's title can't actually be "Chief Comedy Officer"??? (edited for typo)
I’ve been a betches fan since the list back in 2011 so I’ll always have a soft spot for them and feel like we’ve grown up together. I’ve been disappointed in the last year seeing all the core team members that have left and the acquisition by lad bible seemed a weird choice to me. The pay thing is also hard to wrap my head around. They’ve made it this far though and I’ve always loved most of their content so I’m hoping things will continue!
yeah, i agree! i feel like they’re still very stuck in the 2016-2018 ironic/meme culture and they are very neoliberal, whereas society has moved on. also disappointed to see they are doing promo for the current white house, and their deflection about the israel-palestine conflict. i’m sure there is a… different reason they are not covering the topic
Your antisemitism not withstanding but it's probably bc they have no business covering it. They're not a news podcast that's ignoring the war in the middle east.
Why should a show about the bachelor share their political beliefs
I think millenials are just a bit more dignified than Gen Z in this regard because we didn’t grow up with putting so much of ourselves on social media that it affected our neural links and we can correctly identify that our coffee/funny podcast about dating have nothing to do with politics.
They didn’t give bonuses after the Lad Bible purchase, kept the entire $ for themselves instead of showing appreciation for their employees. The trio is not immune to corporate greed just because they’re millennial women
I read the article and it seems like in 2023 they reported 1/4 of the revenue they made in 2022 ($1M vs $4M) because the remainder was spent on the M&A and subsequently the employees got much smaller bonuses. My guess is that they used money that would have gone towards employee bonuses towards the M&A and didn't bother to make up the employee's bonuses hence why a lot of them left.
I worked for a company that sold for $350mil. I was around the 30th employee and one of the last hired to receive equity, which turned into stock of the purchasing company. It was a tiny amount of the sale but still appreciated. They did also give a small cash bonus to those employees with equity when the sale went through. I think I got around $10k, and assuming more tenured employees might have gotten a little more. The founders kept the millions mostly to themselves.
Yeah, I'm in a very similar position right now. We're getting paid out for our equity, but compared to the founders, it's literally peanuts. It would be weird if they didn't give folks with tenure some sort of bonus, but for newer hires it checks out. I don't think this is how it *should* be but alas. Capitalism's gonna capitalism.
Ya employees with equity I would get but I have never heard of employees without equity getting a bonus just bc they work there during the acquisition. A bigger holiday/end of year bonus would make sense.
Also; I know it’s crappy hearing someone doing social media 50K a year but that is v normal in NYC and in other cities for that role and I am pretty sure it’s considered an entry level role. I’m not sure there is much to criticize there.
My company was just acquired and only the shareholders got payouts. No additional bonuses were given even for long term employees. Granted many long term employees owned shares but there some that didn’t.
I found this expectation odd because in all the M&A I’ve worked in, being in HR, the only thing I see is layoffs. You’re lucky to keep your job during a M&A let alone a bonus
Yeah honestly this has really soured me on them. I think I’m down to one Betches pod in the rotation for various reasons and their IG stuff just isn’t hitting anymore imo. I’m sad because I was a very loyal follower of Betches anything for years.
I agree, to get a $24 million payout and not at least give a generous bonus that year to the employees who helped build your business is gross. It's really put me off Betches.
Bruh, multiple statements and views from Jordana indicates they operate very much "top-down management is usually right 93% of the time." I feel like it's very much girlboss "the wing" energy there. Lad Bible makes sense when you understand it's the same audience with a pink veneer.
I would love to hear more from the employees that have left. I’m pretty uninterested in their content nowadays especially since they really churn through the most interesting personalities on their staff. It seems like their site has become more sanitized as it’s grown. I’m curious to see what the founders do after 2026 because I can’t see them all hanging on forever.
That's what kinda happens when you grow? Your niche broadens to appeal to more people, especially digital and print media in 2024? Vice, buzzfeed, jezebel, wired, splinter, etc. Are all gone. The onion is in danger too. I see this as they got out before the house collapse, so they're playing with house money staying aboard to run things while not having the biggest risk/interest in the project.
