David Liebensohn Unleashed: Betrayal, Fame, and Intellectual Property in the Startup Tech World
Introduction from Kuan-Ning Tseng, host of Million Dollar Voices podcast:
Podcast » DAVID LIEBENSOHN's Podcast
Vodcast » DAVID LIEBENSOHN's VIDEO Interview
Today, we have a special treat for you! In this episode of "David Liebensohn Unleashed: Betrayal, Fame, and Intellectual Property in the Startup Tech World," we're joined by the brilliant app developer and entrepreneur, David Liebensohn. Alongside our special co-host, Jenny Q Ta, a three-time founder and Web3 VC Funds General Partner, they will delve into David's entrepreneurial journeys, which have been marked by the intriguing elements of celebrities and betrayal. Together, they'll explore legal second opinions, understanding intellectual property, and the valuable lessons learned from navigating the challenging intersections of fame, betrayal, and the startup tech world. Get ready for an insightful and captivating conversation.
Brace yourself for a roller-coaster ride of insights, inspirations, and invaluable lessons from his respective journeys. And remember, every stumble, every setback, and every success story is a stepping stone on the pathway to your million-dollar dream.
Without further ado, let's welcome our host, Kuan-Ning Tseng, and our special co-host, Jenny Q Ta!" Let's dive in!
Jenny Ta Hey, everyone. My name is Jenny Ta. We have a special podcast today. First and foremost, I would like to thank my very good friend, Kuan-Ning Tseng. She's dialing in from Taiwan. Her podcast originated from Germany. I am actually the co-hosts, not the host. Kuan-Ning, of course, is the host. We're going live on her podcast called “Million Dollar Voices.” Both of us have a very special guest today. David Liebensohn.
David Liebensohn It's pronounced Liebensohn. The 'h' is silent.
Jenny Ta Quick introduction, David. I've been reading about you for the past 2 to 3 weeks, and we've also had a couple of conversations during that time. So, diving right in, could you please provide us with a brief update on what has happened to you since the case I read about in 2015? What was the outcome of that case? Also, how long have you been living in the car?
David Liebensohn So, it was a series of events that led me to this point. I've been living in my car for about four months now. I hadn't been in a car like this since the incident with Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner. However, a few things happened afterward that put me in an unfortunate financial situation. Obviously, that was a significant stressor, along with losing everything I had worked for before our partnership. Additionally, I was T-boned by a drunk driver when I first moved to Phoenix. It was a hit-and-run incident, so it took me nearly a year to sort it out. All these events combined are what led me to living in my car.
Jenny Ta Okay. Before Kuan-Ning jumps in with her question, I know she has a lot of questions since you guys haven't talked before. However, I wanted to delve a bit deeper with my question, just in case our audience has never heard of you or read about you. It's important to ensure they understand the context. Could you take a step back and briefly touch upon the case, which, from what I've read, was filed in the district court in the state of Oklahoma in 2019? If you could provide us with a recap of that story, it would be greatly appreciated.
David Liebensohn Yeah. So I guess I've gotten pretty good at summarizing the story. My cousin, a friend, and I co-created an app called Censor Gram. It was designed to automatically remove unwanted comments, spam, and cyber-bullying on social media feeds—an anti-cyber-bullying app for businesses. We had the app available on the App Store, and even Kim Kardashian and her family used it. Jonathan Cheban reached out to us through direct messages on Instagram, expressing interest in partnering with him, Kim, and our app. Initially, we were a bit hesitant and carried on with our project. However, a couple of weeks later, he reached out to me again, mentioning the success of Kim's video game, "The Hollywood Game," which had reached 200 million downloads. I posted a screenshot of our conversation on my website, and he suggested having a talk. Kim called me the next day, and after a lengthy conversation, we quickly agreed to meet up and finalize a partnership for Censor Gram. A few weeks later, we went to Calabasas and solidified our agreement, opting for a 60/40 split—60% for us and 40% for them. They would provide the necessary funding, and Kris mentioned having a family friend handle the investment. Kris also sent me an email confirming the agreement and stating that contracts would be prepared for everything we were doing. During the meeting, we also pitched an emoji app named Kimoji, as we had been working on various emoji projects before we even met Kim. These included projects like Wall Street Emoji and Sexy Emoji, back when emojis were still trending and not yet integrated into every keyboard.
Jenny Ta When was this.
David Liebensohn This was 2014.
Jenny Ta Okay.
