In 2017, a freelance writer in London pulled off one of the funniest marketing stunts in history.

Armed with a burner phone, a website, and a backyard shed, Oobah Butler created a fake restaurant called The Shed at Dulwich.

He never served a single meal.

But with a handful of glowing fake reviews, he managed to climb the TripAdvisor charts all the way to #1 restaurant in London.

Soon, real people were begging for reservations, food critics wanted interviews, and even TripAdvisor themselves congratulated him.

When he finally opened for one night only, guests were served instant noodles, frozen meals… and a big helping of confusion.

In this episode of Money2Byrne: Pocket Change, David Byrne dives into how one man’s prank became a global phenomenon and what it says about the power of hype, storytelling, and human gullibility.

🥇 Fake reviews. Real success.

🎙️ The lighter side of business only on Money2Byrne.