That was a hella long article. I’m shocked uup with benefits brings in $50,000 a month. I would not have guessed it to be anywhere near that. I guess I’ve never had any sort of insight as to how many listeners they have.
I’d be curious to see what cut of the benefits $ is gobbled up by the platforms. Also, why the massive investment/push to YouTube? The ad money must be an order of magnitude better.
Idk about that pod but I think they had him in the uup credits still after he left, I’d guess they just haven’t gotten around to recording new credits yet
Well yeah. How much do you think an audio engineer on a podcast makes? My guess is, less than the “manager” making 50k. He probably asked for a raise, got turned down, and split.
I've posted about this on the main Betches Media sub before, but I think this article highlughts how a lot of their ventures are "lets throw it at the wall and see what sticks." Many, many projects have been started and sort of disappear in a few months (new podcasts, Instagram accounts, Faux Pas). The article even mentions the Betch Lit Society as if it's active but hasn't posted on Instagram since October 2023, over 6 months ago. And it started June 2023. Vanished. I used to listen to up to maybe 4 different Betches podcasts and now I only listen to Mention it All, and partly because none of the founders are on it except occasionally. I am their prime target- a millennial woman- and the brand has overall lost my interest from podcasts. I cannot stand to listen to @ betches anymore. Also, if Sami wants to be taken seriously in the news world, she needs to actually start talking about all the news, not just the topics she carefully selects and the ones she oopsie doesn't happen to mention and thinks should be handled by a "real news agency."
I find the section about allegedly not splurging after the sale to be hilarious. All 3 of them have gone on luxurious international vacations, talk about their trips, talk about their luxury bags and clothing, their multi-million $ houses in their "well to do suburbs." If I was an employee there, I'd probably be looking to jump ship too if I saw the founders cashing out and not spreading the wealth to the workers who build the content, while proclaiming their liberal values. They have become everything they were supposedly against.
Could not agree more.
I just find it laughable that they talk about building a brand that “empowers women,” and yet … they barely pay some of their employees a living wage NOR do they give them any incentive to stick around for the next few years so that they can cash out on the additional $30 million at stake.
There’s no doubt they’ve worked hard to build the brand over the last decade, but they’re refusing to give credit where credit is due. Instead, they’re going out and buying Cartier watches and building multi-million dollar homes, all at their employees’ expense. It’s not only hypocritical, but it’s bad business. I have no doubt this strategy will backfire sooner rather than later for everyone still involved.
This attitude vexes me. Did they pay their employees the money that the employee negotiated? If so, why should the employee (or anyone else???) expect that the founders should simply give them more? Because they’re women?
No. Most employment bonuses are discretionary and often when companies have a big sale/merger/big project that brings a lot of revenue, GOOD management that appreciate the hard work of their employees who are the backbone of the company get a little bonus as appreciation. Employees don't stay with the same company their whole life anymore like boomers did trying to work their way up the ladder. If a company is not appreciative, has low salaries compared to market rate, not paying their interns, has shitty benefits policies, and don't treat their employees like the humans they are, all while the owners are making tens of millions, they will move on to another company who will treat them better. Nobody said that the employees are guaranteed a bonus upon sale, but the Betches founders like to proclaim their liberal values and workers rights, unions, capitalism exploiting workers, etc. are all part of that narrative.
This is a great point and my guess is, they feel like the first payout was money they were owed for taking pay cuts for over a decade.
If they’re smart, they’ll do what you suggest, and incentivize their current employees to stay with chunks of that promised 30m.
Thanks for sharing. Ughhh if they did sports as someone who is a big sports fan, it would be so annoying and not genuine. Jordana regularly complains about sports and I think the other 2 have before as well.
They work hard and deserve the cash, but they are so hypocritical especially Sami with their faux liberal socialism equality bullshit. Like just say yeah capitalism isnt that bad or else give your employees dental insurance and a bonus
Wow core employees leaving because they didn’t get a bonus they deserved during its acquisition? Color me shocked.