David Liebensohn Yeah, so basically we pitched Kimoji as an additional app, like icing on the cake, during our meeting to finalize the partnership for Censor Gram. Censor Gram was the main app, and we had filed a patent for the process of automatically removing comments from social media feeds. We were the first ones to do so, and we had already filed a provisional patent before even talking to them. Kimoji was pitched as a secondary idea, with a 50/50 chance of them taking it seriously, as our main focus was on creating a serious anti-cyber-bullying app and establishing a foundation using our name and logo to help people.
However, unexpectedly, Kimoji became the main point of interest for Kim. She was really excited about it, and everything changed from that point on. Before we even went to California, my partner Narayan sent a private message to a friend, bragging about our partnership with Kim and calling her his dream girl. It wasn't meant to be malicious and was meant to be kept private. Unfortunately, that message reached Jonathan, their mutual friend, who then informed Kim about it. She used that as leverage, claiming invasion of privacy and demanding control over Kimoji, even though we had already filed a patent for it. She threatened to sue us for $5 million each if we didn't comply.
That's basically how everything unfolded during that time. Kim also demonstrated her acting skills when she called us, pretending to be shocked and starting the conversation positively about the projects. Then she asked if we had trademarked Kimoji yet, and we replied that we hadn't because we planned to trademark it together with our new entity. We believed it was the right thing to do, even though the idea was centered around us and not solely her. We were committed to protecting our ideas by trademarking and patenting them. However, the focus in the media was primarily on Kimoji and the perceived money-making aspect rather than the main projects of Censor Gram and the foundation we wanted to establish.
It's a bit complicated, and many people couldn't fully explain it. Even our own attorneys, when filing the lawsuit, tended to focus more on Kimoji and commodities rather than Censor Gram and Kimoji being additional aspects of the situation, not the main ones.
Jenny Ta I understand. Two things real quick. How do you spell censorgram?
David Liebensohn C E N S O R G R A M. However, we had to change it from Censor Gram to Censor Out. This was because Instagram sent us a Cease and Desist letter, stating that we couldn't use the word 'gram' due to trademark concerns. At the same time, we were still in the process of developing the app.
Jenny Ta Okay, one more thing before KT jumped in. What does your cap say?
David Liebensohn It says ‘KancelTheKartrashians.com’.
Jenny Ta Wow! Okay.
David Liebensohn This is linked to my original website which has my story on it, which is ‘KimKardashianRuinedMyLife.com’.
Jenny Ta Say that again.
David Liebensohn ‘Kim Kardashian Ruined My Life dot com’ and this one is ‘cancel the kar-trashians dot com’. I'm just coming up with a few different ways for people who have asked for their own shirts, hats, and things like that. I'm brainstorming creative ways to sustain this movement without directly asking for donations, as I dislike that approach. My intention is for Kim to pay. I never wanted to engage in this to ask for anything.
Jenny Ta Gotcha.
David Liebensohn Just a creative way to…
Jenny Ta Understand entrepreneurship is all about ideas and creativity. So two thumbs up to you! KT, the mic is yours.
Kuan-Ning Tseng Thank you. Yeah, I had the opportunity to read about your story as well. It's truly inspiring, particularly for those individuals who believe in falling down seven times, stand up eight, right? So, I do truly admire your strength and determination. My question to you is about the impact of your lawsuit and how it sparked a debate on intellectual property rights in the tech sector, underscoring the urgency to safeguard intellectual assets and establish clear guidelines within the industry. Now, reflecting on everything you've been through, what have you learned, and what would you do differently if you had the chance to start over, especially in terms of tech innovation and trademark protection?
David Liebensohn Great question. Yeah, very. I would have definitely sought a second opinion on my legal situation, especially after receiving threats. There were numerous loopholes and various strategies to consider. Additionally, with the prevalent use of arbitration these days, keeping things tightly controlled and you have to pay to play requires significant financial resources. If you can't afford to defend yourself, your case may go unnoticed. I've learned the importance of being extremely vigilant and seeking multiple opinions from your legal team.
Jenny Ta Totally. I actually have a follow up.
David Liebensohn Carefully addressed.
Jenny Ta From KT's excellent question about the legal aspect of things, it's interesting because today on Twitter, which is my platform, we're having a debate about the SEC and cryptocurrency, a topic that you and I have discussed, David. I recently tweeted about how attorneys, whom I've encountered before, were charging me thousands of dollars per hour and still had the ability to throw me under the bus, despite being their client. So, David, it's reassuring to hear your experience and the importance of double-checking and consulting multiple attorneys when dealing with valuable or important matters. I commend you for that.
