Entertainment

What Exactly is Wes Job Besides 'The Challenge'?

by Jodi Walker

I have a confession: I am an unabashed Wes fan. Now, that's not as much of a seedy back alley Challenge bias as it used to be — at some point in the last few years, Wes mellowed out, kept his trademark smirk, but stopped screaming at everyone so much; and apparently that all happened because Wes became a certified business ma, but what is his actual job?

I will never forget the episode of Rivals II when, in the aftermath of Wes and CT winning in the Jungle after being thrown in by Johnny Bananas and Frank, Bananas challenged Wes, "What do you have?" and Wes retorted, "I have a BMW, a Porsche, a house, a monster truck, and 30 companies," and some variation of, "[Bleep] my [bleep]." Thirty companies?! At that point, I knew: this is a mystery that must be solved.

And according to the first two episodes of Battle of the Exes II, the rivalry between Bananas and Wes is still alive and well. Bananas is likely to challenge Wes to an argument of worldly possessions again in the very near future. And when that times comes, we all need to be prepared. What he hell is Wes' job and how does it afford him the opportunity to take the vacation days needed for this kick-ass trip he told us he's planning for him and his dog if he wins this prize money (also, the vacation days needed to leave work for two months so you can lick peanut butter off a fiberglass board and verbally battle with a 30-year-old man who willingly wears a bandanna at all times)?

What is Wes' Job?

Basically, Wes' aim is to be the tiny, little Kevin O'Leary of Kansas City; his Twitter calls him a "startup engineer." Wes is the founding investor in BetaBlox, a startup incubator for new companies. So, when Wes said that he had 30 companies, he more meant that he had an investment in 30 companies, a number that's likely much higher by now. BetaBlox was founded in 2012 on the principle of taking on 10 new startups every cycle with access to their startup classes, mentors, angel investors, and office space in exchange for a five percent stake in their company.

So, What Does That Mean?

Wes, who goes by his full name, Weston, on the BetaBlox website, is making entrepreneurship his entrepreneurial goal. BetaBlox itself is a startup, but apparently it's a startup that started with enough capital to become the launching point for tons of other Kansas City businesses. Wes told The Pitch in 2013, "I don't care about money ... but what I do care about is, I want to change the world. I want to create jobs." Investing in startup companies isn't exactly a get-rich-quick scheme, which can only lead me to believe that Wes' passion for business is what makes him keep working at his "real job," in addition to taking an occasional Challenge/dog vacation. (Did I mention that I love Wes?)

And What of Those Cars & Trucks?

Well, Wes seems to be much more dog-focused these days, but in addition to sort of having 30 companies he also sort of has "a BMW, a Porsche, and a monster truck."

Which is to say, he definitely drives a BMW, but we're going to have to wait for some visual confirmation on that monster truck. Your move, Weston...

Image: MTV; Weston Bergmann/Instagram (3)