Disney exec ruined life by becoming influencer dies during drug binge while glued to his phone

I have no social media and it is because I do have an addictive personality and having social media seems like something I should avoid. This story is pretty wild so I thought I'd share it. May be a cautionary tale for some.

This 47 year old man, Dave Hollis worked for Disney for 17 years. He decided to quit his job at Disney and become an "influencer" full time when a photo his wife shared of her stretch marks went viral and she ended up writing a book.

The executive once had it all, living in a lavish $3.5 million California mansion with Rachel and their four children. When she found fame, Hollis is said to have struggled with his wife's over-sharing about their lousy sex life and her new role as the family breadwinner. 

'Now that she doesn't need me,' he once wrote. 'Will she still want me?'  

A behind-closed-doors rivalry for social media clout apparently ended their marriage in 2020, and a string of scandals culminated in Hollis' death in February 2023 of a heart attack caused by a lethal cocktail of drugs. He was found with his ever-present phone on his chest after his tragic death. 

With almost half a million followers and a lucrative career behind him, the executive's demise serves as a cautionary tale over the dangers of living for shallow online attention first highlighted by a Wall Street Journal investigation.

This kind of shows that no matter how great someone's life can seem, if they're off mentally none of that matters. Why did he quit his job at Disney?

He frequently shared videos with his children and got a lot of flak because he told his 4 year old daughter on a video he would not make pancakes for her because he was too busy with his internet friends. That was a 2 hour livestream and when the 4 year old came back to ask for food again, he told her to "get a life". A 4 year old. The social media ruined this man's brain.

Hollis spent his final years obsessing over mean Instagram comments and relentlessly sharing everything in his life online.

The dad also tried his hand at becoming a bodybuilder duirng a sad decline his ex-girlfriend, reality show star Heidi Powell, described to the Wall Street Journal as living 'like The Truman Show.' 

Hollis' transformation was especially shocking to his friends and former colleagues, as he'd once appeared to have the world at his feet.

As a top Disney executive, Hollis spent 17 very fruitful years at the media giant, and reportedly even remarked to a friend that he believed he had the potential to someday take over from famed CEO Bob Iger. 

His perks included stock options, yearly tickets to the Oscars, and responsibility over the release of blockbusters including Black Panther and the Star Wars franchise.   

But after Rachel released her popular, inspirational-buzzword bestseller 'Girl, Wash Your Face' in 2018, Hollis took a risk and quit his lucrative role to join her in building a self-help empire. 

Their venture, Hollis Co., was a once-successful business centered around podcasts, media promotions and millions of followers between them. 

In the years since, Rachel's stock soared far higher than her husband's, commanding over 1.5 million Instagram followers while hosting a number of stars on her podcast including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rainn Wilson and Steve-O. 

But behind the snazzy posts and airbrushed pictures, fans began to see Hollis cracking under the pressure of living up to his online persona, including in October 2021 in an infamous Instagram Live episode. 

He threw away his entire life because of social media. So wild! Quotes are from www.dailymail.co.uk...

a reply to: Shoshanna

a reply to: Shoshanna

The poor fellow seems to have simply come apart at the seams.

Choices have consequences and people who play stupid games.......tend to win stupid prizes.

a reply to: Shoshanna

Most likely a narcissist. Narcs need their attention 'look at me!!! me ! me! ' fix daily , constantly. They're a drain on society.

Anyone who seeks fame and fortune will only find his or her own demise, in time.

It is a futile pursuit which serves nothing but to fuel one's own appetite for fantasy.

You're already a star; all your thoughts and actions are broadcasted for "them."

All that is hidden will be revealed; nothing can escape the Illumination.

It’s worth mentioning Iger just claimed woke movies aren’t a hit because there weren’t enough execs on set.

Oh the irony.