Robbie Buck

From CaseyPedia

Robbie Buck is the host of Top Shelf Radio on Triple J, an Australian music station.^[1]

In an interview with Casey Serin on June 28th 2007,^[2] Buck began by lobbing softball questions, but wound up throwing split-fingered fastballs. Rumors state this change was due to an unusual amount of Haterade™.

Various Haterz™ on EN stayed up into the wee hours of dawn to gather information (unlike law enforcement, who were eating donuts).

The DJ has a great upbeat radio voice -- but is sounding like a hater! "It was fraud."^[3]

Robbie seemed to be onto him. Casey didn't get to portray himself as the unfortunate real estate ingenue that he would like everyone to believe he is.^[4]

More of the same crap from Casey, but the interviewer was very skeptical.^[5]

[edit] Triple J Interview Transcript

ROBBIE BUCK

Robbie Buck with you this afternoon, and let's talk blogging. You know, the practice of writing down your thoughts on, ah, the Internet. Of course, a lot of people do do it... but, ah, the blogger we're about to meet this afternoon, ah, a lot of people are describing him, himself included actually, as the World's Most Hated Blogger, which is, um, a fairly strong term, it's true, but that's the one that he's using. Casey Serin, who is an American failed entrepreneur and is with us here in Triple J-- he's in Australia at the moment. Now, Casey, it's fair to say that, ah-- you know, I've been hanging around this radio station for quite a few years and, ah, in that period of time, I've done quite a few interviews-- some of them okay, quite a few of them lousy, but quite a lot nevertheless-- and never in all my time have I been contacted by people warning me of an interview. Never. Let alone by dozens of people. For this afternoon's interview, I have been contacted by dozens and dozens and dozens of people saying "Look out, 'cause this guy is a fraud. He's a con artist." Does that surprise you?

CASEY SERIN

It doesn't surprise me. I should have warned you, um, when I put up a post online saying that I'm gonna be on, um, this is kind of a typical response sometimes I get, and that's part of the reason that CNET called me the World's Most Hated Blogger.

BUCK

Mmm. Just for the people who-- For a little bit of background about how your blog started out, just short, what happened?

CASEY

Sure. Quick story: basically, I tried to become a, uh, I'll say the Australian verson, a property investor-- a real-estate investor for the American crowd-- um, made a few mistakes, uh, and before I did that, I went to a few seminars and I spent thousands of dollars on this quote-unquote "education", and some of it was good, some of it was bad, but regardless, I went out there and I tried to do too much too soon and unfortunately made a lot of mistakes--

BUCK

(interjects) Mmm.

CASEY

--and uh, and then uh, when I realized that things aren't going too good, I thought, "hey I'll just write it down, I'll start blogging about it to help others."

BUCK

So the blog that you started, I am facing foreclosure...

CASEY

Dot com.

BUCK

Dot com.

CASEY

Correct.

BUCK

...attracted a lot of people, it's fair to say--

CASEY

Yes.

BUCK

--who were interested in reading your story of, of you going through this financial crisis. And, I guess, people sort of interested to know what it was like to be in that financial crisis. Now you-- I take it you're fairly open in writing down what was going on.

CASEY

Well yeah.

BUCK

Why, why, why has it created this immense-seeming, immense hatred from around the globe? Why do people dislike you so much?

CASEY

Good question. Why do people hate me? Several reasons. Well, one, I'm very very open with everything I'm doing, and I'm not embarrassed about going through this experience. At first, I was, but then I thought, "you know what? This could be a very good learning opportunity for others who are also facing foreclosure." And the U.S. market right now is heading into a huge wave of foreclosures and I thought this could be helpful to others. Why do people hate me? They don't like the fact that instead of, uh, quitting the whole thing and getting a, a regular job, I'm still, uh, trying to be an entrepreneur, I'm trying to leverage some of this publicity that kind of came out of this whole thing and, uh, use the publicity to make some money and eventually make a comeback story.

BUCK

Okay. If you are, ah, one the, ah, what's the term, haterz, (Casey snorts in background) of Casey, and you wanna give us a call: 1300 0555 36 is the number, in case you want to, ah, put your point forward. We have had, like I said, lots of people, ah, dropping into the guestbook. Um, do you consider yourself a con artist?

CASEY

(small pause) I don't consider myself a con artist, no.

BUCK

Did you do things that were illegal?