Now, moving on to my next question, it has two parts. Firstly, I wanted to clarify that the purpose of this interview isn't to delve into the past, even though it played a significant role in shaping your present. I believe there is a statute of limitations, although you probably have more knowledge on this than I do. Based on my limited understanding, cases like yours typically have a statute of limitations ranging from one to five years. If your case began in 2015 and the case was filed in 2019, that's already been five to eight years. Recently, I came across your TikTok videos, which have gained significant attention over the past two months. You mentioned the possibility of involving the FBI, which is quite serious, David. So, my first question, out of the two, is related to your thoughts on the statute of limitations and whether it is still relevant to bring in the FBI.
David Liebensohn Well, from my understanding and what my lawyers have told me in the past, when fraud is involved, it changes the dynamics of the statute of limitations. For instance, the reason I was able to pursue my lawsuit was because we discovered additional information after the initial events. It was connected to fraudulent activities. In such cases, the statute of limitations begins from the time when the fraud was uncovered, rather than the original incident. So, let's say everything happened in 2014, but in 2015, we discovered evidence of fraud. In that scenario, the statute of limitations would start from the time of the fraud revelation.
Jenny Ta Gotcha!
David Liebensohn Basically, when it comes to the involvement of major influential individuals and institutions in cases of corruption, I believe that turning to the FBI is a logical step. Currently, all I can do is create awareness and apply pressure from every possible angle until I achieve my goal.
Jenny Ta Understand. And hopefully, this interview will further help you broaden your reach. As a follow-up, I remember in one of our conversations, you shared a part about your app that is connected to Instagram. Could you please elaborate on that? What was the purpose or function of that feature?
David Liebensohn Yeah, that was Censor Gram, where we were building the app itself. It's like a filter where you log in with your Instagram credentials and input keywords. It's basically the same word filter they have now, the hidden word filter built into the settings on Instagram. We actually created an app for that before it was integrated into Instagram's settings. The reason we filed for a patent and everything was because we knew this would be an important tool, and we wanted recognition for it. We wanted it to be ours.
Jenny Ta Right.
David Liebensohn That's what kept us so interested. It was the very thing Kim wanted, to remove only the comments from her own social media feed. She had connections with the CEO of Instagram at the time, and she and Kanye were trying to fix the platform. There is media coverage about this, so it's not just hearsay. It involves a publicly traded company now. The CEO of that company was hanging out with Kim, discussing my proprietary intellectual property. Her team had signed our NDA and had access to our patent filing. It's astonishing that she shared our information with the CEO of Instagram, and yet no action has been taken. This is why I feel compelled to take matters into my own hands, using social media, creating websites, even though it puts me at financial risk and exposes me to death threats. Giving up is not an option because they're everywhere, and it keeps nagging at my mind, no matter how hard I try to let go.
Jenny Ta Well, as Kuan-Ning was saying earlier, we both believe that individuals like you, who persistently get back up after falling down seven times, epitomize entrepreneurship. Before I proceed with the second part of my question, you mentioned your app's connection to Instagram. Do you believe that a part of what Instagram has today originated from your app?
David Liebensohn They did exactly that. If somebody were to research Censor Gram and what it does and what it did, it was on the App Store, it was a working app because we had thousands of users, and then you were to go in and see the functionality of the filter and their settings. One would think, hey, these guys, that ‘Censor Gram’ must have gotten bought out by Instagram because they're using it and like they must be rich now or something, you know? But no, we've never got a dollar and somehow Kim Kardashian is tied in with that. If you take the Kimoji’s part, it's the Kimoji and all that stuff out of the equation, 1,000%, just only focusing Censor Gram, that’s the scandal.
David Liebensohn That's why I'm so upset. Because a year and a half after the CEO of Instagram tells Kim Kardashian that they're not interested in removing comments the way we remove comments, they have it in their settings. That CEO is no longer in the company and it's owned by Facebook and it's a publicly traded company.
Jenny Ta Right. Back up one step, just in case people get lost, David, because I've already spoken to you a few times. When it comes to you releasing the proprietary app that you and your team invested time and money in building, all of a sudden, you had to release it again. Was that through the advice of your attorney at the time?
David Liebensohn Mm hmm.
Jenny Ta So do you think you were thrown under the bus at the time?
David Liebensohn I think I was thrown under the bus multiple times by attorneys.
Jenny Ta Wow.
