>>> THANKS FOR JOINING US ON NEXT UP.

ON THIS EDITION, ALVIN AND I ARE DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

WE TALK TO LOCAL NEWSMAKERS ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE CITY, THE COUNTY OR THE STATE.

NOW WE ARE GOING TO MEET A GUY ABOUT A QUARTER OF CENTURY AGO WAS IN THE HEADLINES HE AS A 20-SOMETHING WAS SUING PEPSI AND IN THIS IMPROBABLE JOURNEY, HIS CASE IS A FAMOUS LEGAL CASE.

IT IS TAUGHT AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL.

THE REASON YOU SEE DISCLAIMERS ARE ON AD, AND YOU HEAR IT HEAR, WE HOPE YOU DON'T.

IT IS A FOUR-PART NETFLIX SHOW CALLED PEPSI; WHERE IS MY JET.

WHICH GOT 30 MILLION VIEWERS WITHIN THE FIRST TEN DAYS AND SEEN IN MORE THAN 140 COUNTRY.

JOHN LEONARD, WELCOME TO NINE PBS.

THERE ARE SO MANY ST. LOUIS CONNECTIONS IN THIS SHOW.

>> IT IS FUNNY, IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY, ST. LOUIS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART.

SO, THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> THE THUMBNAIL SCHEKETCH, YOU SAW A CONTEST WHEN YOU WERE 20, IF YOU TURNED IN POINTS YOU COULD GET GREAT STUFF.

>> LOOKING BACK ON IT NOW, I KIND OF LAUGH AT MAYBE HOW NAIVE I WAS.

1995, PEPSI RAN AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN WHERE THEY OFFERED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PRIZES AND DIFFERENT THINGS.

THE PROMOTION CENTERED AROUND THE GRAND PRIZE OF WINNING A JET FOR 7 MILLION POINTS.

I SAW IT FOR THE FIRST TIME I WAS COACHING WITH, IT SOUNDED LIKE THIS BIG IDEA.

THROUGH THE LENS AND THE EYES OF A 19 OR 20-YEAR-OLD, I GO HOLY MACKEREL, IT MAY BE DOABLE.

HOW I LOOK AT IT, A 48-YEAR-OLD AND HOW I DID IT THEN IS DIFFERENT.

AS A 20-YEAR-OLD, I GO, MAN, I THINK I CAN DO THAT.

I THINK YOU COULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

I HAPPENED TO HAVE A FRIEND WHO WAS, I WAS A BIT NAIVE, AND HE WAS MAYBE ON THE MORE CRAZY SIDE, I WAS ABLE TO PARTNERING WITH ME.

AND WE TOOK A SWING FOR THE FENCES, IF YOU WILL.

>> IT WAS A DIME A POINT.

YOU HAD TO COME UP WITH 700 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND DID YOU DO TO MATH AUTOMATICALLY, OR HOW IT ALL CAME TO FRUITION?

MY FIRST THING ISN'T WHAT I HAD TO CAME UP WITH HOW TO DO THIS.

FROM THAT POINT, YOU ARE THINKING WE CAN DO THIS.

WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH 700 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

>> ORIGINALLY, AS THE STORY PROGRESSES, WE GET TO HOW WE WERE ABLE TO BUY THE POINTS FOR THE 700 THOUSAND DOLLARS-ISH.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT OPTION EXISTED AT THE TIME.

THE ADVERTISEMENT HAD THE YET FOR 700 POINTS.

I DID QUICK MATH AND I THOUGHT A YET IS WORTH 20-30 MILLION DOLLARS.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

7 MILLION PEPSI POINTS CAN'T BE WORTH THAT MUCH.

I WAS LIKE, OH, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE.

AND SO I STARTED WORKING ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO COLLECT THE POINTS.

AND I ESTIMATED THROUGH DIFFERENT MEANS, THIS IS 20-YEAR-OLD, NOT PROBABLY THE MOST GOOD AT MATH PERSON AT THIS POINT.

I WAS ABLE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN WITH IT WOULD TAKE 4.2 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUY THE POINTS.

I PITCHED THAT TO PEOPLE AND A PARTICULAR FRIEND OF MINE, TODD, WHO I PARTNERED WITH.

THERE MAY BE SOMETHING TO IT.

BUT THROUGH THE COURSE OF EVENTS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE 4.2 MILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF HURDLES I WAS ASKED TO JUMP OVER, UNDERSTANDABLY.

