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Dhar Mann

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Dhar Mann
Mann in 2018
Born
Dharminder Mann

(1984-05-29) May 29, 1984 (age 40)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, film producer
PartnerLaura Avila
Children2
Parent(s)Surinder Mann and Baljit Singh Mann
Websitewww.dharmann.com

Dhar Mann (born May 29, 1984) is an American entrepreneur and film producer. He is best known for his video production company, Dhar Mann Studios, which creates short films for social media platforms such as YouTube. The films target a young audience and typically feature a turn of events which teaches the protagonist a moral lesson.[1]

In 2010, Mann and stockbroker Derek Peterson received significant media coverage for founding the weGrow store, which sold hydroponics marketed for growing medical marijuana. weGrow was closed two years later amid lawsuits between the business partners. In 2013, Mann was charged for allegedly defrauding the city of Oakland, California whilst running his real estate company MannEdge Properties.

Early life

Dharminder Mann was born on May 29, 1984[2] to Surinder Mann and Baljit Singh Mann, who emigrated from India to the United States.[1][3][4] The Manns own Friendly Cab, a taxi cab operator based in Oakland, California,[4][5] and since 1980 they have owned several local real estate companies.[3][6]

Mann recalls growing up in a one-bedroom Bay Area apartment that was shared with three other families. As his parents were focused on managing their company, rather than "give me their time, they gave me money to do things."[1]

Career

At the age of nineteen, he started a real estate company, and founded other, often failed, companies within the decade,[1] including ventures in luxury car rental services and mortgage refinancing.[7] Mann founded weGrow, a retailer of cannabis-growing hydroponics, with former stock broker Derek Peterson in January 2010. Mann and Peterson rented a supply store in Oakland, California to sell hydroponics equipment, and aimed to open franchises in eight other states.[1][8]

In early 2011, the weGrow store was closed, with Peterson filing lawsuits against the company citing unpaid debts[1] and accusing Mann of running a "hydroponzi scheme" in a Mother Jones interview.[9] A spokesman for Mann subsequently accused Peterson of fabricating the allegations in retaliation for Mann's decision to downsize their partnership,[9] and Mann successfully countersued Peterson for a cash settlement and stocks in Peterson's own company.[1]

In 2012, Mann was charged with thirteen felony counts of fraud for allegedly defrauding a city beautification program while operating his real estate company MannEdge Properties in 2008 and 2009.[10][11] Prosecutors reduced the charges to five felony counts in August 2013, and later that year Mann pled no contest to the five counts.[12] He was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and restitution.[13] Mann told The New York Times in 2021 that the conviction was later expunged.[1]

Dhar Mann Studios

Dhar Mann
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2018–present
Genre(s)Moral lessons, life lessons
Subscribers0[14]
Total views1[14]
100,000 subscribersunknown
1,000,000 subscribers2020
10,000,000 subscribers2021
Last updated: 19 June 2022

In 2018, Mann founded a video production company named Dhar Mann Studios. The studio produces films for social media platforms such as YouTube.[1][15] When Mann began publishing videos on YouTube in 2018, his output comprised motivational videos, and later shifted focus to morality plays.[16] In 2021, Mann started a contract with the Creative Artists Agency[15] and launched a mobile app where users can watch videos produced by his studio.[17]

A New York Times profile of Mann described his YouTube videos as "timely narratives about police-calling Karens and Covid-19 hoarders" told in the fashion of "1980s after-school specials and the educational short films of the '50s", noting their often "thin and absolutist" moral philosophy and blatantly clickbait titles.[1] Vulture called them "feel-good" videos intended to "encourage people to be decent to one another."[18]

Mann ranked #2 on YouTube's official U.S. Top 10 Creators of 2021 list.[19] By December 2021, his short film on autism was viewed 45 million times and helped raise funds for the Organization for Autism Research. The film was in the list of the top 10 trending videos of 2021 announced by YouTube.[20] As of September 2022, the channel has received 16.6 million subscribers and over 8.8 billion views.[21]

Personal life

In 2014, Mann was in a relationship with businesswoman Lilly Ghalichi, known for participating on the reality television series Shahs of Sunset.[22][23] Mann met his fiancée Laura Avila in 2015. Together, the couple manage LiveGlam, a cosmetics company that Mann founded in 2015.[1] The couple had their first child in 2020.[24]