David Liebensohn Because you have to think about it, too. You know, and I know, I don't know. Lawyers are needed, you know. Our legal system may be a little messed up, or even a lot messed up. But we need them, you know. And there are a lot of great ones. However, it's still a business, you know. If there's an opportunity for these guys to make a ton of money on other projects in the future or gain huge recognition down the road, maybe even some celebrity business, or whatever the case may be, and all they have to do is give their clients advice that steers them in a different direction, you know, it becomes incredibly easy for them to basically tell us, 'Hey, just go ahead and do this and move on,' because, you guys obviously did something wrong, you know? I'm not saying he intentionally tried to throw us under the bus, but rather than looking to see if we actually did something wrong that would warrant it, he was just like, 'Hey, you really don't have a choice. These guys are big dogs. This is Marty Singer, the most powerful, threatening attorney on the face of the planet, you know? He's a bulldog of attorneys.' This guy is threatening to take everything you guys have. At the time, I had something to lose, so I never signed this anyways. I was confused. The whole document that allowed her to do whatever she wanted, my signature never even made it onto an honest document. There's a whole other scandal involving that thing itself, and the entire thing was created under fraudulent circumstances anyways. So, I'm saying, this whole thing is like a frickin' movie that I'm living in, but I've never even gotten anything out of it. It's been a bad movie for me.
Jenny Ta I've been in entrepreneurship for 20 years, mentoring dozens of startups. This is the first time I've heard of such, quote-unquote, madness. But you know, let me finish the second question, and then Kuan-Ning, I’m sure, she has plenty more questions for you.
But before I ask my question, I want to address everyone who is listening globally. We hope to share this podcast on YouTube, including both video and audio, so that we can provide you with the connections you need. One of our main purposes, both for me and Kuan-Ning, is to help you get off the street and stop living in your car. It is our priority to help you with that. Before I move on to my second part of the question, I want to emphasize to all the listeners out there, stick around because Kuan-Ning will be joining in and discussing cryptocurrency. You don't want to miss it.
I wanted to share information about David because, as you know, he has been living in his car. Any and all contributions to help him during this time are greatly appreciated. David has Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal where you can assist him with even $5 or $10, whatever amount your heart desires when you hear his story. I genuinely believe in him, which is why I am here, wanting to spread his story further within my own network of venture capital investors and other startup founders. I want them to hear about David and learn the story behind him. You can find all of these payment addresses by simply visiting his Instagram page. David's Instagram handle is his first name and last name. His first name is obviously David, and his last name is spelled L-I-E-B-E-N-S-O-H-N.
DAVID LIEBENSOHN’s Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/davidliebensohn/
If you follow me or Kuan-Ning on Twitter, Instagram, or even my YouTube channel, we can definitely connect. You can go to Instagram or use Google to search for his name. He has two Instagram pages - one with about 38,000 followers, which belongs to him, and another smaller one. On his profile, you will find his link tree. Clicking on his link tree will provide you with all his Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal details. Please be cautious of scammers and ensure that you send your contributions to the right person, as he is the one who needs it the most. If you need to verify, you can always reach out to me, and I will ensure that your help reaches David directly into one of his accounts.
So, the second part of my question for you, and then Kuan-Ning can jump in. About two weeks ago, David, you and I were discussing the cryptocurrency world, and there's this token called Pepe, right? Pepe is a meme coin that suddenly went viral. It came out of nowhere and skyrocketed to something like point 00042. Some people invested just a couple hundred bucks, and the next morning, they woke up as instant millionaires. We talked about that because we discussed plans to help you rebuild and get you back into entrepreneurship, where you started. You have a great mind, but in my opinion, you may have had bad attorneys. So, I'm trying to help you get back on track and restart, even after 8 to 9 years. However, the sudden situation with the S.E.C. hitting the crypto space shocked everyone. Out of my concern and caring nature, because anyone who knows me knows I never want to lead anyone astray, and the last thing you need is someone pushing you in the wrong direction again, I gave you advice. I suggested holding off on pursuing that path right now to avoid further troubles. We briefly touched on NFTs, which I believe could still be a viable option since NFTs are primarily art. However, it's important to approach it correctly. So, my question, David, is whether you have heard about NFTs and what are your thoughts on them?
David Liebensohn You know, I've definitely heard about them and I understand the concept, but you know, it's new. It's still new to me. No, I still have a lot to learn.
Jenny Ta Okay, to the crypto community, especially the NFT community, if you're hearing this story right now and have any ideas to join forces with David, remember, this is his brand. He's the boss here, not you guys. He knows that he has Kuan-Ning and I as his personal advisors. So if anyone tries to scam him, you better make sure you go through me this time. Reach out to him, share your ideas, and if he thinks it's good, he may or may not check with me since I'll be mentoring him. If I find it good, I'll help him ensure he gets the legal counsel he needs to make sure that he is well protected. So, if anyone out there is trying to scam him again, they'll have to go through me and Kuan-Ning. Reach out to him, and that's where you start. Kuan-Ning, my apologies for taking over the mic, but now back to you.
