Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1967 and started doing stand-up comedy in Boston at age 21. He moved to Los Angeles, landed roles in Hardball and NewsRadio, and in 1997 started commentating for the UFC — a job he still holds today.

In 2001 he hosted Fear Factor, which ran for five seasons. But none of that is why he matters to this generation.

On December 24, 2009, Rogan launched The Joe Rogan Experience with comedian Brian Redban. The premise was simple: long conversations, nothing cut, no PR handlers, no talking points. By 2015 it was one of the most popular podcasts in the world. By 2020, Spotify paid a reported $100 million for exclusive rights — a deal later valued at over $250 million. In 2024, the podcast moved back to YouTube as well, where the official channel has over 20 million subscribers.

JRE is the format that shaped a generation of podcasting. Episodes regularly run three to four hours. Guests have included Elon Musk, Edward Snowden, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, scientists, Navy SEALs, comedians, philosophers, and athletes. No category is off-limits. No topic is sacred. No guest gets the soft version.

Rogan is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and a serious student of martial arts, hunting, and sensory deprivation. He practices what he preaches — physical discipline, intellectual curiosity, and radical honesty. His guests don’t come on to promote. They come on because it’s the conversation they actually want to have.

Over 2,470 episodes in, JRE remains the most listened-to podcast in the world.