The Mistake Destroying California... | Zaya Younan | DSH #2004

Episode of Digital Social Hour · June 6, 2026 · 50 min

Sean Kelly and businessman Zaya Younan discuss interest rates, California politics, AI job losses, cyberwarfare, phone dependency, wealth and discipline, cigars, and Iran.

Summary

Zaya Younan returned to Digital Social Hour for a second conversation with host Sean Kelly. Younan argued that high interest rates, adjustable mortgages and rising credit card rates were crushing middle- and lower-income Americans and contributing to homelessness, blamed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for not cutting rates, and attributed inflation to government spending under the Biden administration while praising Donald Trump.

Younan sharply criticized California's leadership, calling Governor Gavin Newsom and the Los Angeles mayor failures, claiming the state had wasted homelessness funds, including revenue from Los Angeles's mansion tax, and saying he may move to Texas or Florida. He opposed a proposed California billionaire tax on the grounds that state politicians would waste the money, and questioned the wealth of Newsom and Kamala Harris. He also recounted rising from poverty after arriving in the U.S. at 13 to become head of GM's Oldsmobile division at 27, and described his philosophy of hard work, learning from mistakes, avoiding comfort, and developing discipline before receiving wealth.

Younan predicted that AI would cause the largest unemployment in history, weaken human thinking, and transform warfare through cyberattacks, drones and autonomous weapons. He warned about smartphone dependency and claimed phone radiation harms the brain, which Kelly supported with an account of his own brain scan. Younan promoted his El Septimo cigars, making health claims about natural nicotine. Finally, he condemned the Iranian regime's killing of protesters, criticized Trump for backing away from intervention, and called for the U.S. or Israel to overthrow the regime and install the Shah's son as a transitional leader.