CASEY

I made some mistakes that I'm not proud of and that's why I started the blog. Part of the reason is to talk about and warn people that if you fudge numbers on the loans and use some of these things that-- they call them "liar loans" (chuckle) in America because they let you just state your income-- I took advantage of some of that, but I--

BUCK

(interrupts) Like I said, when you were taking out the loan you didn't write down the truth.

CASEY

Correct.

BUCK

Okay.

CASEY

And being honest and open about it, I figure that I'll be able to somehow find a way to pay that money back.

BUCK

It's hard to be, it's hard to be taken as honest and open, though, when you've already made, when you've already--

CASEY

Exactly.

BUCK

--been a liar, isn't it?

CASEY

That's the problem.

BUCK

Yeah. Can you make money out of blogs?

CASEY

You sure can! I found out recently.

BUCK

How much?

CASEY

Currently with the advertising I have going, I'm probably somewhere between two and three thousand dollars a month, so. And, uh, but with, with the book coming out--

BUCK

(tries to interrupt) And how, how much--

CASEY

(continues over Buck) With this book coming out, I should be able to make a lot more, and it's ironic; by, by, just by telling my story of mistakes, I'll be able to pay off my mistakes.

BUCK

Okay. How much are your mistakes? What's your debt at the moment?

CASEY

(chuckles) Ho ho, man, it's really really high right now, still. Even though my foreclosures are kinda clearing out right now-- the properties are all gone, the banks repossessed them-- unsecured debt, I'm looking at about $170,000. That's just credit cards, and, um, credit lines. And then, uh, when the houses get sold by the bank, depending on how much money is still owed, I'll probably be looking at another two to three hundred thousand dollars. So altogether on the high side, I'm half a million dollars in debt.

BUCK

And how old are you?

CASEY

I'm 24 years old. Just saying that number, it's crazy, I never realized I'd be so much in debt.

BUCK

We have, ah, a lot of people are turning in to the World's Most Hated Blogger this afternoon. Casey Serin, I'm, we're going to take a couple of tracks and come back, Casey, and maybe take a call or two, but also, I want to, I want to read out some of the questions that have been left in the guestbook and have you answer some of those questions as well.

CASEY

Great.

BUCK

Alright. You're on Triple J.

(Music plays briefly)

BUCK

So we're here at Triple J, reflections of the sound. It's 21 after 3 on a Thursday afternoon, Robbie Buck with you and, ah, we are joined today by a failed American entrepreneur, a guy called Casey Serin who, ah, is going under the term the World's Most Hated Blogger. It seems people online can be pretty vindictive, pretty nasty. In fact, it seems that, on the Internet, people are a lot nastier than they are in real life, I've noticed. I think there's a, there's a tendency to do that. Considering you do have a lot of people who don't like you, Casey, do-- how do you feel, getting up in the morning knowing that?

CASEY

Oh it really doesn't affect me most of the time, but there are those days where the negativity gets to me, so you just have to live it one day at a time.

BUCK

You've got nearly half a million dollars in-- I take it that the reason people dislike you is that they make a moral judgement about you, about your behavior, okay?

CASEY

(interjects) Correct.

BUCK

Um, which is an interesting thing in itself, the fact that people, ah, care so much about a financial... illegality? Which is what you're, ah, I've guess you've done. But they have-- Like I said, we've been, we've been contacted by a lot of people who are, ah, interested in your story, ah, people who have actually set up your own web-- there's like five or six websites, blog websites, that--

CASEY

(interjects) Yeah, they're Hater websites, they always talk about...

BUCK

(breaks back in smoothly) And there's even a Wikipedia site about you, about some of the myths that surround you, apparently. Um, anyway. We've been contacted by Kate, who wanted to know, you've got a half a million dollar debt in America. You've got your wife who is still in America. What's your source of income while you're in Australia?

CASEY

Well I've been staying here for, pretty much for free, because I have a friend here who I've been staying in Brisbane area--

BUCK

(in background) Mmm.

CASEY

--and I've only spent maybe two, maybe three hundred dollars so far on this entire trip, and I've been here about three weeks. And the money is coming from my advertising revenue.

BUCK

And how much have you sent back to the, the debtors?

CASEY

Well, um, I'm saving-- most of the money I'm making throughout the advertising, I'm saving, I probably have about three thousand dollars saved, and I'm getting ready to, um, pay a few debts right now.