AND I THOUGHT OVER TIME, I WAS PROVIDING A LOT OF GOOD ANSWERS.

I WAS TRYING TO GET VENTURE CAPITAL FOR THE 4.2 MILLION DOLLARS.

THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT.

AND I HAD TO PROVE WHAT I WOULD DO WITH THE AIRCRAFT, TURN IT IN A VIABLE BUSINESS TO PAY BACK THE INVESTORS AND MAKE IT A PROPER VENTURE.

THE FINAL QUESTION WAS IF WE INVEST IN THIS AND YOU GET TO 695 THOUSAND PEPSI POINTS AND YOU CAN'T BUY ANYMORE?

THEN, WHAT'S THE PLAN?

I DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.

AND SO, ESSENTIALLY, I GOT SHOT DOWN.

I MADE A PITCH.

IT DIDN'T WORK OUT.

I FLEW BACK HOME TO SEATTLE.

AND THE FUNNY THING AT THE TIME, EVERY TIME I WENT TO TALK TO THESE INVESTORS, I FLEW THROUGH ST. LOUIS AT THE TIME.

THAT'S WHAT T W A WAS FLYING AND EVERY FLIGHT WENT THROUGH ST. LOUIS ON THE OLD PLANES.

THERE I WAS, MADE THIS FINAL PITCH.

GOT SHOT DOWN.

BACK ON THE PLANE, ST. LOUIS, SEATTLE WITH MY TAIL BETWEEN MY LEGS.

>> I WENT TO A SMALL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND WASHING WINDOWS TO PAY FOR THINGS.

AND A POINT OF PURCHASE AREA WAS THERE WITH CINDY CRAWFORD AND THE SPICE GIRLS.

I TOOK THE PAMPHLETS AND I HAD THIS DREAM.

I WAS READING THROUGH AND I GOT TO THE FINE PRINT.

IT SAID YOU COULD BUY THE POINTS FOR 10 CENTS.

THAT IS 700 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

IT CHANGED THE WHOLE PITCH I HAD.

I HOPPED ON THE PLANE THROUGH ST. LOUIS.

I HAD A WHOLE NEW PITCH TO MAKE.

IT WENT 4.2 TO 700 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

>> IF YOU CONTACT THE PENTAGON IF INDEED A CIVILIAN COULD OWN A JET?

>> I DID.

I MADE A COUPLE OF CALLS.

ONE WAS TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THE JET WOULD COST.

I GREW UP IN SEATTLE, AND BOEING GOT MCDONALD DOUGLAS AND THEY WERE MAKING THE JET.

I GOT WHAT IT WOULD COST.

AT THE TIME, PROBABLY THEN, YOU COULDN'T BUY JUST ONE, RIGHT?

[LAUGHTER.]

>> THAT MADE THE MATH MESSED UP A LITTLE BIT.

>> CAN YOU, AS A CIVILIAN, CAN YOU OWN ONE?

>> THAT WAS THE CALL TO THE PENTAGON.

IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO.

IT WAS.

BACK THEN, YOU COULDN'T GET ON AND GOOGLE SOMETHING.

I REMEMBER GOING THROUGH ENENCYCLOPEDIAS.

I COULDN'T GET THE ANSWER AT TO IF YOU WOULD OWN ONE.

I CALLED THE PENTAGON.

IF THERE WAS ANY PLACE WHERE MAYBE IN THIS WHOLE THING I WAS DISINGENUOUS.

I AM IN JUNIOR COLLEGE AND I AM WORKING ON A PROJECT.

WOULD I OWN A JET.

THIS TYPE OF JET?

WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE A NICE KID.

HE IS WORKING ON A SCHOOL PROJECT.

THEY PASSED ME FROM PERSON TO PERSON AND I TALKED TO SOMEONE IN THE PUBLIC RELATION'S OFFICE AND WAS THE SPOKESPERSON.

KEN BACON.

THE ANSWER THAT I GOT AND HE HELPED ME THROUGH IT, YES, IN FACT, YOU COULD OWN THIS KIND OF JET.

IT COULDN'T HAVE THE WEAPONS.

IT HAD TO BE A DEMILITARY JET.

IT WAS A HURDLE.

>> AS YOU ARE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, HAD YOU CONTACTED PEPSI?

ARE THEY AWARE?

