Dan Bilzerian, the playboy gambler often hailed as the 'King of Instagram', has spoken out about why he has taken a step back from posting on his infamous Instagram account.
The former marine first rose to fame around a decade ago, following a semi-successful professional poker career, and first gained recognition in 2010 after being voted one of the funniest poker players by Bluff magazine.
He then turned this semi-fame into social media stardom by documenting his controversial lifestyle of sex, drug-fueled parties and money to his tens of millions of followers.
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His Instagram fame quickly turned into infamy, however.
In 2014, he was accused of kicking a woman in the face at a nightclub in Miami.
In the same year, he was also sued by adult actor Janice Griffith after she broke her foot during a dangerous photoshoot with Bilzerian at his home in Hollywood Hills.
But the former 'King of Instagram' hasn't posted on the app since November 2021, with his last post being a repost of an upload from 2018.
Speaking to InsideHook in January, Bilzerian opened up about his break from social media: "I just lived in the circus for so long that I kind of just — I really needed a break."
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He then added: "I’ve said this before, but I feel like it’s like a video game that I beat five years ago and I’m tired of playing it."
He has also opened up on his motivation for achieving this infamy: "I just wanted to see if I could become famous.
"It was like a mountain I wanted to climb. I was getting out of poker and I felt like this would be a good transition to open doors, to do other things.
"I feel like I’ve done everything. I feel like I did all the things that I wanted to do that people would find impressive.
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"So I’ve been more focused recently on just kind of living in the moment and having fun versus trying to show everybody that I’m having fun," he said.
In 2021, Bilzerian self-published his first book, The Setup, which is part memoir - part guide to achieving the 'Dan Bilzerian lifestyle'.
The book, like Bilzerian himself, has quite predictably caused something of a controversy, with one Twitter user stating that: "Dan Bilzerian releasing a book makes me want to unlearn English and gouge my eyes out"
Others have further criticised the book saying that a good chunk reads like fiction and not a remotely believable memoir.
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Although some users on Goodreads appear to have enjoyed the book, with one writing that: "Dan is a Genius that keeps evolving and every Man out there must read this for perspective on how life's dynamics especially with women works."
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@danbilzerianTopics: Celebrity, Social Media