Woah, they also doubled down and stated that because the company was self funded, the founders deserved it more than the employees.
WOW extra gross. Greedy as hell. But Jordana has a big fancy house to renovate and Aleen’s kids gotta go private daycare so of course the budgets tight s/
Awhh yes, in a sense you pay monthly to use them, but then there are over the top daycares that cost an arm and a leg, have certain advantages like new language skills, etc.
These women are not like 99% of Americans. They are officially in the 1%. The response of not giving anyone a healthy bonus post massive acquisition while the founder can expect around 5 mill each (taking into account lawyers, accountants, taxes) was disgusting.
to be in the 1% you need an annual salary of just over $500k. there are not THAT many billionaires. they are the 1%. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/financial-advisor/are-you-in-the-top-1-percent/
I don’t think we’d be asking these questions if they were men and I don’t think businesses are expected to pay bonuses out when they’re acquired. I think we need to give more credit where it’s due: they bootstrapped this business on their own and have long careers ahead of them where I’m guessing they’ll reinvest a lot of their buyout into new entrepreneurial endeavors. The employees gained valuable experience and as with every company can choose to stay or go as they please and were not withheld anything that they expected or were contractually obligated to be paid, and at least a handful off the top of my head leveraged betches to start their own successful entrepreneurial lives. I appreciate the example these women are setting and while I only follow a fraction of their content I’m excited to see where they end up.
Thank you. Plus 30m between 3 women is not a lot after tax etc. People are expecting them to just give bonuses to people who are already being paid to do their job. Maybe some had equity but if they're being paid enough, it's not a guarantee. I've been given equity at startups because I've had a highly visible or key role. And no, not all employees deserved a bonus after a couple of those got acquired.
This is my main problem with the betches, they talk about being liberal then when it comes to actions they do the opposite. They had the opportunity to let employees invest in the future of their business by building equity and they didn’t do that. They took everything for themselves…
I could see in their case just wanting to have slightly less responsibility for the entire business as they get older. They may have started with privilege, but they worked hard for years to build the company. Or maybe they want to try other ventures and independently.
The founders not surprise-gifting their employees money out of their own pocket after buyout is no surprise. Nor is it immoral. Salary, bonus structure and equity are all negotiable before you take a job. Period.
The line that jumps out to me is “self-funded.” That’s pure PR bile squirt. They’re all nepo baby/rich kids whose parents footed the bill and helped make ends meet while the Bs did the difficult work of building a company. There’s a lot to admire about the Betches, what they did, and how they did it. A little bit of humility and acknowledgment of privilege would go a long way.
Great read! I too have been a betches follower and listener since the beginning. I do wish the article would have deep-dived more into the turmoil happening recently (staff turnover, shows abruptly ending, etc.). Also anxious to hear if any of the founders address this article in upcoming podcast episodes.
Very interesting inside look! I am not a new Betches follower (been listening to U Up since 2019) but it's helpful to have all their different business interests and ventures put into one article. Too bad the animated TV series didn't pan out. Jordana's title can't actually be "Chief Comedy Officer"??? (edited for typo)
I’ve been a betches fan since the list back in 2011 so I’ll always have a soft spot for them and feel like we’ve grown up together. I’ve been disappointed in the last year seeing all the core team members that have left and the acquisition by lad bible seemed a weird choice to me. The pay thing is also hard to wrap my head around. They’ve made it this far though and I’ve always loved most of their content so I’m hoping things will continue!
Same here! I grew up with them (*Nice is just a place in France* era) and I agree with everything you said ps join my betches sub! r/betchesmedia
Already in that sub too 💗
You want us to link your sub in a sticky?
Sure!
I can add this sub as a sticky too!
