I Investigated the Trillion Dollar Industry Nobody Talks About

Arrival at the field

Host: There's one industry that has quietly created more billionaires than tech, crypto, or even real estate. It built dynasties, powered nations, and still fuels untouchable wealth today. That industry is oil and gas. I'm headed out to the literal Texas oil field to meet one of the biggest oil moguls in the country: Brent Franklin. We're going to walk his rigs, hear how he built his empire, and learn how oil and gas still mints millionaires and billionaires.

[Music]

Host: All right, we just got to the oil rig out here in El Campo, Texas. We're in the middle of nowhere, but these rigs have created more millionaires and billionaires than almost any industry. Today I'm interviewing one of the biggest oil moguls in the United States. Let's go meet Brent and figure out how he got into this business, why it makes people so rich, and how you can start investing in oil.

Brent Franklin: What's going on, brother?

Host: How's it going?

Brent Franklin: James, we're in Franklin. How are you?

Host: Good, man. Good to meet you.

Brent Franklin: Good to meet you as well.

Host: So you own this?

Brent Franklin: I do.

Host: How the hell did you get into oil and gas?

Brent Franklin: I was mowing grass after the Navy. A buddy out in Midland–Odessa called and said, "I got you a job on an oil rig." I packed up, rolled out, and got on a rig. A couple years later I ended up buying a few, and now we own oil and gas businesses and investment companies.

Host: For people who don't understand how much money you can make, how much did your company do last year?

Brent Franklin: Our company did about $40 million last year across all our platforms.

Host: Forty million dollars.

Brent Franklin: That's right.

Host: And you don't just own the rig — you own all aspects of it?

Brent Franklin: Yeah. We buy distressed, off-market oil and gas properties, fix them up, drill wells, repair wells. Many operators overleverage properties or don't raise capital properly. We built a fund structure to let investors participate without having to become an oil company.

How wealth is made in oil and gas

Host: I want this to be a master class for people who have no idea why people can get so rich off oil and gas. Can you give us the blueprint?

Brent Franklin: A lot of people talk about making a fortune in oil and gas. One of my favorite sayings is: If you want to make a small fortune in oil and gas, start with a large fortune. This business involves loss, headaches, and it's not a get-rich-quick game. You must be consistent, diversify, and have a high risk tolerance.

Brent Franklin: Investors like oil and gas because of the tax benefits. Properly structured deals allow investors to write off investments against active income. You can also see very fast returns — in some structures you can get 100% return of your investment in less than a year. But you need the right structure and the right team.

Host: Walk me through what's happening on the monitor here.

Brent Franklin: This is a Pason system — our electronic eyes and ears on the rig floor. It shows whole depth, bit depth, and drilling operations. Right now we're tripping pipe, which is the process of taking pipe joints out of the hole or putting them back in. The system also logs formations and gas shows so the tool pusher and driller can monitor everything in real time. Back in the 1950s and '60s they didn't have this tech; it was much more dangerous.

Host: Can we go up on the rig floor?

Brent Franklin: Sure. Safety first.

Brent Franklin: Typically, you'd wear FRCs — fire-retardant clothing — and an H2S monitor. Today this well is plugged and sealed so there's no H2S present, but normally we always monitor for it. This is a live drilling rig and everything is heavy, sharp, and dangerous.

Rig operations and economics

Host: Before we go up, what's the difference between a rig and a well?

Brent Franklin: This behind us are oil wells. A drilling rig is the equipment used to drill those wells. This is an 850-horsepower top-drive drilling rig.

Host: How much does that make per day?

Brent Franklin: We charge customers $14,500 a day for this drilling rig while it's operating.

Host: How expensive is this equipment?

Brent Franklin: New, a rig like this costs about $6.5 million. We picked this one up from a bankruptcy sale — about 15 cents on the dollar. The seller had paid over $5 million originally. Buying undervalued assets from people in a bind saves a lot of capital.

Host: Who do you sell the oil and gas to?