Kuan-Ning Tseng Thank you for the great questions, they're incredibly important and relevant. David, with the ideas you've shared with us and everyone, if any of our listeners out there have a magical wand, and I can promise you the majority of them have it, what’s the most important thing or assistance would you like right now? Is it money, business partnerships, or any kind of support?
David Liebensohn You know, at this point, I really don't like asking for things. Really took a lot for me to even put the donation links up. But if people want to help me, you know, get more attention on the website, it allows me to, you know, small donations allow me to put more signs up, banners, you know, maybe billboards. It just kind of gives me more of a platform and.
Jenny Ta Uh oh. I think. David, you're mute. David. David, stop.
Kuan-Ning Tseng David…
Jenny Ta He's back.
David Liebensohn Oh, sorry.
Jenny Ta We lost you for the last maybe one minute. If you could go back where you were saying, help you with the signs…
David Liebensohn Yeah, so, you know, any small donation, regardless of size, allows me to put up more signs, billboards, and other things that people have suggested but I don't currently have the budget for. I really want this to be more of a comeback story because I am fully capable of coming back stronger than when I had Censor Gram. But, I need to get back to that position, which is why I'm currently sleeping in my car to save money and put myself back on track. Any donation, no matter how small, will help accelerate my progress. And if you can’t donate, simply sharing my story, telling your friends, and sharing my posts on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter can be incredibly helpful. Additionally, I'm open to opportunities. I'm a workaholic, so if there's an opportunity where I can utilize my influence, story, experiences, and background to help someone and form a new partnership or collaboration, I'm interested. I'm just being extremely cautious about my choices moving forward. That's the only thing.
Jenny Ta Okay. Is it too personal, David? And if it is, please don't answer. Is it too personal to ask, what are you doing these days to meet ends meet, you know, building your savings?
David Liebensohn No, I’m okay. I'm fully transparent. I want the world to know what I'm doing. That's why I'm doing this. But I'll document all of it. So right now, the only thing that really gives me flexibility to do all of this and make my own way is doing Amazon Flex, DoorDash, and GrubHub. So I basically do them all and run during high-traffic times, trying to fit it in between interviews and other commitments. Because of the recognition I've received from some of my previous businesses, even before the partnership prior to the Kardashians, I've had opportunities to take on small marketing projects for people. Sometimes someone will reach out and ask me to help them with something, and I can make money doing stuff like that. But I definitely need to get out of this cycle. It's just tough when I'm trying to make my own way, and I don't really want to ask people for help. So that's where I'm at right now, you know?
Jenny Ta Well, that's why we're here today…
David Liebensohn And here I am asking…
Jenny Ta Well, actually, no. Yes and no. I mean, you're actually a very humble man. And people who know me, they know that I'm also quite picky when it comes to using my brand and who I am. Not only that, I don't like dragging my friends into interviews with just anyone. So we've talked for a good two or three weeks, and I've done all the necessary putting all of the pieces of a puzzle together, which is important and in the world of entrepreneurship it’s called ‘due diligence’. It was more than sufficient for me to see you as a man with character and a very smart man. That leads me to the next question. Let's dive a bit deeper into some of the projects. In case there are listeners out there who may want to partner up with you. You started years ago, before getting into this dilemma as an entrepreneur. I would say for any entrepreneur that having the opportunity to walk into the homes of the influential Hollywood family and sit at the round table to discuss a deal is something any entrepreneur would dream of. They are one of the biggest families in Hollywood, and now some of their family members are billionaires. Right? So…
David Liebensohn The Hollywood Mafia.
Jenny Ta Right. I get you. I get that. So not many entrepreneur founders or startups can do that. So I can commend you with that. So my question is.
David Liebensohn Thank you.
Jenny Ta With your last invention, the app that blocks spammers and haters that you mentioned, where your legal advisors at that time gave you the advice to sign it over. Could we talk about that a little bit further? That invention, to me, was truly ahead of its time. As a 3x founder who has built applications and platforms, I understand exactly where you and your team were coming from when building it. So my question is, do you have any project ideas now that you may need help with to secure funding and get yourself back on the stage where you built things as an entrepreneur?
David Liebensohn I do, actually. I had a couple of things that I had on the back burner from when I was able to fund on my own. But this going viral on this story and having so many people reach out, you know, a couple of people want to do documentaries and stuff, kind of gave me a new, new idea that is related to this. And it's also. It's in kind-of with the original app idea. So I'm pretty excited about that and I don't want to give out too much information right now.