BUCK

So have you contacted your creditors?

CASEY

(mutters) I'm in the process of doing that. (louder) It's been a little tough--

BUCK

(interrupts decisively) In the process, but have you?

CASEY

Uhhh, yes.

BUCK

(softly) Okay.

CASEY

I've made contact with two to check to see what the latest balance is, and I... I have probably a list of thirty creditors to contact, so it's gonna be a looong road. But now that I finally have stable income, which is-- that's what I've been trying to do with the blog, is finally get it to where it's producing-- Then I'll be able to do that.

BUCK

(interrupts) So is that, the blog is the stable income for you.

CASEY

(softly) Right.

BUCK

And is it worth it? Considering how much hate you drawn down on yourself? I mean, is it worth the three or four thousand dollars a month, when you could be out doing a job, and people actually, possibly even liking you?

CASEY

Well this is just the beginning of how much this thing can make. Again, there's gonna be a wave of foreclosures and I have lots of opportunities not to just make money from advertisiting but also help people. So I, it was definitely worth it because this was my best opportunity. If I try to go get a job, I might be able to get a $50,000 a year job as a programmer, and I wouldn't like what I do, because I'm an entrepreneur at heart.

BUCK

Can I ask you this: you talk about helping people, but is it, is it really about helping people? Or is it about making money and getting famous? Which is, let's face it, what blogging is about.

CASEY

Sure. Well, I'm using the popularity to make money, and to make money is the first thing you have to do before you can help, because you can't help somebody before, uh, before you're able to survive. So that's the first step, is, uh, having money coming in. You have to help yourself first before you can help others. That's just the way it works.

BUCK

Just say, just say you do make a lot of money. Just say you pay off your half a million dollars worth of debt. Are people ever going to forgive you?

CASEY

Are they gonna forgive me for what? Did I kill them?

BUCK

Well, for, for whatever the misdeeds that they consider that you've done. Which are financial misdeeds.

CASEY

We're gonna have to wait and see, because the thing is, people love a comeback story, and, uh, that's what I'm doing.

BUCK

You're pretty sure about it?

CASEY

Oh yeah.

BUCK

(laughing heartily) Casey Serin, it's been interesting talking to you, mate, and ah, I do wish you the best of luck but I... I do think you've got your, ah... (chuckle) work cut out for you, I've gotta say. If you do want to ask a question this afternoon, 1300 0555 36. One, uh, one question that did come through us online this afternoon, why don't you just deal with the debt in private? Why do you have to , why do you have to air it in, in public?

CASEY

Well I've always been a very open personality so I figured, by sharing it, I can help other people. And that was the reason I started the blog. I never thought it'd get this crazy before, so.

BUCK

Mmm. Well, alright. Well give us a call if you've got a question, 1300 0555 36. The World's Most Hated Blogger in Triple J this afternoon, Casey Serin.

(Music plays)

BUCK

...out by Adelaide, Robbie Buck here this afternoon, it's nearly 3:30, and we're chatting to an American bloke-- he's in the country at the moment. His name is Casey Serin and, um, a lot of people don't like him, it's fair to say. The term World's Most Hated Blogger does get thrown around a lot wherever he is. Whether that's true or not, (laughs) I guess we'll probably have to do the numbers. But, ah, he's in with us this afternoon. The story, if you've just joined us: he's a failed entrepreneur. He took, bought eight properties in real estate in America. He, ah, how would you describe it? Got the loans fraudulently in some way? Is that fair enough?

CASEY

Well I took advantage of the environment that was there, which was, you could get these loans--

BUCK

(interrupts) It was fraud. It was fraud, though, if you're lying on your loans.

CASEY

Well I mean, that's the thing, I take full responsibility for it--

BUCK

(in background) Yeah.

CASEY

--I don't like to blame anybody but myself--

BUCK

(interrupts again) Yeah. He's left with a half a million dollar debt, and, ah, he's writing a blog which is drawing in some income. Why come to Australia is the big question, when you've got all these problems back in, in America? A lot of people are accusing of you of just skiving off, of skipping off, of, of fleeing the country!

CASEY

Yeah, people think I fled the country (weak chuckle)--

BUCK

Yeah.

CASEY

--trying to avoid debtors. Well I had a friend out here who offered me a place to stay for free and just kind of focus, just clear my head and work on that book I'm trying to release next month. So I took the opportunity, and somebody else paid for the airfare, so here I am for a couple weeks.