Brent Franklin: There's a misconception that crude goes straight to gas stations. The industry has three sectors: upstream (explore and produce), midstream (transport — trucks, pipelines), and downstream (refineries that turn product into gasoline, diesel, etc.). We're upstream: we produce oil and gas, send oil to tank batteries and gas into pipelines for midstream companies to handle.

Host: How does leasing and royalties work?

Brent Franklin: Surface owners own the surface; mineral owners own subsurface rights. A landman negotiates leases with mineral owners. Many mineral owners expect a 25% royalty — that means they get 25% of gross proceeds before expenses. That's called the royalty interest or NRI. The operator retains the working interest and pays drilling and operating costs pro rata.

Investing, structures, and risk

Host: What separates you from most people raising money in oil and gas?

Brent Franklin: Most promoters just sell opportunities and make a markup. We're vertically integrated: we find leases, extract the product, own equipment, and run a fund structure. Our fund operates a bit like a trading platform and lets investors access deals with professional management.

Host: How much do you need to start investing?

Brent Franklin: Oil and gas investments are typically limited to accredited investors due to securities law; fractionalized leases become securities. Investors need substantial capital and must be able to bear total loss. $100,000 is a good entry point, but don't put the whole amount into one well or one company. There's volatility and risk, but you can mitigate loss with diversification and proper deal structure.

Host: How do returns compare to stocks and real estate?

Brent Franklin: I've done real estate for over a decade — I like it for long-term appreciation. Stocks are often speculative for nonprofessionals. Oil and gas can produce fast, outsized returns, especially with tax benefits, but it's riskier. Every market has room for smart investors; you must diversify or partner with someone who knows the industry. That's why we created Rise Capital.

Hands-on drilling — safety and reality

Host: Let's go check out the rig floor.

Brent Franklin: You want some rough-neck Starbucks? Safety gloves first. Everything here is heavy and can kill you if you're careless.

Brent Franklin: Right now they're coming down with the top drive. You'll help pull slips — those teeth grab the pipe so it doesn't drop. We'll pull out two joints at a time. Watch your hands and the hole.

[Music]

Host: Are you a good salesman?

Brent Franklin: I'm a closer. My best advice: You can make millions in sales, but you can make billions in marketing. If nobody knows your product, you have nothing. Social media gives you unparalleled customer targeting; if you're not marketing there, you get left behind. Money doesn't come from chasing money; it comes from chasing problems and monetizing solutions.

Host: What part of oil and gas should people focus on now?

Brent Franklin: I'm 100% focused on natural gas exploration and production, not oil. Oil has more mechanical headaches. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, and LNG exports and gas-fired power generation are booming. Data centers, AI, and even Bitcoin mining — we can run gas into generators for low-cost power to mine cryptocurrency. If you're investing, be bullish on gas right now.

Business lessons and closing advice

Host: Did people doubt you?

Brent Franklin: Always. People who can't see your vision will doubt you. Results are what matters. Get rid of the wrong people — bad relationships and negative influences hold you back. Pay to be in rooms with successful people; it's about proximity. I used to avoid masterminds, but paying to be in the room mattered more than the formal teaching.

Host: You're 35. If you had one message for younger people, what would it be?

Brent Franklin: Don't let anyone stop you from chasing your dreams. Figure out what you're good at, solve a problem, market yourself, and relentlessly pursue it. Ignore the keyboard warriors and people who want to tear you down. Keep pushing.

Host: That's a wrap. Be sure to like and subscribe — I'm traveling the world to bring in the biggest and most unique business owners to give real advice. If you want deeper access, I built a private entrepreneur community called the School of Mentors where I host weekly live calls with millionaires and billionaires from this channel.

Host: Where can people find you, Brent?

Brent Franklin: Look me up on Instagram at @realmilliondollcloser. You can also find links to our company and the fund in the description.

Host: We appreciate you having us out. This was once in a lifetime.

Brent Franklin: Absolutely. To the truck hand.

"If you want to make a small fortune in oil and gas, start with a large fortune."

"Money doesn't come from chasing money. Money comes from chasing problems and monetizing the solution."

"Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel."

"You can make millions in sales, but you can make billions in marketing."

"Don't let anybody ever stop you from chasing your dreams."