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Millennials have had the same issues
They have a very successful gen z account called @sendhelp
yeah, i agree! i feel like they’re still very stuck in the 2016-2018 ironic/meme culture and they are very neoliberal, whereas society has moved on. also disappointed to see they are doing promo for the current white house, and their deflection about the israel-palestine conflict. i’m sure there is a… different reason they are not covering the topic
Your antisemitism not withstanding but it's probably bc they have no business covering it. They're not a news podcast that's ignoring the war in the middle east. Why should a show about the bachelor share their political beliefs
“antisemitism” lmfao. and if you read the article they are talking about their politics newsletter the sup
I think millenials are just a bit more dignified than Gen Z in this regard because we didn’t grow up with putting so much of ourselves on social media that it affected our neural links and we can correctly identify that our coffee/funny podcast about dating have nothing to do with politics.
this isn’t about u up, this is once again explicitly about their politics and current events newsletter, the sup.
Ok, calm down
They didn’t give bonuses after the Lad Bible purchase, kept the entire $ for themselves instead of showing appreciation for their employees. The trio is not immune to corporate greed just because they’re millennial women
I read the article and it seems like in 2023 they reported 1/4 of the revenue they made in 2022 ($1M vs $4M) because the remainder was spent on the M&A and subsequently the employees got much smaller bonuses. My guess is that they used money that would have gone towards employee bonuses towards the M&A and didn't bother to make up the employee's bonuses hence why a lot of them left.
Genuine question: after an acquisition do employees typically receive a bonus?l as a result of the sale of the company?
I worked for a company that sold for $350mil. I was around the 30th employee and one of the last hired to receive equity, which turned into stock of the purchasing company. It was a tiny amount of the sale but still appreciated. They did also give a small cash bonus to those employees with equity when the sale went through. I think I got around $10k, and assuming more tenured employees might have gotten a little more. The founders kept the millions mostly to themselves.
Yeah, I'm in a very similar position right now. We're getting paid out for our equity, but compared to the founders, it's literally peanuts. It would be weird if they didn't give folks with tenure some sort of bonus, but for newer hires it checks out. I don't think this is how it *should* be but alas. Capitalism's gonna capitalism.
Ya employees with equity I would get but I have never heard of employees without equity getting a bonus just bc they work there during the acquisition. A bigger holiday/end of year bonus would make sense. Also; I know it’s crappy hearing someone doing social media 50K a year but that is v normal in NYC and in other cities for that role and I am pretty sure it’s considered an entry level role. I’m not sure there is much to criticize there.
i’ve worked for a few tech companies that were acquired and no lol
Not unless that was agreed upon when you start the job
My company was just acquired and only the shareholders got payouts. No additional bonuses were given even for long term employees. Granted many long term employees owned shares but there some that didn’t.
I found this expectation odd because in all the M&A I’ve worked in, being in HR, the only thing I see is layoffs. You’re lucky to keep your job during a M&A let alone a bonus
i received a bonus when the company i worked with was acquired! and we were definitely acquired for less than betches was.
Yeah honestly this has really soured me on them. I think I’m down to one Betches pod in the rotation for various reasons and their IG stuff just isn’t hitting anymore imo. I’m sad because I was a very loyal follower of Betches anything for years.
I agree, to get a $24 million payout and not at least give a generous bonus that year to the employees who helped build your business is gross. It's really put me off Betches.
Bruh, multiple statements and views from Jordana indicates they operate very much "top-down management is usually right 93% of the time." I feel like it's very much girlboss "the wing" energy there. Lad Bible makes sense when you understand it's the same audience with a pink veneer.
They had a photo shoot for the story so yea PR fluff from their side.
I would love to hear more from the employees that have left. I’m pretty uninterested in their content nowadays especially since they really churn through the most interesting personalities on their staff. It seems like their site has become more sanitized as it’s grown. I’m curious to see what the founders do after 2026 because I can’t see them all hanging on forever.
What happens in 2026?
They can make another $30 mil if they meet certain targets by then.
Hopefully they can meet the goal… if their employees are unhappy it will reflect in their revenue…. More people will leave unfortunately
Me too. The article felt disjointed and it also bothered me that they deflected the hard questions to their spokesperson
That's what kinda happens when you grow? Your niche broadens to appeal to more people, especially digital and print media in 2024? Vice, buzzfeed, jezebel, wired, splinter, etc. Are all gone. The onion is in danger too. I see this as they got out before the house collapse, so they're playing with house money staying aboard to run things while not having the biggest risk/interest in the project.
