Editor’s note: MISTR, Schukraft’s telehealth platform, supports some of Uncloseted Media’s healthcare coverage. MISTR did not have any editorial input into this story.
Tristan Schukraft started his first business when he was 21, selling Razor scooters out of his pickup truck to help finance his idea for an e-ticketing platform for the airline industry. Now, he boasts a portfolio of 68 businesses, which he says have led him to become a “billionaire.”
Schukraft has become widely known as the “CEO of Everything Gay.” He is the CEO of MISTR, a major LGBTQ telehealth platform expanding access to PrEP and STI testing, and he owns Tryst Hospitality, a family of luxury gay hotels with destinations in iconic LGBTQ destinations like San Juan and Puerto Vallarta. And last year, after Schukraft spent $17 million to buy much of the Fire Island Pines’ commercial district, The Wall Street Journal magazine ran a story titled “The Man Who Bought Fire Island.”
In this episode of “UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton,” we sit down with Schukraft to talk about the importance of preserving queer institutions and ending the HIV epidemic. We also discuss the controversies and difficulties in managing so many LGBTQ-focused businesses as well as six—yes, six—boyfriends.
“UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton” is a new podcast by Uncloseted Media, an investigative LGBTQ-focused nonprofit news publication. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. YouTube // Spotify // Apple
Watch the full interview above or read the transcript here:
Spencer Macnaughton: Hi, everyone. Welcome back to UNCLOSETED with me, Spencer Macnaughton. Today, I’m here with Tristan Schukraft, the so-called CEO of everything gay. Tristan is the founder of MISTR, a major LGBTQ telehealth platform providing online access to PrEP, STI testing and HIV care. And he also owns a number of iconic queer spaces like the Abbey in West Hollywood, Tryst Hotels and most recently, property in the Fire Island Pines. Tristan, thanks so much for sitting down and speaking with me and Uncloseted Media today.
Tristan Schukraft: Yeah, my pleasure. I think you got it all.
SM: I think I got it all, I did my best there. And before we start, full disclosure to our audience members, we are partners on healthcare storytelling here, MISTR and Uncloseted Media. But yeah, let’s get right into it. So I think a lot of people in the LGBTQ community kind of know you as this force, and they’re like, “He kind of seems to have his hands on everything,” right? How would you describe what you do?
TS: Well, I mean, my biggest project is MISTR. I started MISTR eight years ago with the objective of ending HIV. I was trying to help friends get on PrEP. There was all these challenges and it was like 10 friends became 100 friends and I was like, “OK, this is, this is more than a pet project. This is a full-time job.” And I’m happy to say we have 800,000 patients now. And really for the first time in a generation, we can end HIV. That was my motivation with MISTR, and how I got started in telehealth and HIV prevention and care. And hospitality was just kind of one of those, you know. I watched the Birdcage many years ago. You know, I’m right here on the beach. I bought this hotel three, four years ago, it has not gone under renovation yet here in Puerto Rico, but it was kind of like, oh, you know this is gonna be my retirement project: hotel on a gay beach and drink cocktails all day. But shortly after I bought this hotel, the Abbey became for sale. And I thought, “Oh, that can’t go into the hands of a conglomerate or, worse, be bulldozed and built condos.” So I bought the Abbey. Then it was Fire Island and Crown & Anchor and expanding Tryst hotels to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. And so I don’t know how I found myself here, but that’s what I do. Part of my day is focused on HIV prevention and care, and the other half is on nightlife and preserving queer institutions.
SM: I think a lot of people [want to] know, how did you become this force? How did you make your money?
TS: I’ve been an entrepreneur for a very long time. My very first company, I started when I was 21 doing e-ticketing for the airline industry. I did that for like 15 years. I made various investments. To start my first company I was selling Razor scooters out of the back of my pickup truck. So it was not an easy road to get here. And actually when I started MISTR, I put money into it and I put more money into it, and more and more. And I thought, oh my God, what did I do? It’s this bottomless money pit, right? But now it’s sustainable, which is great. And its mission, you know, what I started it to do, is great. I’m an entrepreneur. I like taking risks and I always try to take calculated risks.
SM: So it’s not family money. It’s like you really independently created this for yourself.