ONCE THEY BECAME AWARE, HOW SHORT WAS THE LETTER SO SAY, LEAVE ME ALONE?

>> I'M SURE PEOPLE WERE THINKING THIS KID IS CRAZY AND LOOKING AT A 48-YEAR-OLD, YES, THAT KID WAS CRAZY.

IN MY MIND, 20-YEAR-OLD MIND, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A COMPETITION.

I WANTED TO BE THE FIRST.

I WAS THINKING THAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING.

I WASN'T BROADCASTING WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO.

BECAUSE IN MY MIND, IT WAS THE ONE PERSON WAS GOING TO WIN THE PRIZE.

AND AS BIG AS THAT SOUNDED, THAT WAS MY MINDSET AT THE TIME.

AND I WAS FEELING LIKE I WAS IN A RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK TO GET AS MANY POINTS AS I COULD BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE DID.

THERE WASN'T COMMUNICATION WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

THERE WASN'T COMMUNICATION WITH PEPSI.

I WAS TRYING TO GET THE POINTS AND GET IT SUBMITTED BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DID.

>> YOU SENT THEM 700 THOUSAND AND CHANGE CHECK.

HOW DID THEY RESPOND TO THAT?

>> AS PART OF A PROMOTION, THEY HAVE TO ALLOW YOU A MEANS.

I GUESS IT IS LEGALLY, SO IT IS NOT A GAME OF SKILL OR CHANCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THERE ARE WAYS IN THE COMPETITIONS WHERE YOU CAN AACCUMULATE A CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF THE PROOF OF PURCHASE.

YOU CAN BUY THE POINTS LIKE I FIND OUT.

I HAD TO BUY A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF PEPSI TO GET THE POINTS AND THEN BUY THE POINTS.

>> OKAY.

>> FOR THE RULES OF THE CONTEST, THERE WAS A SHIPPING AND HANDLING CHARGE YOU HAD TO INCLUDE WITH IT.

THE CHECK THAT I ENDED UP HAND-CARRYING TO YOUNG AMERICA, MINNESOTA, WHERE PEPSI WAS, WAS FOR 7000,008.5 700,008.

700,008.50.

THE 8 DOLLARS AND 50 CENTS WAS FOR THE SHIPPING AND HANDLE.

>> FOR A JET?

>> YES.

>> HOW DID PEPSI RESPONDED TO JOHN LEONARD OF THE SEATTLE AREA?

>> SO THE CHECK AND THE REGISTRATION FOR THE PLANE FORM WAS TAKEN TO YOUNG AMERICA, MINNESOTA.

AND WEEKS AND WEEKS AND WEEKS WENT BY.

AND THE LETTER CAME IN THE MAIL AND IT WAS A DEAR JOHN LETTER.

SAID, THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORTS.

BUT THE OFFER WAS A JOKE AND HERE'S 2 FREE CASES OF PEPSI FOR YOUR TROUBLE.

[LAUGHTER.]

>> ALL RIGHT, NOW, WERE YOU, LIKE, I CAN'T LET IT DIE HERE?

WHY DID YOU MOVE ON AFTER THAT?

>> IT IS FUNNY, PEOPLE ASK, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?

I DON'T WHAT I EXPECTED.

WE WERE NOT -- WE WERE NOT THINKING.

IF I COULD DO IT WITH THE 48-YEAR-OLD MIND, AT THE TIME WE WERE NOT THINKING THAT FAR AHEAD.

THEY SENT THE DEAR JOHN LETTER.

I SENT A LETTER BACK, NO, THIS IS WHAT YOU SAID, SO I DID IT.

TWO CASES OF FREE PEPSI IS NOT -- IT WAS -- >> IT IS NOT A JET!

>> IT WAS A BIT TOO DISMISSIVE.

AND SO I SENT A LETTER BACK SAYING THIS IS WHAT THE OFFER SAID AND THIS IS WHAT I EXPECT.

AGAIN, RADIO SILENCE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

AND AT THIS TIME, I'M LIVING AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE OUTSIDE OF ASSESSMESEATT- LASSESSMENSEATTLE.

AND I COME HOME FROM WORK AND A REPORTER FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL CAME LOOKING FOR ME.

WHY WOULD A REPORTER COME LOOKING FOR ME?

HOW DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS?

I CALLED THE NUMBER BACK.