Jenny Ta But, well, you know what…
David Liebensohn I'm pretty excited about it.
Jenny Ta You're definitely learning, just like me, right, KT? Nowadays, it's important to ensure that everything is shared with the masses only after proper precautions. If you need an updated Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), I can certainly send you mine. It's one of the tightest NDAs ever, reviewed by several different attorneys. I don't mind sending you the template for that, so I commend you with that. But here’s a side trick before KT jumps in again with her next question.
Hypothetically, David, if someone were to approach you and propose reconnecting with the individuals who may have caused issues for you in the past, expressing their desire to work together again, fund your project, and become partners with a 50/50 arrangement, would you consider it?
David Liebensohn You know. Interesting question.
Jenny Ta Oh, it's the world of entrepreneurship, things happen though, right?
David Liebensohn You know, I'm not someone who can't get past something. There may be those who think otherwise, considering I've kept this going for many years, but recent events have brought things to the surface. It's just been difficult to let go. But overall, I believe that...
David Liebensohn I think that... Sorry, could you repeat the last question?
Jenny Ta What if someone were to hear KT and my interview with you today, come to approach you and say, look, we know the other side. We have a proposal…
David Liebensohn Oh, okay. I couldn't say no because if there was an apology and like a resolution, that was my whole goal to begin with. That's what got me started because I wanted to say that my first goal here was for a resolution and was for like, I didn't want to do all this. So it just got to this point. If people think that I’m just like anti the Kardashians to the bone, that's never really been the case. It was just I wanted to make this right and it just has to be this is what I do until I get the resolution that I need. And if not, if I end up creating this huge platform that takes them down a peg or two because of what happened then that's just going to be the case. I'm trying to force an apology and for me to be able to go to the people and say, hey, everybody that's been supporting me so wonderfully, they've come to me and worked this out. You know, I'm cool with them now, basically. Let's move on. So that's I mean, that's something that I would like.
Jenny Ta So, to our audience out there, it's evident why I have such great respect for this man. After engaging in discussions with him for about 2 to 3 weeks, I couldn't help but draw a parallel to the US presidential election between President Obama and then-Senator Hillary Clinton. When President Obama won the presidency, he extended his hand to Hillary Clinton and appointed her as his Secretary of State. Since then, they have developed a close friendship built on trust and shared values. Similarly, KT and I share a strong friendship, which is why we admire David's character. This led to this somewhat tricky question, as I wanted to observe David's response. Does he have any vendetta against the other family or does he have motives or whatever? But, this man has such a pure heart, much like Obama. Now, let's not delve into politics here; I am merely using the Obama-Hillary example to highlight the potential for bringing people together. If that also happens, then it’s the pride and joy with Kuan-Ning and I through this broadcast that we can bring the two together because certainly David is a great man, super intelligent man who needs our support, especially considering the misguided advice he received from his legal team in the past. KT, back to you.
Kuan-Ning Tseng Yeah. Oh, thank you, Jenny. That was a really good question; I have to say, and a good answer. Well, so given the time and the length of the podcast, I have a final question for you. I did some of the research on you as well, since Jenny brought up the story I saw you did a crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo, right, and raised about 3200 bucks. If I'm right. Are you planning to use this platform globally, utilizing their community globally to seek for support, or what's the purpose behind that? What’s your idea?
David Liebensohn So that was kind of when somebody reached out to me in the very beginning when I first went viral and suggested a couple of things trying to help me. And they suggested that I start Indiegogo. So now that that's actually ended, people are going to be all refunded since it didn't reach its fulfillment. So that really hasn't benefited me at all. It was like a waste and it distracted people. So I should have waited to have some kind of a campaign when I was ready and I had an actual idea or product that I was going to create to do that. So I can't win them all. But if I do another crowdfunding campaign, it's going to be something that's going to be more calculated and with a better launch.
Jenny Ta Wait, wait, David, did you say you have to return all the money?
David Liebensohn So, I got an email saying that they're refunding. Even though I’ve raised a fraction of what the amount we'd put on there, the team at the time had suggested I put it there, which is ridiculous. But so that, you know, since even though it's still a couple of thousand bucks, like I don't even get that. It’s going back to people. So anybody that sees this has that, if you do want to contribute still, you could do it through one of the other ways that's on my website or through my Linktree. Yeah, but it's kind of a weird kind of weird thing.
