SaaS Dads S2/E13: FBI Raided His House, $10M NFL Lawsuit… He Built a Two-Time Gold SaaS Business Anyway

SaaS Scaling Secrets Unlocked · Jun 4, 2026 · 54m

Most people have one rock bottom moment.

Russ Ward had several.

Got his girlfriend pregnant on the first date. Flew to Las Vegas and got married weeks later. Got kicked out of three colleges. Joined the Navy at 21 just to force himself into a job he couldn't quit.

Then built a bootleg DVD empire from his basement that made him $2-3 million over 10 years.

Then the FBI raided his house.

The NFL sued him for $10 million. The IRS hit him with a $119,000 tax lien. His merchant accounts froze. His marriage fell apart. His kids went to live with their mum.

And he spent a week lying on the floor with…