HEY, I'M A REPORTER FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

I CAME BACK IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK WHERE PEPSI SUED YOU.

WHAT?

HOW DID PEPSI SUE ME?

WHAT PEPSI HAD DONE, THEY HAD FILED A PREEMPTIVE LAWSUIT AGAINST ME.

THE WAY THE STORY HAS BEEN TOLD AND AGAIN, I GET ALL OF THESE THINGS, IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE.

PEPSI IT KIND OF TRIED TO PAINT THE PICTURE OF THIS YOUNG OPPOTUNISTICS GUY THAT LAWYERED UP AND SUED PEPSI.

THE REALITY THAT PEPSI SUED ME FIRST.

THAT IS HOW IT BECAME A PUBLIC STORY.

I DON'T HOLD GRUDGES.

IT WAS THE RIGHT LEGAL MOVE TO DO.

THE TWO CASES OF PEPSI FOR MY TROUBLES.

I SENT A LETTER BACK AND SAID, NO, I WANT THE JET AND THE RESULT WAS A LAWSUIT AGAINST ME.

>> THIS STARTED IN 1995.

WHAT YEAR ARE WE AT NOW?

>> THIS IS LATE 1995, EARLY '96.

>> WE ARE EARLY IN THE PROCESS?

>> YEP.

>> YOU WERE THE CONTROVERSIAL KID.

I WAS DOING RADIO BACK THEN.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS FOR YOU OR AGAINST YOU.

HAD HAD DETRACTORS IN THIS COUNTRY.

>> I THINK -- I THINK I WAS IN PUBLIC OPINION, I WAS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD.

MAYBE BEHIND.

DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU WERE AT.

>> THEY SAID 7 MILLION POINTS.

THEY SAID YOU GET A JET.

THERE WAS NO DISCLAIMER.

>> YOU FOUND OUT LATER THAT CANADA HAD A DISCLAIMER.

>> SO MANY LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN THIS.

AGAIN, WE WERE NOT PREPARED, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT COULD COME NEXT.

RIGHT?

WHEN PEPSI FILED THE LAWSUIT, THEY KICKED INTO GEAR THEIR PR MACHINE AND THEY PAINTED THE STORY OF ABOUT THIS GUY WHO HAD A BUNCH OF RICH FRIENDS, WAS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM, HIRED A BUNCH OF LAWYERS AND BUSINESS ADVISORIES AND TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PEPSI.

AND AS WE WERE MAKING THIS FILM AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WORKING ON IT, THEY WERE ABLE TO TALK TO THE EXECUTIVES AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS.

WHAT PEPSI HAD BECOME TO UNDERSTAND, WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THAT THERE WAS A GROUP OF WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS THAT FOUND A PERSON TO BE THE FRONT GUY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM.

TO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT'S WHAT THEY BELIEVED.

THAT WAS THEIR STARTING POINT.

IF YOU TAKE IT FROM WHAT THEY BELIEVE IT FROM, THEIR RESPONSES WERE REASONABLE.

THEY WERE LIKE, OH, WE HAVE A GROUP OF WEALTHY PEOPLE.

SOMEONE SAW AN AD THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE AND THEY FOUND A KID AND WE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.

>> IT WAS NOT THE CASE?

>> IT WAS THE FARTHEST FROM THE TRUTH.

IT WAS A REASONABLE CONCLUSION.

IN WHOSE MIND COULD A 20-YEAR-OLD FIND SOMEBODY WITH THE WHEREWITHALL TO GO UP AGAINST ONE OF THE BIGGEST CORPORATIONS IN THE WORLD.

LATER I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE ME TRYING FOR IT.

THIS WAS IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE INTERNET.

AFTER IT BECAME PUBLIC, PEOPLE CONTACTED ME AND SAID, HEY, I HAVE THIS WEBSITE AND I AM TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO DONATE THEIR POINTS TO ME SO I CAN GET THE JET.

OTHER PEOPLE REACHED OUT AND SAID I WAS DOING THAT TOO.

PEPSI THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE KIDS LIKE ME, A YOUNG PERSON TO DREAM ABOUT IT.

IT DID GET ME TO DREAM ABOUT IT.

WHAT I DON'T THINK THEY COULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT, A 20-YEAR-OLD DREAMER LIKE ME WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE MOST ENDEARING TERMS, A CRAZY FRIEND LIKE TODD HOFFMAN, TO GO ON THIS RIDE.