Jenny Ta Let me further ask this. I ask thorough questions because I know people are going to ask. Based on Kuan-Ning’s question, Indiegogo went up to 3200 dollars. Did you ever touch a penny of that money or it’s still at Indiegogo?
David Liebensohn Still on Indiegogo. And I'm never going to get anything out of it.
Jenny Ta Okay, So those who contributed…
David Liebensohn Same thing with Change.org. Change.org received thousands in contributions, but that money stays in Change.org for the internal promotion. It basically stays in Change.org. They kept it. So, so far the know five to $6,000 that's been raised through Change and Indiegogo, none of it went to me.
Jenny Ta Okay. So that's what I wanted to make sure the people out there heard. If you ever want to ask for your money back from either David's Indiegogo campaign or the other campaigns, he did not touch a penny. So you should go back to Indiegogo, send them an email or other campaigns and say, Hey, I want my money back, because obviously they kept the money and David never received a penny of that. So don't listen to this podcast and start sending him emails, or me or Kuan-Ning and say, well hey, where’s my money and I want my money back.
David Liebensohn I'm perfectly capable of working. I work seven days a week as long as I need to rebuild, it’s no problem with that. I enjoy working. I would rather do something that really gets me much further down the road, you know? So I have no problem doing that. It's, you know, the purpose of these donations. It just helps me get more attention to the website. Every cent goes into blowing up the story and the website and letting me do more podcasts and stuff like that.
Jenny Ta Yes, very clear. Now to those folks who did make the contribution for David through Indiegogo or other platforms, you've heard it from here that he didn't pay a penny, so maybe you should request your money back then send it to him through Cash app him.
David Liebensohn I think they're sending the money back. From what I read in the email, I'm probably going to do a video on my TikTok for this just to help people out. But I think all these people are getting emails from Indiegogo and they're going to get a charge back to their card or whatever they made the contribution. So I think they're automatically going to get reimbursed their money since the campaign didn't make it to its goal. So everybody, everybody should be okay. Hopefully nobody loses any money, but if they do, it definitely was not my intention and I'll do what I can to fix it for you if I can.
Jenny Ta And to those folks out there, since you've already made that contribution, and once you get that credit back, you can send it directly to David through Venmo Cash App or PayPal. I will read that information again at the end of this broadcast and we will have the wordings up for you too, when we go live.
David, I can't believe an hour has passed just like that, but you've shared so much great information. I do have a final question for you. I know your continuous fight is just getting started. Even though it's been 8 to 9 years, and I've only known you for three weeks, I can see that you're a strong man. Through this interview, I hope you can secure the funding and partnerships needed to get off the streets and find a place to live, even if it's just a studio apartment to start with. So, my final question is: If you were to magically wake up tomorrow with a million dollars, would you choose to sue the people who have caused you heartache in these past couple of years, including your divorce and living in your car, or would you utilize that money to build your future? What would your decision be?
David Liebensohn It would be a balancing act, you know. I would have to follow through with a few potential options to remedy the situation with Instagram and the trademark for promoting everything. But I wouldn't throw it all in, you know. Like I said, it would be a balance. It would be about 80% rebuilding because I can make 100 times what I would have made on that if I focus. The remaining 20% would involve tying up some loose ends because I’ve had an offer from them. If I don't pursue that, at least to obtain a genuine offer and resolution and move forward, I would kick myself. Even if I had the money to move on and build another fortune, I would still need to find a balance. I definitely wouldn't risk it all.
Jenny Ta Wait, backtrack one second here. Did you say you had a written offer from them? Like recently?
David Liebensohn Yes, I was offered. No, this was in 2020 right before the lawsuit. It was such a backhanded offer, even though it was six figures and it was a percentage would mean it wasn't anything in the past and they were changing the name of how they were doing business, where we weren't going to get any future sales. So our lawyers said, no, no, no, no, no. That's negotiating in bad faith, that's backhanded, and we're going to sue. So that's what they did instead, instead of going back to the table and it was just a mess. But yeah, so there was an offer. And so, you know, they were just, you know, a couple of digits away from having me not doing what I'm doing now.
Jenny Ta Okay, I have another follow up question. I'm just curious. This is just a wild story. What are those, the same set of attorneys who represented you to sign over your proprietary?
David Liebensohn No, it’s different. The original attorney was a guy that I had a business with my ex, his brother, and we had closed out our business and he was our contractual business attorney to help us with all that. So he was like my guy for business stuff. And so he could be at our meeting, but he was a part of everything. He had a decathlon or something, but he was very much a part of everything at the time. He is a good guy. He just wasn't cut out for going up against these Bulldog entertainment lawyers. But then the new people, the new lawyer and that new team, reached out wanting to do it on contingency because it was Kardashian involved. I didn't search out this attorney. He came to me. He was one of those, you know, celebrity chasing attorneys. He put this case with me and my partners on his website and his bio and didn't even do anything for us. It was more of a problem than, if anything. That's the kind of guy he is.
