Samuel Leeds, a self-described property 'guru' known for selling controversial get-rich-quick training courses online, has sparked widespread mockery after boasting about chartering a £150,000 private jet to flee Dubai. Leeds, 34, shared videos from aboard a Gulfstream jet en route to Heathrow, defiantly claiming the missile-hit Gulf state was 'not even dangerous' and safer than London.
Flaunting Wealth Amid Crisis
Leeds' social media posts have been condemned as 'embarrassingly crude' by critics, who accuse him of flaunting his wealth while thousands of ordinary holidaymakers battle flight cancellations in a desperate scramble to return home. The investor, who previously stated he moved to the United Arab Emirates to avoid paying '99.9% of my taxes' and claims a £20 million portfolio, suggested trapped travellers simply follow his lead by paying for private flights.
Dubai Safety Claims Defy Reality
In his videos, Leeds downplayed the risk from Iranian missile and suicide drone strikes that have hit targets across the Gulf, including Dubai's airport and the Fairmont Palm hotel. He argued, 'There's more people being stabbed in England, and being shot in America, than getting hit with drones in Dubai.' This messaging starkly contrasts with scenes at airports where frightened holidaymakers are scrambling for limited flights, and with UK Foreign Office advice against all non-essential travel to the UAE.
Influencers' Coordinated Defence
Leeds' boasts are part of a wider wave of influencers defending Dubai online, with many insisting the city remains the 'safest place on Earth' despite the attacks. However, reports suggest influencers are terrified to speak openly for fear of arrest, deportation, or losing their homes under UAE laws that penalise damaging the country's reputation with fines up to £200,000 or prison sentences.
Contradictory Statements Exposed
Just days before his jet escape, Leeds had expressed fear, writing online, 'I am trapped in Dubai right now, with missiles flying over our home and the sound of constant explosions.' He later reversed this, insisting, 'Dubai is perfectly safe - one of the world's safest cities. The media are lying.' Critics have highlighted this inconsistency, with one asking, 'If Dubai was so safe, how come you’re taking your wife and your children out of the country while bombs are going off?'
Business Background Under Scrutiny
Leeds has built a large following through his company, Property Investors, which sells expensive training courses promising financial freedom through property deals. The business has faced criticism for hard-sell tactics and exaggerated promises. In 2019, an Army reservist took his own life after paying £13,000 for courses, though there is no suggestion the training caused his suicide. Think tank Tax Policy Associates has alleged the firm promotes misleading 'tax loopholes' that could leave followers facing tax bills.
Private Jet Market Soars
The Iranian onslaught has left an estimated 94,000 Brits trapped, with over 4,000 flights daily cancelled across the region. Private jet charter prices have soared above £100,000 for single flights, with some from Muscat to Istanbul reportedly costing over £70,000—double the normal rate. Private security firms are also hiring SUVs to deliver clients to open airports for these flights, highlighting the desperation among wealthy travellers.
Online Backlash Intensifies
Leeds has been mercilessly mocked on social media, with one critic dismissing his posts as 'the Dubai equivalent of tagging yourself at the gym.' Another noted the empty seats on his jet, to which Leeds retorted that friends in Dubai declined free seats because they believed the city was safe. His advice to drive to Oman and charter a plane for £100,000 has been ridiculed as out of touch with the financial realities of most travellers.
As limited flights resume from Dubai's partially reopened airport, the episode underscores the stark divide between influencers' curated narratives and the chaotic reality on the ground, where safety concerns and logistical nightmares persist for thousands.