BUCK

Alrighty. We have Kate in Victoria on the line, hallo Kate!

KATE

Hello.

BUCK

What's your question for the World's Most Hated Blogger, Kate?

KATE

(chuckles) Hi Casey. I'm just wondering, you're very focused at the moment, on making money, paying off your debt. Once that's done, where do you think--

BUCK

(interrupts) If it's done.

KATE

If you end up paying off your debt, what's going to be your focus in life after that? 'Cause you're so driven at the moment by this foreclosure story.

CASEY

Well my long-term focus has been to become a successful businessman and, not just a businessman but one with integrity. Unfortunately, I made some mistakes, and now I have to, uh, correct my course with that, but uh, sometimes taking shortcuts is not the best way to go, and that's part of what my blog is all about. But you know what I really want to be able to do is take advantage of my position in the search engine under the word "foreclosure". You'll see I'm on the first page. (Buck makes an indistinct noise in the background) And I have a lot of people coming to me for help so I'm trying to turn it into a foreclosure website after my, my debt is gone away.

KATE

Okay, and what exactly is the lifestyle that you're looking for? Because you have a wife, you have a family, you had houses you could've been living in, I'm just wondering what sort of lifestyle that you're after.

CASEY

(chuckles) Well, I never really had those houses. The bank owned them, and then when I couldn't make the payments, they went away. So, uh, the lifestyle is, uh, just like anything else that people want: some security, having money coming in, uh, passively, to where your business is working for you, versus you working for the business. It's kinda like the Rich Dad, Poor Dad book by Robert Kiyosaki and some of the other books I've been reading.

BUCK

Alright, thanks for your questions Kate.

KATE

Alright, thanks Robbie.

BUCK

Uh, g'day Mark in Melbourne, one last question for the World's Most Hated Blogger. Do you have any T-shirts or any merchandise that says that... Casey?

CASEY

No, I don't, but that's a good idea.

BUCK

There you go, there's another possibility for you, you can pay me a few points on that. (both laugh) Um, Mark, what's your question?

MARK

It's not really a question, it's more a comment. All these people have complained about this guy making money from his blog, etcetera, etcetera.

BUCK

Mmm.

MARK

We live in a media-hungry society, but what people need to remember is that supply and demand fill the media. People are just going to this guy's blog, so the advertisers feel that there's a market there for them. I mean-- this is not directed at Casey himself, just media in general-- why don't people just not go to his site? Then the advertisers won't use his site anymore. This isn't really a question for Casey, though--

BUCK

Yeah. I get the feeling in this case, though, this, there is something to do with the trainwreck, uh, um, reality of this, Casey--

MARK

(in background) That's what it amounts to, always.

BUCK

--is the fact that you were doing a blog as your whole world was, um, dissolving in front of you and people just couldn't help, um, witnessing that.

CASEY

Well yeah, very few people out there are gonna be talking about their car crash while they're still in the car crash.

BUCK

It's true. Alrighty, thanks for your question Mark. Listen, we're gonna have to wrap it up here this afternoon, Casey. I, I'm interested to see what does happen. I, I do have to say, um, you say you don't want to go back and get yourself a $50,000 a year job. Surely you could do that. I mean, surely you could get a job and start paying off--

CASEY

(softly interjects) Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that.

BUCK

--Surely you could start paying off some of your debt, still do your blog, still do the other things, which is what a lot of other people do... Why wouldn't you do that?

CASEY

At this point, I have so much debt, just to catch everything up I'll have to come up with lots of money and so the, the most sensible route for me is to declare bankruptcy and just go back and do another job. I wanna be known as the guy that came back from it all and paid off all that money. So that's kinda the comeback story I'm looking for. And doing it creatively is what I'm using the, some of this exposure on this blogging for.

BUCK

Alright. Thanks for dropping into Triple J, mate, cheers.

[edit] References

1. ↑ Top Shelf with Robbie Buck on Triple J, ABC
2. ↑ Worlds Most Hated Blogger mp3, Top Shelf Radio
3. ↑ Sounding like a hater!, comment by I'm English on EN, June 27th 2007 at 10:32 PM
4. ↑ Robbie seemed to be onto him., comment by Anonymous on EN, June 27th 2007 at 10:39 PM
5. ↑ The interviewer was very skeptical., comment by Mak on EN, June 27th 2007 at 10:40 PM