Why David Choe Stopped Playing Life Like a Video Game

Without making light or trying to be disrespectful, like if the things that I tried to figure out like a game, like a video game was sex, money, power, right? Like as an artist, I had subscribed to the starving artist type, right? It was like top ramen, you know, holes in your clothes, like homeless, I was like that is what a real artist is. Until I met a successful artist, until I was like, oh shit, like you can have a manager and an agent in an office and like you can like not starve. And I remember at that point I was in my early 20s, I was like, man, people sure like talk about money a lot, right? Like it seems to be like this thing that causes a lot of problems in marriages and business. And I go, it doesn't seem that hard to me as some, and I'm saying this as a guy in my 20s that's poor, I'm like, what if I just like try to be as rich as possible for the next 10 years or five years? Like what if that's my singular focus? And so I did it and it, you know, it was a lot of work, but like the video game of money is over for me now, right? Like I, like at every industry, gambling, the stock market, like even like people go, oh, that's like this Korean force gump. And he just, he was like this homeless guy that like got lucky with Facebook. I'm like, that was like a lot of work to make that happen. You know? And I was already kind of wealthy when I made that deal, but people like to tell that story. So I made millions of dollars gambling. I made millions of dollars with my art. I made millions of dollars with Facebook. And it was a lot of hard work, but I'm like, it's kind of, if I wanted to, you tell me how cringe I sound and I'll just stop, but I'm like, it's not gonna be that hard for me to become a billionaire at a certain level, right? Like I've amassed hundreds of millions. I'm like, if that's my goal now, if that's my video game, and then I know billionaires. I mean, Sean Parker and Mark being the most, but I know tons of like secret billionaires, right? And I go, I don't want any of their lives. I don't want, I don't want any of like, I like- But it's just money. You don't have to have their life to have money. And you don't have to think about money if you have it. The problem with money is people become obsessed with it because it's so difficult to attain and there's so much societal value put on being wealthy that it becomes the thing instead of a thing. I mean, I have a friend that has like hundreds of billions of dollars and- Hundreds of billions? Hundreds of billions. Like one of the, you know. I have one too. Yeah, and you know how weird those guys are, right? They're weird guys. And I'm pretty close with him. He's not just like a, you know, and I said, we're having dinner and I was like, feeling confident. I was like, give me one. He's like, what? I was like, give me one. One billion. And he's like, I don't understand. Yeah, I was like, give me one billion. And he's like, I was like, motherfucker, you know I don't need it. Like, you know, I'm not gonna go buy cars and houses. He's like, what do you wanna do with that? He's like, Dave, I don't know if you know how money works. You don't just go up to someone and ask them for a billion. I go, motherfucker, I just did. And he's like, well, do you have a plan? Are you gonna show me charts and graphs? I was like, no, it's all gonna be instinct. I will take that one billion. And he's like, dude, you gotta come to me with like, I'm not saying no, but you gotta have a better, you know, you gotta have like how you're gonna, I go, I promise you, I will spend it like, the most irresponsible possible. Like, it'll be like exactly, cause most of these people that have billions, they're like geniuses and they spent, everything is down to a fraction and they just grind and crunch numbers in their brain. And that's not how I think. I think very abstract, I think. And I go, I'm gonna do stuff that on paper makes absolutely no sense. And I promise you, I will change the planet with that money. Like, I'm gonna do shit that, and then he was like, he didn't say no, but he was thinking it over. And he's like, dude, there's like, there's no way like my money guys are gonna do this. And then I sat there and I thought about it, cause money is power. I was like, dude, I don't want a billion dollars. I don't want that responsibility. And ultimately he was like, yeah, no. And I was like, thank you. So it was just a wild thought. Yeah. Spontaneous. Yeah, if he had given it to me, he would've, he would've fucked, I would've been like those weird people. I was like, I don't wanna touch that. I don't wanna touch that. You would've tried it out for a while. Right. You would've tried it out for a while and then you would've gone back to being you. Right, and then, so, so that has, that game of, that video game of money has no, no, it's not fun for me anymore. Cause I've, so years ago, like 2009 was my last art show where I actually sold stuff for money. And I didn't feel good. It was like the, my gallery, Steve Lazaridis is like, Banksy's a guy. And he's like, Joe, like you're on fire. Street art's on fire right now. Like, what do you wanna do? I go, it's gonna be in LA. It has to be in LA. It has to be on Rodeo Drive. Like, it has to be on the most expensive street in the world. And I want like every celebrity there and like, you know, and so it did, it happened. It was like, it was a show in Beverly Hills. All the celebrities came, all the fancy people came. I sold all the art. And the next day I didn't feel any different. And then at that point, the artist gets objectified to like just, I got a Basquiat, I got a Cho, I got a Banksy. Right, right. And I'm like, the guy that's buying my art that can afford it, he doesn't care about the art. He just wants to, like it's a dick contest, right? He just wants to show off like, hey, I got a Cho. And I'm like, I'm pretty sure that's not what the universe wants for me to like, just make expensive stuff. So at that point I told my manager and everyone I work with, I'm like, everything now is free. Like, painting with kids, painting with guys just out of jail, painting with at-risk youth, murals, anything where it's free, that's what I'm about. I'm not, you know, or if I like someone, I'll just trade or give it to them, but I'm not selling shit anymore. So that kind of like ended like, you know, and then I had finance guys and everything about wealth management is about how to preserve wealth and make more money. And I go, let's do like a Monte Carlo