Chapters

0:19
Cold open and welcome back
A preview clip on AI warfare and Iran precedes Kelly welcoming Younan back for a second appearance.
1:15
Interest rates and the Fed
Younan argues high and adjustable interest rates are hurting the middle class and blames Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.
6:08
Politics, AI preview and hunger
Younan warns AI will create historic unemployment and laments politicians' failure to solve problems like hunger.
8:32
California homelessness and Newsom
Younan accuses California leaders of wasting homelessness money and says Newsom should never be president.
Linked moment · 10:02Skip to 10:02 using a listen link in the info box.
10:02
Rock bottom, GM career and mistakes
Younan recounts arriving with $25, rising to lead Oldsmobile at 27, and the value of learning from mistakes and avoiding comfort.
15:47
Billionaires, global hunger and politics
Younan defends wealthy people and blames politicians for keeping Africa's resource wealth from reaching ordinary people.
20:16
California's exodus
The pair discuss population and company losses from California, poor infrastructure and safety, and Younan's possible move.
22:26
Discipline and the reality of wealth
Younan describes his demanding schedule, argues money does not fix unhappiness, and discusses lottery winners and giving money to children.
28:12
AI and jobs
Younan says AI cannot be countered, is eroding human thinking, and will eliminate jobs in accounting, law, driving and writing.
33:35
AI warfare and phone dependency
Younan warns of cyberwarfare and drones, AI privacy risks, smartphone addiction, and alleged phone radiation harms.
39:39
Cigars and stress
Younan credits cigars with relieving stress and makes health claims for his El Septimo brand after Kelly discusses his Oura ring data.
43:21
California billionaire tax and politicians' wealth
Younan opposes a billionaire tax, criticizes the mansion tax's use, and questions Newsom's and Harris's wealth.
46:35
Iran
Younan condemns the Iranian regime's killing of protesters and calls for U.S. or Israeli action to install new leadership.
51:16
Where to buy El Septimo
Younan directs listeners to buy his cigars online and Kelly closes the show.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Zaya Younan
Younan claims that 35% of U.S. home mortgages are adjustable-rate, concentrated among middle- and lower-income borrowers.
“The house, some of the house, 35% of all the home mortgages in the United States are adjustable”
Listen from 1:57 · Interest rates and the Federal Reserve
Zaya Younan
Younan attributes rising homelessness in America largely to high interest rates.
“that's one of the reasons the homelessness has increased so much in America is because Interest rate is so high”
Listen from 4:09 · Homelessness in Los Angeles
Zaya Younan
Younan argues Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is playing politics by not cutting rates and should resign.
“But shame on Powell. Shame on Powell playing politics with American people. If you are a true American, you should resign tomorrow”
Listen from 4:32 · Interest rates and the Federal Reserve
Zaya Younan
Younan contends inflation during the Biden administration was caused by government spending rather than consumer spending.
“The government spending created inflation, not American spending. Remember, the biggest tranche of spending in the United States is government spending”
Listen from 5:48 · Interest rates and the Federal Reserve
Zaya Younan
Younan predicts AI will cause the largest unemployment in history, exceeding the Great Depression.
“AI right now and going forward is going to create the biggest unemployment that history has ever seen globally”
Listen from 6:26 · Technological unemployment
Zaya Younan
Younan accuses California of diverting homelessness funds to other pet projects.
“California took a lot of money, but they didn't spend it on homelessness. They wasted it on other pet projects that they had”
Listen from 9:03 · Homelessness in Los Angeles
Zaya Younan
Younan says people learn more from mistakes than from accomplishments.
“You learn more from mistakes than from accomplishments, right? From accomplishment, you learn to do the same thing, more of it, right?”
Listen from 14:16 · Wealth and financial discipline
Zaya Younan
Younan says he is considering leaving California for Texas or Florida because of poor governance and infrastructure.
“I love Texas, Houston, and I love Florida. So depending which one I'm going to go to”
Listen from 21:33 · California population decline
Zaya Younan
Younan claims 70% of lottery winners lose everything and go bankrupt.
“You have 70% lose it all. 70% of all the lottery, lose it all. And they go to bankruptcy”
Listen from 26:26 · Lottery winners' financial outcomes
Zaya Younan
Younan recommends that parents educate and train children before giving them money.
“It's okay to give money to the kids. But before you give it to them, you have to make sure they are educated”
Listen from 28:04 · Wealth and financial discipline
Zaya Younan
Younan argues reliance on AI weakens the brain like an unused muscle and that people should avoid depending on it.
“If you don't work the muscle, it will deteriorate, right? And the brain is the biggest muscle in human body”
Listen from 30:25 · Artificial intelligence
Zaya Younan
Younan predicts AI will eliminate jobs in accounting, law, driving and social work.
“A lot of simple computation, accounting is gonna go away. Legal is gonna go away. Drivers is gonna go away”
Listen from 31:59 · Technological unemployment
Zaya Younan
Younan predicts future wars will be fought through technology capable of disabling a nation overnight rather than by soldiers.
“the future wars is not going to be fought by soldiers going against each other. It will be caused by nation using technology to completely handicap another nation overnight”
Listen from 34:10 · Cyberwarfare
Zaya Younan
Younan claims the power of phone signals interferes with the brain's natural molecular frequency.
“The power is so strong, it interferes with the natural frequency of micro-molecular of your brain”
Listen from 36:58 · Mobile phone radiation and health
Sean Kelly
Kelly recounts undergoing a brain scan during a phone call with a doctor and finding an anti-EMF device helped only slightly.
“We had a doctor doing it, and we did a test with the phone right here, and then we put this anti-EMF device nearby”
Listen from 38:30 · Mobile phone radiation and health
Zaya Younan
Younan claims natural nicotine in cigars reduces inflammation by improving blood and oxygen flow, and says he smokes seven or eight cigars a day.
“It reduce inflammation in the body because inflammation in the body is created by lack of either blood or oxygen flow”
Listen from 40:53 · El Septimo
Zaya Younan
Younan opposes the proposed California billionaire tax, arguing state politicians would waste the revenue, though he supports taxing the wealthy for good purposes.
“the problem of California is not going to be solved by milking billionaires for more money”
Listen from 43:29 · California billionaire tax
Zaya Younan
Younan claims revenue from Los Angeles's mansion tax did not go toward homelessness as voters were promised.
“most recently, they find out that that money went completely someplace different. It did not go at all to address the homelessness”
Listen from 43:29 · Los Angeles Measure ULA
Zaya Younan
Younan questions how Gavin Newsom could have a net worth above $200 million as governor.
“how could a governor of a state like this have over $200 million in net worth?”
Listen from 46:20
Zaya Younan
Younan proposes the Shah's son as a transitional leader for Iran.
“Shah's son, who lives in the United States, has been living in the United States, is a perfect transition leader”
Listen from 46:40 · 2025–2026 Iranian protests
Zaya Younan
Younan claims on-the-ground reports put the number of protesters killed in Iran above 200,000, far above media figures.
“the actual report from people on the ground says over 200,000 people have been killed”
Listen from 46:49 · 2025–2026 Iranian protests
Zaya Younan
Younan calls for the United States and Israel to overthrow the Iranian regime, criticizing Trump for backing off his promise to intervene.
“I think United States and Israel should interfere, go to Iran, overthrow this regime”
Listen from 47:31 · 2025–2026 Iranian protests
Zaya Younan
Younan claims most Middle Eastern terrorism is funded by the Iranian government.
“62% of all the terrorists in Middle East are funded by Iranian Islamic government and that needs to stop”
Listen from 48:36 · 2025–2026 Iranian protests

