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On a Mission Podcast

Michael Jackson’s Millionaire Bodyguard Tells All - with Matt Fiddes

On a Mission Podcast

Ellie McKay

4.41K Ratings

🗓️ 31 January 2022

⏱️ 157 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week I’m on a mission with self-made multi-millionaire Matt Fiddes, a world-renowned martial arts expert who has built a global fitness empire in over 1000 locations and was also Michael Jackson’s personal bodyguard and best friend for over ten years. From a bullied schoolboy to earning £100K a month by the age of 18, Matt went on to travel the world as MJ’s bodyguard and shares some rare insights as to what it was REALLY like within MJ’s inner circle. We have a frank discussion about Michael’s genius, his struggles with fame, the truth behind the controversial child abuse allegations and who is really to blame for his untimely death. Matt’s achievements have seen him honoured at the highest level, after being inducted into the UK Martial Arts Hall of Fame and presented with the prestigious ‘Martial Arts Superstar Award’. But despite his incredible success, the road has not always been an easy one. In this episode, we talk candidly about the struggles he has faced, the challenges he has overcome, and the winning mindset he has attained along the way - one that has enabled Matt to battle back against adversity and come out fighting every time. A truly incredible story. BEST MOMENTS 'I had this real ambition and drive' 'I've been everywhere in the world and I've not seen anything!' 'Your network is so important - it really is' 'Offer the service and the money will be the by product' VALUABLE RESOURCES On A Mission - https://omny.fm/shows/on-a-mission Matt Fiddes - https://www.mattfiddes.com/ Matt Fiddes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/officialmattfiddes/?hl=en Chase The Truth - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Jackson-Chase-Mike-Smallcombe/dp/B07WFXLMBW / YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EllieMckay

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

It's wonderful that you call me a legend.

0:04.4

Especially a living.

0:05.4

Well, for anyone who doesn't know you, you are not just a legend in the martial arts world.

0:10.4

You're a legend in the whole business world, but you literally transformed the space.

0:15.5

You set up your first martial arts school at age like 1617.

0:20.7

You've now got 1, 218 franchises. You've got 67 dance schools. You became a

0:29.1

net worth millionaire at 18. You're a public speaker, you've got the biggest private property portfolio in the whole of Devon and the thing that you're probably best known for is the slightly not so small matter of being bodyguard, advisor, best friend, head of security to the one and only Michael Jackson saw a pretty impressive CV.

0:55.0

Yeah, it's a bit of a fairy tale when you say it like that isn't it?

1:00.0

It really is.

1:01.0

Does it sound weird if you're in it all back?

1:05.2

When I hear about now, now I'm 42 and I look back at it, it does.

1:10.6

But when you live in it, it was all very, very normal if that makes any sense at all.

1:16.0

Because I didn't know any different.

1:19.0

I had one real job as a lifeguard for £2.75 an hour to save £100 to open a business bank account and set my martial art schools.

1:28.8

But yeah, Michael and everything coming to my life at such a young age I was 18 and they were just my friend

1:35.8

so at the time I didn't really see it as as a normal everyone else around did. It was only when I went to get married and I threw up the stag-do list and realized, yeah, it's just going to be one person coming with me bowling because everyone else was too famous.

1:54.0

But that's just my life, you know, and it's some people always say to sometimes I name-dropping or whatever.

2:01.0

It's not, it's my life. I can't change you with my friends.

2:04.3

I didn't put them in my life. It happened by where I believe in the law of attraction

2:09.3

and all that type of stuff, you know, and it is what it is so so now when I look

2:16.7

back I get why people think it's fascinating a bit weird and a bit odd and

2:20.9

magical and how the heck did that happen and all the media

...

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