>> HE WROTE THE CHECK?

>> YES.

AND YOU CAME ACROSS MICHAEL -- WHO WAS WORKING.

AND YOUR PREVIOUS LAWYER AND OTHERS, ON THIS DOCUMENTARY ON NETFLIX, THEY HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT MICHAEL.

>> YEAH.

IT IS INTERESTING.

THERE ARE ST. LOUIS CONNECTIONS.

AND HE WAS ONE OF THEM.

AT THE TIME, I AM 20, MICHAEL IS 24 OR 25.

AGAIN, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING.

WE HAD AN ATTORNEY THAT HAD DRAFTED THIS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN TODD AND I.

HE WASN'T DOING LITIGATION.

WHEN TODD AND I GOT INTO THIS ADVENTURE AND WROTE THE CHECK FOR 700 THOUSAND.

WE HAD A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP.

AND THE ATTORNEY DRAFTED THAT.

THAT IS WHAT HIS ROLE WAS AT THE TIME.

WHEN WE GOT SUED AND I SAID WHAT DO WE DO?

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO?

IT GOT MEDIA ATTENTION.

I DON'T KNOW.

GO OUT AND TALK AND BE WHO YOU ARE.

I TOOK CALLS.

IT WAS APPARENT THAT I NEEDED SOME HELP WITH TELLING THE STORY.

AND OUR ATTORNEY KNEW SOMEONE THAT KIND OF DID PR IN SAN FRANCISCO.

A WOMAN NAMED MUFFY MEYER.

SHE PASSED AWAY.

IT IS LIKE THE BAD NEWS BEARS.

THIS IS NOT A PRO-TYPE OF OPERATION.

SHE IS LIKE, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THIS.

BUT I KNOW THIS GUY WHO IS YOUNG, HUNGRY, MAYBE HE IS WILLING TO HELP YOU OUT AND THAT WAS MICHAEL.

AT THE TIME, HE WAS KIND OF IN THE PR BUSINESS AND THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION BUSINESS AS WELL.

I THINK HE WAS PROBABLY HUNGRY ENOUGH, HIS BILLABLE HOURS WERE NOT HUGE AND HE WAS WILLING TO SAY, HEY, I WILL TRY TO HELP THIS KID OUT.

I THINK I WAS 20.

HE WAS 24.

HE WAS NOT A LAWYER OR IN LAW SCHOOL.

HE WAS DOING PR AND RESEARCH.

>> OKAY.

PEPSI SUES YOU.

WE ARE IN THE LEGAL WORLD, LITIGATION.

WOULD YOU HAVE SUED THEM?

HOW DID THE CASE END UP IN A COURTROOM WHERE A DECISION WAS MADE?

>> SO, PEPSI SUED ME AND A SHORT TIME LATER.

I GUESS, THE WAY IT WORKS, YOU GET SUED, YOU SUE THEM.

THEY FILED A SUIT AGAINST ME, I FILED A SUED AGAINST THEM.

TODD LIVED IN MIAMI.

THEY SUED ME IN NEW YORK.

AND SUED THEM IN FLORIDA.

THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT LAWSUITS GOING THROUGH SOME LEGAL PROCESS.

BOTH OF THE SUITS WERE -- ACTUALLY, WE CHALLENGED THEIR LAWSUIT OF ME IN NEW YORK FOR LACK OF VENUE.

WHICH WAS DETERMINED BY THE JUDGE THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE -- EXCUSE ME, LACK OF JURISDICTION.

I DIDN'T HAVE BUSINESS OR ANYTHING IN NEW YORK.

THE CASE WAS DISMISSED IN NEW YORK.

AND THE CASE THAT WE FILED, I HAD FILED AGAINST PEPSI WAS TRANSFERRED TO NEW YORK.

AND THEN IT WAS YEARS OF BRIEFINGS AND FILINGS AND ALL OF THAT SORT OF STUFF.

>> AT ONE POINT THEY GIVE YOU A GIVE YOU A BIG OFFER TO SETTLE.

THERE YOU ARE, 20, 21, AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN YOUR PARTNERSHIP SAYS TAKE IT, TAKE IT.

AND YOU, JOHN LEONARD, DECIDED NOT TO TAKE THE WELL INTO 6 FIGURE SETTLEMENT.

>> YEAH.

PROBABLY NOT THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE.

[LAUGHTER.]