In late 2020, Mann purchased a mansion in Calabasas, California previously owned by media personality Khloé Kardashian.[24] Along with his family's real estate activities in Oakland, Mann and his brother Harmit also own property across the city.[3]

Filmography

Television and web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 Girl Finds Out She's Adopted Himself Writer

Awards and nominations

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee(s) / Work(s) Result Ref.
Telly Awards 2022 Peoples Telly Award for Social Video "Kids Make Fun of Boy With Autism, Instantly Regret It" Won [25]
Shorty Awards 2022 Audience Honor For Youtube Presence "Kids Make Fun of Boy With Autism, Instantly Regret It" Won [26]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Marcus, Ezra (August 19, 2021). "The Moral Philosopher of YouTube". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  2. ^ Mann, Dhar [@dharmann] (May 29, 2021). "Today's not only special because it's my 37th bday- it's also the 3-year anniversary of Dhar Mann Studios. I'm not always the best at describing my feelings, but from what I've been told I am pretty good at telling stories. [Read more on my Instagram]" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ a b c Orenstein, Natalie (September 14, 2021). "Oakland landlord hit with $3.9 million penalty for hazardous housing conditions". The Oaklandside. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Matier, Phillip; Ross, Andrew (April 28, 2014). "FBI agents' sting tried to lure more S.F., Oakland officials". SFGate. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Harkinson, Josh (December 11, 2013). "How a local "Ganjapreneur" bummed Oakland's high, and cheated the city out of thousands". Mother Jones. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  6. ^ BondGraham, Darwin (April 24, 2015). "Oakland Taxicab Family Hit with $37,500 Fine for Defrauding Oakland". East Bay Express. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  7. ^ Harkinson, Josh. "Weedmart: Marijuana Superstores. IPOs. Reality TV". Mother Jones. No. January/February 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  8. ^ McLean, Kate (July 18, 2010). "Proposal for Marijuana Factories Prompts a Battle for Control". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Harkinson, Josh (March 1, 2011). "WeGrow's "Joint Venture" Goes Up in Smoke". Mother Jones. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  10. ^ Bulwa, Demian; Kuruvila, Matthai (May 18, 2012). "Oakland pot entrepreneur charged with fraud". SFGate. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  11. ^ "Indicted Oakland Pot Entrepreneur Leaned on Political Relationships". NBC Bay Area. September 6, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  12. ^ Artz, Matthew (December 10, 2013). "Oakland "ganjapreneur" pleads no contest to fraud charges". Oakland Tribune. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  13. ^ Tucker, Jill (February 1, 2014). "'Ganja-preneur' of Oakland sentenced, fined $10,000". SFGate. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "About Dhar Mann". YouTube.
  15. ^ a b Vlessing, Etan (April 7, 2021). "Filmmaker Dhar Mann Signs With CAA (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Kaiser-Schatzlein, Robin (August 4, 2021). "The Internet Demands Uplifting Videos. So He Stages Them". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  17. ^ Weiss, Geoff (October 22, 2021). "YouTube Moralist Dhar Mann Launches His Own Video App, Rockets To No. 1 On Apple". Tubefilter News. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  18. ^ Burney, Lawrence (March 3, 2021). "Watching YouTube Through My Daughter's Eyes". Vulture. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  19. ^ Degrushe, Allison (December 1, 2021). "YouTube Officially Revealed Its U.S. Top 10 Creators of 2021 — Take a Look!". Distractify.
  20. ^ Beresford, Jack (December 2, 2021). "YouTube reveals top 10 trending videos of the year". Newsweek.
  21. ^ "Dhar Mann's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile) - Social Blade Stats". Socialblade.com. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  22. ^ Johnson, Zach; Sobol, Beth (April 4, 2014). "Shahs of Sunset's Lilly Ghalichi Engaged to Entrepreneur Dhar Mann—But Will She Keep the Ring?". E! Online. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  23. ^ Webber, Stephanie (December 19, 2014). "Lilly Ghalichi, Dhar Mann Split: Shahs of Sunset Star Ends Engagement". E! Online. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  24. ^ a b McClain, James (November 3, 2020). "Khloe Kardashian Sells $15.5 Million Calabasas Mansion to Dhar Mann". Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "Winners - Telly Awards". Telly Awards. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  26. ^ "Dhar Mann - The Shorty Awards". Shortyawards.com. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
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