"...the pyramid scheme seemed like my best shot to get paid.”

BELLFLOWER—After a decade-long rift, Jamal and his old college friend James have surprisingly reconciled over a realization: James had only sold Jamal on a pyramid scheme to fund his race car ambitions.

Jamal, who had felt betrayed for years, finally confronted James about the incident that had driven them apart. “I asked him, ‘Why didn’t you just sell drugs or pick a better financial crime, like the professional race teams?’” Jamal recalled. “I mean, if you’re going to scam, at least follow the example the last 100 decades of professional racing has set.”

James, who played Gran Turismo once and immediately started thinking he could become a race car driver, explained his reasoning. “Those things are the big time, and something I aspire to,” James admitted. “But I had to start somewhere, and at the time, the pyramid scheme seemed like my best shot to get paid.”

James stated that his pyramid scheme call was more than just a business move. “I always wanted to reconnect with Jamal over the last 10 years,” James said. “Selling him on the pyramid scheme was a good reason to reach out. In a way, It got us back in touch!”

The two friends have since moved past the incident, “It’s crazy,” Jamal reflected, “Instead of being mad, I’m glad we’re back in touch—on an unrelated note, I will be driving his race car for the rest of the season.”