NFL's Groundbreaking 'Chief Kindness Officer' Role Goes to Controversial Former Cannabis Entrepreneur
The National Football League has made a striking and unprecedented move by appointing its first-ever 'Chief Kindness Officer' for the upcoming Super Bowl. The individual chosen for this novel position is Dhar Mann, a former marijuana industry magnate who carries a prior felony fraud conviction from 2014. This appointment is designed to promote themes of kindness and sportsmanship among fans and players as the Seattle Seahawks prepare to face the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California.
A Past Fraught with Legal and Financial Controversy
While the NFL's announcement praised Mann as 'one of the most influential storytellers in the world' and highlighted his 'commitment to kindness comes from lived experience,' it only vaguely referenced his 'significant setbacks early in his life.' The league did not explicitly detail the serious legal issues from his past.
In 2014, Dhar Mann pleaded no contest to five felony counts of defrauding the city of Oakland. He was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay the city $44,399. Reports from that period indicate he was accused of misappropriating city grant funds intended for building improvements. Mann, who was 29 at the time, later settled the fine and was released from probation early.
During this era, Mann was deeply involved in the cannabis business, earning the nickname 'ganjapreneur.' He operated a real estate company, a luxury car rental firm, and served as CEO of weGrow, an enterprise famously dubbed the 'Walmart of Weed.' His business dealings included a tumultuous partnership with Morgan Stanley investment banker Derek Peterson, which descended into an 'ugly divorce' with mutual accusations of unpaid debts and lawsuits, later settled out of court.
From Controversy to Content Creation Empire
Today, Dhar Mann has pivoted to building a substantial media empire. He runs Dhar Mann Studios, a video production company that describes its mission as creating positive, motivational content for social media audiences. The studio claims to have amassed over 100 billion views across platforms, with 26.7 million subscribers on YouTube alone. Its short-form videos focus on life lessons, business, and relationships, often inspired by Mann's own experiences of success and failure.
His influence was recently underscored by a No. 2 ranking on Forbes' list of top creators for 2025, with estimated earnings of $56 million. Forbes noted he has established a full-scale Hollywood studio with a team of hundreds.
Recent Labour Disputes and Mann's Response
Despite this success, Dhar Mann Studios faced public protests in 2023 from actors who alleged underpayment and unfair treatment. In response, Mann issued statements addressing what he called 'misleading stories' and 'false information.' He asserted that the protestors represented a small minority of his actors and denied claims of non-payment, while acknowledging there is 'always opportunity for growth.' Mann reaffirmed his core mission to spread positivity through storytelling, despite these challenges.
The NFL's selection of Mann for this high-profile, values-driven role at one of the world's most-watched sporting events certainly blends inspiration with a complex personal history, inviting scrutiny and conversation about redemption, branding, and the narratives we choose to amplify.