>> CAN WE SAY HOW MUCH IT WAS FOR?

>> WE HAD A SETTLEMENT MEETING AND THIS WAS AFTER DEPOSITIONS.

TODD AND I WERE PARTNERS IN THIS.

HE WAS CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING AND HE LOOKED AT THIS OLD VENTURE.

WE WERE CLOSE FRIENDS AND DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE.

BUT WE HAD A NICE FRIENDSHIP.

IT WAS, IT IS A DEEP FRIENDSHIP.

THIS WAS MORE FOR HIM ABOUT TEACHING LIFE LESSONS TO A YOUNG PERSON WHO MAYBE HAD SOME AMBITION OR FUTURE TALENT OR WHATEVER.

FROM THE START, HE IS LIKE, I AM THE INVESTOR AND THIS IS YOUR IDEA.

THIS RELIES WITH YOU, IT WILL EFFECT YOU MORE THAN ME.

AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN YOU SAW WE WERE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THINGS WITH MICHAEL, HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO DO DAMAGE TO MYSELF OR THE CASE.

WE ENDED UP IN NEW YORK.

WE HAVE A SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE AND THEY MAKE AN OFFER OF 750 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

AND THIS EY SAID, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS I WAS ADIRECTLY APART OF AND SOME I WAS NOT.

I WAS IN THE ROOM WHEN THE OFFER WAS MADE.

I WAS ASKED TO GO OUT OF THE ROOM AND CONSIDER IT WITH TODD.

WE WERE OUT CONSIDERING IT AND THE ATTORNEY SAID WE COULD GET IT UP TO 1 MILLION DOLLARS.

I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

AND THEY SAID IT IS GENEROUS.

AND IN MY 20-YEAR-OLD MIND.

OKAY, I DID MY RESEARCH, I CALLED THE PENTAGON, I CALLED BOEING.

I PEGGED THE VALUE OF THE JET AT 23 MILLION DOLLARS.

AND THIS THAT 20, 21 21-YEAR-OLD MIND, GEEZ, IT IS NOT A GOOD DEAL.

I WANT THE JET.

YOU KNOW?

TODD LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO JET?

I SAID I WANT THE JET!

THE ATTORNEY WAS, LIKE, IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, YOUNG MAN.

I WAS, LIKE, I WANT THE JET.

THERE WE WENT.

>> AND THIS STORY IS RUNNING ON NETFLIX.

IT IS 140 PLUS COUNTRIES.

IT CAME OUT A MONTH AGO OR SO.

GETTING GREAT REVIEWS.

IT IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT RATING ON ROTTEN TOMATOES.

IN THE FIRST 10 DAYS ALONE, 30 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS WATCHING.

>> IT IS AMAZING.

I LOOK BACK ON IT AND HOW NAIVE I WAS.

YOU KNOW.

WHAT A KNUCKLEHEAD I WAS.

WHEN WE GOT INTO IT, I DIDN'T WANT TO TELL THE STORY.

IT DIED ON THE VINE.

IT WAS IN MY PAST.

AND WITH COVID-19, AND EVERYTHING, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THERE WAS A DRIVE AND A NEED FOR CONTENT.

PEOPLE STARTED TO PITCH IT TO ME.

I DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

I DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

WE HAD A GENTLEMAN THAT MADE THE DOCUMENTARY AND HE WAS SINCERE.

MAYBE.

I WILL THINK ABOUT IT.

I WILL ONLY DO IT IF IT WILL BE FUN AND I DON'T COME ACROSS AS A COMPLETE IDIOT [LAUGHTER.]

>> IF WE DO IT LIKE THAT, MAYBE WE'LL DO IT.

I HAD A TON OF FUN DOING IT.

WHETHER OR NOT I CAME ACROSS AS AN IDIOT, IT IS IN EYES OF THE VIEWER.

WE LEARNED ABOUT THINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE.

>> I THINK PEOPLE WILL ENJOY IT.

>> LAST FEW SECONDS.

WORTH IT?

>> I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE SAID NO TO THE 750.

BUT, THE JOURNEY WAS A BLAST.

HAD I SAID NO TO THE 750, THE JOURNEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.

>> THANKS SO MUCH.

>> IT IS SO INTERESTING.

CHECK IT OUT ON NETFLIX.

CHECK US OUT NEXT WEEK ON DONNYBROOK!

.

>> THANK YOU!