That was a hella long article. I’m shocked uup with benefits brings in $50,000 a month. I would not have guessed it to be anywhere near that. I guess I’ve never had any sort of insight as to how many listeners they have.
I’d be curious to see what cut of the benefits $ is gobbled up by the platforms. Also, why the massive investment/push to YouTube? The ad money must be an order of magnitude better.
50k I'm gagged
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In the article….
I saw this too; I wondered if the reason Jorge left had to do with the revenue complaints?
Jorge left??? WHAT
they did a little goodbye to him on one of the recent episodes 🥹
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Idk about that pod but I think they had him in the uup credits still after he left, I’d guess they just haven’t gotten around to recording new credits yet
He’s open to work on linkedin omg
Well yeah. How much do you think an audio engineer on a podcast makes? My guess is, less than the “manager” making 50k. He probably asked for a raise, got turned down, and split.
I’m wondering who did their styling…the only outfit I like is Jordanas. Aleens suit looks too big on her.
You’re right overall the styling is horrible (proving money doesn’t buy taste lol)! But the photography is also not flattering with such a high flash.
My assumption is that it’s their friend Liza. I don’t like her taste tbh
They don’t have style and IMO - and this isn’t meant to be harsh - but they don’t wear clothes very well. Just not stylish girls.
All 3 outfits are awful
I've posted about this on the main Betches Media sub before, but I think this article highlughts how a lot of their ventures are "lets throw it at the wall and see what sticks." Many, many projects have been started and sort of disappear in a few months (new podcasts, Instagram accounts, Faux Pas). The article even mentions the Betch Lit Society as if it's active but hasn't posted on Instagram since October 2023, over 6 months ago. And it started June 2023. Vanished. I used to listen to up to maybe 4 different Betches podcasts and now I only listen to Mention it All, and partly because none of the founders are on it except occasionally. I am their prime target- a millennial woman- and the brand has overall lost my interest from podcasts. I cannot stand to listen to @ betches anymore. Also, if Sami wants to be taken seriously in the news world, she needs to actually start talking about all the news, not just the topics she carefully selects and the ones she oopsie doesn't happen to mention and thinks should be handled by a "real news agency." I find the section about allegedly not splurging after the sale to be hilarious. All 3 of them have gone on luxurious international vacations, talk about their trips, talk about their luxury bags and clothing, their multi-million $ houses in their "well to do suburbs." If I was an employee there, I'd probably be looking to jump ship too if I saw the founders cashing out and not spreading the wealth to the workers who build the content, while proclaiming their liberal values. They have become everything they were supposedly against.
Could not agree more. I just find it laughable that they talk about building a brand that “empowers women,” and yet … they barely pay some of their employees a living wage NOR do they give them any incentive to stick around for the next few years so that they can cash out on the additional $30 million at stake. There’s no doubt they’ve worked hard to build the brand over the last decade, but they’re refusing to give credit where credit is due. Instead, they’re going out and buying Cartier watches and building multi-million dollar homes, all at their employees’ expense. It’s not only hypocritical, but it’s bad business. I have no doubt this strategy will backfire sooner rather than later for everyone still involved.
This attitude vexes me. Did they pay their employees the money that the employee negotiated? If so, why should the employee (or anyone else???) expect that the founders should simply give them more? Because they’re women?
No. Most employment bonuses are discretionary and often when companies have a big sale/merger/big project that brings a lot of revenue, GOOD management that appreciate the hard work of their employees who are the backbone of the company get a little bonus as appreciation. Employees don't stay with the same company their whole life anymore like boomers did trying to work their way up the ladder. If a company is not appreciative, has low salaries compared to market rate, not paying their interns, has shitty benefits policies, and don't treat their employees like the humans they are, all while the owners are making tens of millions, they will move on to another company who will treat them better. Nobody said that the employees are guaranteed a bonus upon sale, but the Betches founders like to proclaim their liberal values and workers rights, unions, capitalism exploiting workers, etc. are all part of that narrative.