simulation and figure out when I'm gonna die by my lifestyle of how I live. And let's get it down so that I have zero by the time I'm done. I wanna, and they're like, so every business decision I've made since, I've made that decision is I just lose money. I just lose money. And then the video game of sex, which I wasn't very good at, is age zero to 30. I'd been with five, six, maybe seven girls, and they were all like long-term kind of relationships. There was no like one night stands. And then at that point, like 29, 30, I was like, I'm really not good at this. Like I don't got any game. I'm not. And like the same way, if you saw me in my 20s as like a street urchin, like street kid, and he's like, oh, I'm gonna be the richest artist in the world, you'd be like, you know what the odds of that happening are? Like it's ridiculous. In the same way, and like not to sound vulgar or objectify women, but that's what I did at that age. I was young and I was like, I'm tired of the Asians or like sexless, small dick, the math nerd. Like I wanna fuck the most amount of women as possible. And that was even more ridiculous than me saying I wanna be the richest artist. And then I just went on a tear for a decade, right? Like I just, it was awkward at first. And then like a video game at the end, a combination of like a comedian working out their material, right? And with the oncoming social media and all the internet stuff, I could figure out on the dates I've been on which material killed. Like what did I say to make what girl laugh? And I would have all of those like a crazy person like in my notes folders. And I could say the perfect combination of words to make a girl laugh or like, so using everything at my disposal, anything like money, charm, like jokes, power, like I'll get you on this thing or like just queuing in on what is it that you want and I can get you that. And I was sleeping with multiple women a day and I was like, this, you would never believe, okay, not you, I would never believe what I was doing. Like I was every night, tens, tens, tens, like Victoria's Secret models, A-list celebrities, just like, I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. And I got to a point where I was like, I wasn't, my friends in a debate of, they're like, you were like a week away from sucking dick. And I was like, it's probably like more like two days away because it just gets there, right? Like I was just like in rooms, like having threesomes, group sex. And I was like, I'm an artist, I should, and my parents were convinced I was. Like I was in a car going to an art show with my parents in Mexico City. And my mom, she's like completely invested in my career and she's like, hey, you know, Andy Warhol used to do like 10, 20 pushups and then his mom would give him like a Snicker bar. And I was like, that's an interesting fact, mom, I didn't know that, and he was gay. And I was like, oh, okay, cool. You know Leonardo da Vinci when he used to go out, like he wouldn't, no one would know he's an artist, he wouldn't have like a speck of paint on him. And I was like, oh, I didn't know that, mom. And he was gay. And I was like, what is this going? And then my dad's in the front driving, he's like, he's not gay, I told you he's not gay. And my mom's like, you know we're Christian, but we know that you're an artist and we know you haven't brought a woman home in like 10 years. So just, it's okay, you could come out of the closet. And I was like, and I was like, I love being gay so much. Like I'm not, like I just, I almost wish I was, right? Like I, when I play like Dungeons and Dragons or a role playing game or RPG like video game or anytime I act or do anything that's like online or like a game, I always wanna be a gay guy. Like I just love it, I love that feeling. I wanna play gay guys if, you know. But I just don't love dick, I want to. I want to love it, but I just. Why do you want to? I just like, part of it is like, my shame makes me shameless and like I like it when it hurts kind of thing. Like I just, I got close where there was a transsexual woman. I think her name was, like her penis was right here. And I was like, it's right there. I should just like, at least lick it or touch it. At least just to say I tried it and I could say I didn't like it or I did like it, but I just couldn't, I was like, I was so bored not of just pussy or women or whatever. I just was bored of. The endeavor. Of that and then, you know, you meet people and everyone has their game. Like Hollywood people are like, I get that Emmy or that Oscar or, you know. And so I like pick the game I wanna play, money, pow. And then it's like, I sit here and the thing that I learned, the number one important lesson from gambling is get out while you're ahead is like, I love how much money I have right now. Like it's the perfect amount. I love that, like I have no regrets. Like I've had sex with so many different women that like, I'm just, I don't need that anymore. I'm so, I could be a monk for the rest of my life if I want to, you know, like. And so there's only one final quest and that's the spiritual quest, right? And that's where like people say shit. The answer is love and it's like, it is, right? Like there will be shit, there's shit that we talked about before we start recording that we can't and then there will be shit that we talk about later. And we live in this world now where it's like, it's a crazy world, right? And the answer is love and everyone says it and it's in movies and it's in books, but it's what does that path look like? And so I go towards where I feel that and I feel that in Africa. When I go to Africa, I feel that like in my soul to my bones and you know, I look like this in Austin and no one judges me, like you would think going to Africa, the places I go where there's no Asians that they would say shit, but they don't. They just accept me, they call me brother, they take me in, they show me their lives and they're like, you're just part of our tribe now. And I'm like, it makes me want to cry, you know? So and the fact that I have this beautiful relationship with you and you let me talk about this stuff and then those words get to, you know, like I don't know Logan Paul, that guy calls me up right after the show, he's like, take me to Africa, bro. Take me, I'm like, okay, you know? Like, and it's just a tremendous thing and then we made this film and it's, you know, it's like the best documentary I've ever seen. So if anyone like wants to see a trailer or we are Hadza, the Malekka Foundation.