From Dirt Poor to Top-10 Sports-Media Franchise — Chatri Sityodtong, CEO of ONE Championship
Tim Ferriss Show episode with no sponsor read, in which Tim Ferriss talks with Chatri Sityodtong, founder and CEO of ONE Championship, Asia's top-ten sports-media franchise, about the road from poverty to building it. Chatri grew up well-off in Thailand, a Muay Thai-obsessed kid whose father took him to Lumpini Stadium at nine - until the father's real estate business collapsed in the Asian financial crisis, went bankrupt, and abandoned the family, leaving Chatri angry and the family with nothing. His martial arts identity runs deep: his last name was bestowed by his grandmaster Kru Yodtong in the Thai tradition where fighters carry their gym's name, and Yodchatri Sityodtong means extraordinary warrior, student of Yodtong - a name he prefers precisely because of his complicated history with his father. His daily creed is the warrior mindset: you discover things about yourself you never knew existed only through love, pain and suffering, and he seeks that process every day. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this summary highlights the origin story; the ONE Championship business story is not covered. These are Chatri's own views and experiences, not independently verified.
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Tim Ferriss Show episode with no sponsor read, in which Tim Ferriss talks with Chatri Sityodtong, founder and CEO of ONE Championship, Asia's top-ten sports-media franchise, about the road from poverty to building it. Chatri grew up well-off in Thailand, a Muay Thai-obsessed kid whose father took him to Lumpini Stadium at nine - until the father's real estate business collapsed in the Asian financial crisis, went bankrupt, and abandoned the family, leaving Chatri angry and the family with nothing. His martial arts identity runs deep: his last name was bestowed by his grandmaster Kru Yodtong in the Thai tradition where fighters carry their gym's name, and Yodchatri Sityodtong means extraordinary warrior, student of Yodtong - a name he prefers precisely because of his complicated history with his father. His daily creed is the warrior mindset: you discover things about yourself you never knew existed only through love, pain and suffering, and he seeks that process every day. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this summary highlights the origin story; the ONE Championship business story is not covered. These are Chatri's own views and experiences, not independently verified.