People

In the conversation

Sean KellyHost of the Digital Social Hour podcast
Zaya YounanIranian-born American businessman, former General Motors executive and CEO of El Septimo cigars

Discussed

Jerome PowellChair of the Federal Reserve
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Gavin NewsomGovernor of California, cited for his 2018 primary strategy
Kamala HarrisFormer Vice President mentioned as a potential California endorser
Joe BidenFormer president whose economic approval is compared to Trump's
Michael JordanBasketball player used by Hudson in an example about condescending encouragement
Elon MuskEntrepreneur behind X, xAI and SpaceX, discussed in AI competition
Reza PahlaviSon of Iran's last Shah, living in the United States

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From the publisher

In this episode of Digital Social Hour, Sean Kelly sits down with Zaya Younan for a raw conversation about money, politics, AI, California, Iran, discipline, wealth, and the future of America. Zaya breaks down why he believes high interest rates are crushing the middle class, why homelessness is getting worse, and why politicians keep talking while real people keep suffering. Then the conversation goes deeper. He explains why AI could create one of the biggest job disruptions in history, why phones may be controlling people more than they realize, and why future wars may not be fought by soldiers, but by technology, cyberattacks, drones, and defense systems. They also get into California’s decline, billionaire taxes, the truth about building wealth, why lottery winners often lose everything, and why money only works when you’ve built the discipline to manage it. This one gets intense. From America’s economy to Iran’s unrest, from AI replacing jobs to the cost of success, Zaya does not hold back. Watch until the end because his warning about AI, phones, and the future of war might be one of the most important parts of the conversation. CHAPTERS 0:00 AI, War, And The Future Of America 4:27 Zaya Calls Out The Fed 8:13 California’s Homelessness Crisis 14:15 Why Mistakes Make You Stronger 20:07 Why California Is Losing People 24:21 The Reality Of Becoming Wealthy 33:29 AI, Cyberwar, And National Security 39:31 Cigars, Stress, And Health Routines 46:01 Zaya’s Warning About Iran 50:43 Where To Find Zaya’s Cigars WHAT YOU’LL LEARN 💸 Why Zaya believes high interest rates are crushing the middle class 🏠 How adjustable mortgages and credit cards are hurting everyday Americans 🤖 Why AI could wipe out millions of jobs faster than people expect 🧠 How relying too much on AI may weaken human thinking 📱 Why Zaya believes phones are becoming a dangerous dependency ⚔️ Why future wars may be fought through technology, cyberattacks, and drones 🌎 Why Zaya believes politics is one…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: News Commentary·Politics·Technology