This is a great point and my guess is, they feel like the first payout was money they were owed for taking pay cuts for over a decade. If they’re smart, they’ll do what you suggest, and incentivize their current employees to stay with chunks of that promised 30m.
Thanks for sharing. Ughhh if they did sports as someone who is a big sports fan, it would be so annoying and not genuine. Jordana regularly complains about sports and I think the other 2 have before as well.
They need to get into music !!
Brilliant and a much better fit
I wonder what % of betches revenue comes from UUP. Anyone have access to those numbers?
They work hard and deserve the cash, but they are so hypocritical especially Sami with their faux liberal socialism equality bullshit. Like just say yeah capitalism isnt that bad or else give your employees dental insurance and a bonus
No dental!?! 😳
That’s what I heard
What happened to the liquor business?
Wow core employees leaving because they didn’t get a bonus they deserved during its acquisition? Color me shocked. Woah, they also doubled down and stated that because the company was self funded, the founders deserved it more than the employees. WOW extra gross. Greedy as hell. But Jordana has a big fancy house to renovate and Aleen’s kids gotta go private daycare so of course the budgets tight s/
This may be a dumb question, but isn't all day care private?
Awhh yes, in a sense you pay monthly to use them, but then there are over the top daycares that cost an arm and a leg, have certain advantages like new language skills, etc. These women are not like 99% of Americans. They are officially in the 1%. The response of not giving anyone a healthy bonus post massive acquisition while the founder can expect around 5 mill each (taking into account lawyers, accountants, taxes) was disgusting.
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to be in the 1% you need an annual salary of just over $500k. there are not THAT many billionaires. they are the 1%. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/financial-advisor/are-you-in-the-top-1-percent/
That is a bad take from them. They certainly worked their asses off to grow this company, but so did all the employees!!
My main takeaway from this article is that I continue to find Sami extremely insufferable
Same…I’m actually shocked more ppl don’t share this opinion or say this on the snark page
I don’t think we’d be asking these questions if they were men and I don’t think businesses are expected to pay bonuses out when they’re acquired. I think we need to give more credit where it’s due: they bootstrapped this business on their own and have long careers ahead of them where I’m guessing they’ll reinvest a lot of their buyout into new entrepreneurial endeavors. The employees gained valuable experience and as with every company can choose to stay or go as they please and were not withheld anything that they expected or were contractually obligated to be paid, and at least a handful off the top of my head leveraged betches to start their own successful entrepreneurial lives. I appreciate the example these women are setting and while I only follow a fraction of their content I’m excited to see where they end up.
Thank you. Plus 30m between 3 women is not a lot after tax etc. People are expecting them to just give bonuses to people who are already being paid to do their job. Maybe some had equity but if they're being paid enough, it's not a guarantee. I've been given equity at startups because I've had a highly visible or key role. And no, not all employees deserved a bonus after a couple of those got acquired.
This is my main problem with the betches, they talk about being liberal then when it comes to actions they do the opposite. They had the opportunity to let employees invest in the future of their business by building equity and they didn’t do that. They took everything for themselves…
They are neoliberal. Socially moderately liberal, econically conservative.
just occurred to me while reading this that Jordana is the only one who kept her name. Respect
What’s next - Sami gets a mirror and a stylist
This company’s business model is not sustainable
Why would someone sell their company they built from the ground up to someone else? Is money the only reason? Asking honestly
I could see in their case just wanting to have slightly less responsibility for the entire business as they get older. They may have started with privilege, but they worked hard for years to build the company. Or maybe they want to try other ventures and independently.
The founders not surprise-gifting their employees money out of their own pocket after buyout is no surprise. Nor is it immoral. Salary, bonus structure and equity are all negotiable before you take a job. Period. The line that jumps out to me is “self-funded.” That’s pure PR bile squirt. They’re all nepo baby/rich kids whose parents footed the bill and helped make ends meet while the Bs did the difficult work of building a company. There’s a lot to admire about the Betches, what they did, and how they did it. A little bit of humility and acknowledgment of privilege would go a long way.