There is an often-overlooked truth among people who start businesses. Oftentimes the more successful businesses, put their workers, before themselves.
Nowadays the public broadly accuses business owners of greed, of doing everything possible to squeeze out one more dollar, but rarely hears the stories of the most successful entrepreneurs putting their workers first. That was the case with conservative commentator Steven Crowder. In an interview with The Iced Coffee Hour, he said he did not make a seven-figure income until roughly two or three years ago. Why? Because he took the profits from his company and reinvested them into the business, its broadcasts, and its employees, their benefits and 401(k)s included.
That commitment to building the company and supporting the people who worked for it is what ultimately drove the wealth of Crowder’s, his employees', and the company’s growth.
Steven Crowder reveals he never made $1,000,000 in a year until 2 or 3 years ago, because he reinvested everything into his company and paid his team first… “I never once had a 7 figure year… I just would reinvest it… We have a 401K match. We have health insurance. Everyone gets paid well.”
— The Iced Coffee Hour (@TheICHpodcast) October 4, 2026
"I don't think you realize, when I say reinvested into the business, up until several years, I mean, I never once had a seven-figure year. Until when? Call it two or three years. And that's the collective of all my revenue," Crowder said. "I just would reinvest it and pay. We have a 401k match. We have health insurance. Everyone gets paid well."
"But in my mind, the reason that this happened is because we had a business valuator going through some issues and lawsuits. And it ended up being pivotal in the suit because the business valuator had to determine how much the business was worth. And they know how much I was worth in the business. Meaning if I wasn't there, what it would cost to replace me. And they basically said, you wouldn't be able to find anyone to do it," he said. "Like literally would cost you $15 million because at that point, I was CEO. At that point, I was also doing all these other jobs. And I was like, huh, it was so bad. They thought I was hiding money. Like, well, okay, this is your salary on paper. But where are you? I'm like, no, no, that's what I take. And they go, but this is what your next highest paid employee makes. I go, yeah."
Paying workers more, voluntarily, creates both personal wealth and economic growth. It makes a company more competitive for talent, gives workers a reason to contribute more, and shows them that the business has a real stake in their performance. Socialists often complain that workers have no stake in the companies they work for. Fair enough: higher pay, better benefits, bonuses, and retirement contributions are exactly how an employer gives them one, without turning the entire business into a government-managed group project.
That does not mean government should mandate higher wages. Once the government requires higher pay, owners have less freedom to decide where their money goes. That freedom is squeezed, and owners become more likely to hold onto every dollar they can because they do not know whether they will need it to keep the business afloat or fund future growth. A voluntary raise is different: it reflects the company’s finances, its needs, and the value an employee brings to the business.
In essence, it is a free-market principle: invest in your workers, and they will help build the company that invested in them.
Editor's Note: The Democrat Party has been infected by socialism, and it's spreading FAST. Democrats are claiming there's nothing to worry about, but we know the truth.
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