Matt Pohlson with Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba on flatlining, £400M growth and £120M donated

What happens when you literally die — and come back with a completely different view on business, risk, and what actually matters?

Matt Pohlson — founder and CEO of Omaze — joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to share the story behind building one of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses, and how a near-death experience changed everything.

Matt recounts flatlining for four and a half minutes, the moment his mother refused to let doctors give up, and how surviving something he “shouldn’t have” forced him to rethink both his life and his company. What followed was a radical shift — away from celebrity-driven campaigns towards a model that would eventually scale to over £400M in just five years.

This episode unpacks the power of storytelling in business, why making the customer the hero changes everything, how brands like Mr Beast win by showing tangible impact — and why Omaze has already given over £120M to charity while building a profitable company.

Follow Rory

Instagram: @rorysutherland_clips

TikTok: @Rorysutherlandclips

X: @rorysutherland

LinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/

Follow Elfried

Instagram: @elfriedsamba

LinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/

https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/

Follow Matt Pohlson

Instagram: @mattpohlson

X: @OmazeUK

LinkedIn: in/matthew-pohlson/

https://omaze.co.uk/

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