Fitness influencer Ashton Hall said he declined a partnership offer from Saratoga Water because the deal did not include equity in the company, despite his viral morning routine videos driving a reported 1,400% increase in Google searches for the brand.

Hall made the disclosure on a new episode of Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast. Asked directly by Newton whether he held shares in Saratoga Water, Hall said he does not. “No shares. Nah, no, I’m actually not with them at all,” he said.

Hall said Saratoga had pursued a collaboration with him for some time but did not detail the specific terms offered. He said the deciding factor was ownership. “I’m just big on ownership,” he said. “We can make cash. We can make money. That’s cool. But it’s like I want to make money when I sleep. I want my kids to see what his dad did in 2025, 2026, in the years on rather than just, you know, we had a good year.”

The influencer added that he prioritizes long-term equity over short-term compensation: “I could get another watch, another car. So, it’s like I like to invest my time into the companies that I can go in and have a big exit strategy with that particular company.” Hall has compared his approach to Jeff Bezos’ relationship with Amazon and Elon Musk’s with Tesla, and holds existing stakes in an energy drink brand and Price.com.

Hall said the decision has not soured his relationship with Saratoga. “I got love. I still drink Saratoga. You see Saratoga’s all in my videos still to this day,” he said, adding that he continues to feature the water organically in content for his more than 40 million followers.

Source: Complex

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Check Out Our Podcast