Jenny Ta Wow! I thought I met bad attorneys in my life, but you beat me to that David.
David Liebensohn That's one thing I know is, one of my faults is I'm trusting. You know, it doesn't hurt for me to have people on my team that aren’t so trusting. That's something I'll definitely be willing for sure to admit for sure.
Jenny Ta Gotcha! Now, I guess I can understand why when I asked you that last question, I mean, if I was in your shoes, if God sent me a million bucks, I'd probably say I forget about the past, keep moving forward and building the future. But I get why you wanted to do a 20/80. I get that. Thank you so much for that question. So I guess, folks, that's a wrap, everyone. Thank you, David, and thank you, Kuan-Ning, for allowing me to be your co-host today even though I kinda talk a lot.
Kuan-Ning Tseng You have done an awesome job, like all the questions, and David you too as well.
David Liebensohn Thank you so much.
Jenny Ta Yeah, so again, I would like to reread all of David's credentials. So please take out a pen and a paper and you can search for him. He's all over Google anyway. But you see on the screen if you have video, his name is David Liebenson, and you can CashApp him, Venmo, PayPal, even 5 to $10. It would help him a lot, as you've heard his story already. For me, I find it’s easiest to go on Instagram, search out his name. You will see he has two accounts. Find the one that has 38,000 followers. Or you can go to Kuan-Ning's page or my page and you can see the account that I'm following or Kuan-Ning's following, which is David. You know, that's the right one. Please don't, fall for scammers sending money to the wrong David, which is the last thing we wanted to do. And, you can also send him an email. David, is it okay that I give out your email?
David Liebensohn Please, and it's also in my bio and on my website too as well, my email.
David’s email: dliebensohn@icloud.com
Jenny Ta Gotcha! So his email, as you can see, is the first letter of his first name. So it’s D, as in David. But don't spell David, just the letter D. And then his last name is L-I-E-B-E-N-S-O-H-N at i-cloud dot com. So again, those who are following me and Kuan-Ning on Instagram or Twitter, we will connect you to all of his pages as well. Thank you so much, David and Kuan-Ning. Does each of you guys have any last thing to say before we wrap this up?
Kuan-Ning Tseng I will put all of the links down below as well, both on podcasts, YouTube and on all posts as well. I would just also put all the links below and then do like support this kind of story and then please retweet repost because as long as we get the story out, I think we will receive more help that he needs as well to rebuild his own life.
David Liebensohn Thank you so much. And I just want to thank you ladies so much for having me on and being so supportive. It just means so much that makes me feel like I'm definitely not alone with everybody supporting me like they are.
Jenny Ta Okay, you don't have to say specifically where you're at, David, because you know, I want to be cautious of your privacy and safety. Are you in Northern California? What city and state?
David Liebensohn I'm actually in the Phoenix Metro area. The Valley. Yeah, I'm going to have to go to L.A. to do a TV interview soon again. And I do a couple of things over there. Occasionally, it's only a six hour drive or a two hour flight.
Jenny Ta Well, you know, you can reach me when you're out here. Definitely, lunch or dinner is on me. Kuan-Ning tells me that I don’t invite anyone unless I'm comfortable with someone and I respect them. My time is very valuable, so is her time. Thank you so much again to both of you, and on behalf of Kuan-Ning's podcast... hold on a second here, sorry about that. So again, we will drop this on Twitter and Instagram. I don't have Tik Tok, on YouTube and will ask all of our friends to follow it or share it.
On behalf of Million Dollar Voices, which is Kuan-Ning's podcast from Germany, thank you everyone who's been listening to our interview today. Thank you, Kuan-Ning and thank you, David, until next time. Thank you.
David Liebensohn Thank you.
Kuan-Ning Tseng Bye.
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DAVID LIEBENSOHN’s CONTACT INFORMATION:
· eMail: dliebensohn@icloud.com
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidliebensohn/
· TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dliebensohn
· LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/davidliebensohn
· CashApp: https://cash.app/$davidlieben
· Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/David-Liebensohn
· Website: https://kimkardashianruinedmylife.com/
· Website: https://kancelthekartrashians.com/
· Mobile: 480-938-0096
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Disclosure: Please note that this entire interview has been transcribed using an app, and minor revisions have been made to improve clarity and grammar.
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