“I’m an evolutionary hunter, so I have a few businesses - all of them are exactly the same,” Johnson said. But rather than the traditional influencer-to-sponcon pipeline, Johnson joined social media as a ready-made brand promoting an “ancestral” lifestyle and the products that can help you attain that lifestyle. And inversely, many influencers have used their growing following to sell questionably researched wellness products. Particularly in the wellness space, nonregulated products like detox teas that advertise a flat tummy have played the algorithm in order to cut through the saturation of marketing. This is not exactly a new phenomenon, as brands become increasingly dependent on social media platforms - and influencers - to find viral success. The supplements, he added, are just a happenstance business that supports his message. His goal is to show everyone that “liver is king” and preach his lifestyle in the hope it can help others, he said. On a call with BuzzFeed News from Tanzania, Johnson said he did not know what a TikTok creator, an influencer, or a meme was, despite fitting all of those categories himself. And conveniently, he’s also the CEO and owner of four businesses that sell supplements and protein powders aimed at people who want to live and look just like him, which a follower can purchase by just clicking a link on his Instagram or TikTok. He’s memeable - weird enough for a non-bro to follow but charming enough to actually inspire people. There’s both a marketing and entertainment quality to Liver King. Whether it’s a protein shake of blended animal organs, raw animal testicles, or his daily pound of raw liver and sea salt, Johnson’s viral carnivorous diet - like his bulging physique - has been the subject of great discussion online. While the essence of the Liver King lifestyle, according to fans, is to reconnect with nature, his most viral posts feature extreme versions of the principles, such as strenuous weighted workouts or the wooden planks he sleeps on in his mansion. Liver King is the persona of Brian Johnson, a 44-year-old from Texas.

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