I Met Thomas Tull by Accident - That Was My First Mistake (Video)

This is a 4 February 2026 published video from host Mike Rowe.

I met this week’s guest Thomas Tull last summer at an energy summit at Carnegie Mellon University. He heard me talking about our country’s ever-widening skills gap, our quest for energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate America’s manufacturing capabilities. He pulled me aside after my remarks and spoke quickly and quietly.

“You don’t know me,” he said, “but I love everything you’re doing, and I agree with everything you’ve said. I think the lack of skilled workers is probably the most pressing issue of our times. I’d like to talk to you about expanding your scholarship program.”

I thanked him for his interest and directed him to the website, where people can support our efforts in a number of ways, most of which involve clicking on the red donate button.  

“Thanks,” he said. “My name is Thomas Tull. I’ll be in touch.”

The name was familiar, but I didn’t know why. I filed it away in my short-term memory bank and went on to my next meeting, fairly sure we’d never talk again. I meet a lot of people who agree with me, often with great enthusiasm, but never follow through. On the flight home, however, I recalled our brief meeting and went looking to see who Thomas Tull was. According to Grok, he used to own laundromats and auto repair shops before forming a band called The Ghost Hounds which opens for The Rolling Stones.

Interesting. An entrepreneur and musician who jams with Keith Richards and just happens to care deeply about skilled labor, energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate our manufacturing base.

I kept reading, however, and learned that Tull also owns a piece of the New York Yankees. And the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s also a philanthropist who sits on the board of The Smithsonian and The Baseball Hall of Fame.

Interesting. An entrepreneur, musician, sports fan, and philanthropist who happens to care deeply about skilled labor, energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate our manufacturing base.

I kept reading and finally realized why I knew his name. Tull started a movie studio a few years ago called Legendary Entertainment. With zero experience in the entertainment industry, he produced a movie called 300 – which told the story of Sparta’s storied defense of Thermopylae while making Gerard Butler’s abs eternally famous. He then formed a relationship with Christopher Nolan and produced an extraordinary film called Inception. And then, The Dark Knight trilogy. And then, the entire Hangover franchise. And so forth. Unlike traditional studio heads, Thomas treated movie production like a diversified portfolio. He was among the first to use advanced data analytics and AI to determine how to market films and figure out which projects were worth the risk. Forty films later, Thomas sold Legendary for $3.5 billion dollars and started a company called Tulco, which is currently in the process of changing the world through massive investments in AI and defense. He’s also involved in the business of de-extinction and currently trying to bring back the woolly mammoth and dodo bird.

Interesting. An entrepreneur, musician, sports fan, philanthropist, Hollywood producer, investor, naturalist, and multi-billionaire tech genius who happens to care deeply about skilled labor, energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate our manufacturing base. It was at this point I began to wish I had taken Tull’s phone number.  

Happily, there was no need. Tull reached out to my office a few days later and asked if we could continue our conversation on my podcast. That struck me as a fantastic idea. “I’ll come to you,” he said. “At your convenience.” “How about now?” I asked.

And so, Thomas Tull flew across the country to record the conversation you’re about to hear. We discussed a lot, including his relationship with my favorite backup singer of all time and the curious way he’s always found himself adjacent to greatness over the course of his extraordinary career. I loved every minute of our conversation, and I bet you will, too.

And now, I have his phone number…