What Business Owners Can Learn From a Lottery Scam with Terry Rich

Think Business with Tyler

Terry Rich went from farm kid to national TV, led a zoo from near-bankruptcy to success, then uncovered the biggest lottery fraud in U.S. history.

But it wasn’t luck or gimmicks that made him a turnaround expert—it was a relentless mix of creativity, calculated risk, and an unshakable ethical compass.

When handed a $600K deficit at a failing zoo, he didn’t raise millions—he sold poop. Literally. Then raised $15M.

At the state lottery, he scaled profits from $58M to $100M—and when a $16M fraud threatened everything, he said no to pressure, exposed the scam, and protected public trust.

Now, he teaches leaders how to spot fraud before it happens, engage teams with “no judgment” idea culture, and turn failure into their biggest asset.

This episode is packed with real-world lessons from one of America’s boldest business troubleshooters. Terry shares:

• Why failure is the first step to success (and his Tonight Show story proves it)
• The wild story behind selling lion poop—and how it saved the zoo
• Why internal fraud really happens—and the 3 signs to watch for
• The C.O.T. method he created to drive innovation in risk-averse teams
• How to create a speak-up culture that protects your business
• What it really takes to lead multi-million-dollar turnarounds
• Why he believes success is like cocaine—and how that fuels entrepreneurs

Key Lessons

Failure Fuels Innovation: Terry’s greatest business ideas came from flops, not wins—and he teaches you how to leverage yours.

Zoo Brew & Poop Sales: Sometimes the craziest ideas (like alcohol at a zoo or selling manure) are what save a business.

Fraud Detection Culture: Spotting fraud isn’t about luck—it’s about culture. Terry shows how he trained teams to speak up early.

The $16M Ethical Stand: Under immense pressure, Terry chose integrity—and the result built public trust (and boosted lottery sales).

Entrepreneurial Grit: From MTV to municipal zoos to state lotteries, Terry’s story proves resilience beats resources every time.

Host: Tyler Martin, Think Business Podcast

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