A former chemistry teacher from Blackburn has become an internet sensation by mocking the lifestyles of the super-rich. Shabaz Ali, known online as @ShabazSays, has attracted over four million followers on TikTok by calling out wealthy influencers who show off their luxury lives.
Ali started making reaction videos during the COVID-19 lockdown. He was annoyed by a video of a wealthy woman showing how she made "designer ice cubes" in detail. This inspired him to create his famous catchphrase: "On today's episode of I'm Rich, You're Poor."
Ali calls himself the "King of the Povvos" and his fans the "Povvo Gang." "Povvo" is a British slang term for a poor person. Ali, who grew up working-class, wanted to turn this old insult into a badge of honor. He believes that people are tired of "airbrushed reality" and the "Kardashian era." Instead, audiences now want authentic and unfiltered content.
According to Ali, wealth influencers warp teenagers' expectations of the world. Many young people think they do not need to study because they can easily become billionaires. However, Ali points out the reality: there are only about 3,400 billionaires in a global population of 8.3 billion.
Ali's internet success has now led to a BBC documentary titled Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad?. In the film, he travels to meet wealthy individuals and political figures. He tries to contact famous billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Kim Kardashian for interviews, but none reply.
During the documentary, Ali meets Zack Polanski of the Green Party, who speaks out against extreme wealth. He also spends time with John Caudwell, the billionaire founder of Phones 4U, at his home in Vail, Colorado. Although Ali likes Caudwell personally and admires his charity work, he still disagrees with the immense power and political influence that billionaires hold.
Through his videos and new documentary, Ali hopes to bring his audience back to reality, showing that extreme online wealth is not normal or achievable for most people.