TS: No, I wish it was family money. I always say the only thing better than new money is old money. You know, I envy those people that had the silver spoon. That was not my case. When I started my first company, my parents baited me and said, “Well, listen”—I was living in Hong Kong at the time. And they said, “We really like that idea for a company. We’ll give you a $10,000 loan, but you have to come back to the U.S.” And $10,000 wasn’t enough, so I imported 457 Razor scooters. Thought I was gonna sell out of these things in like two weeks, but I went to every swap meet, every school, office building, strip mall, anywhere I could do to get rid of these scooters, and I sold the last six on Christmas Eve, and I learned my first valuable lesson on inventory. I bought every color Razor scooter when really everybody just wanted red, blue and black. So the six yellow ones were the last ones I sold.
SM: And ID90, the e-ticketing company, was that the one that took you to the next level? Because I think I read something that you now have 100 companies in your portfolio. Is that accurate?
TS: I have 68 companies in my portfolio. But yes, ID90 was my big first success. It started off like a travel booking engine, right? Like an Expedia for airline personnel. But then there was this 100% e-ticketing mandate. And I said, wow, they’re trying to solve this problem. And I thought, instead of everyone changing the way they communicate, why don’t you build like a communicator in the middle, a router? And so that’s how I got into that business. That’s how I got into Tryst Hotels. There… I go to the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton. It was a really nice luxury experience, but there’s no music by the pool, right? Maybe there’s no protein bars or electrolytes…
SM: It’s not giving gay.
TS: It’s not giving gay. Even worse, there’s no shower wand in the bathroom. So I’m like, you know what, I could do this better and that’s kind of been my driver with a lot of my businesses and my partner and my boyfriends. I say, “You know, this sucks. We could do this so much better,” and he goes, “Baby do you really need another job?” And I’m like no, no, no.
SM: I used to work at The Wall Street Journal so I really like to nerd out on this, especially kind of as an entrepreneur myself. And I think as queer people, we don’t talk about business acumen, I think, as much as we should. Like, what is your advice for either entrepreneurs or for managers, leaders?
TS: Well, efficiency, right? I mean, I can’t be everywhere. I mean when I bought the Abbey, everybody thought, “Oh, you’re gonna move to L.A.?” No, I’m not moving to L.A. So you gotta have really good talent. Whenever there’s a problem, I don’t wanna throw more people at it. I wanna really figure out what the problem is and see if we can automate it. I think my motto, or my objective, was technology, leverage technology, make money while I sleep, right? That’s the key thing. And when you’re looking at a business and you say, “OK, I can make X amount of dollars if I have a hundred people sign up,” cut that in half and can you still make money, right? And if you can, then that’s a good business. But I think efficiency, hiring great people and really finding a need, right? Every business I’ve gotten into is because I’m like, they’re not doing this right. You could say that there’s tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world but I would argue that there’s no luxury hotel chain in the world. In our hotels you’re going to hear Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa and Madonna in the lobby, right? You can wear your thong at the pool. If you check in with three people in one bed, we’re not going to say anything. So, you might have a luxury experience with the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton or whatnot but you’re not gonna get that type of atmosphere.
SM: What have you learned about managing people and treating people who are, you know, technically they’re reporting to you? Any kind of big takeaways you found through all your years of doing this?
TS: Yes! Number one, everybody on your team has to believe in your vision, right? I remember years ago, my first company, ID90, there was somebody and he’s like, we can’t go to Delta Airlines, we’re not big enough. And I thought, mate, you gotta have that confidence, you gotta believe, and I should have cut them loose and I didn’t, but so number one, people gotta be drinking your Kool-Aid, right? And if they’re not, cut them loose. I have so many people—I mean, 68 companies, 1,500 employees throughout the world, right? I gotta be able to say, delegate. And sometimes employees don’t always agree with your decision, and they have to be able to accept that because at the end of the day, I’m in charge, right?
SM: And I would not be a good journalist if I didn’t answer all the questions the gays have rumblings about. People say you’re a billionaire from all of this. Is that an accurate statement?
TS: That’s a fair and accurate statement.
SM: Wow, and a lot of this, I think, is interesting and inspiring to other people is that people call you the CEO of everything gay because you’ve made a big mission to make a lot of your portfolio focused on LGBTQ businesses. Do you like when people call you the CEO of everything gay?
TS: You know, I do like it. I think some people thought that I named myself that, but it was actually a journalist—I think it was the Washington Blade. And the next day the article came out and I’m like, what did I do during that interview? What a great headline. And then other media outlets took it and ran with it. And so now, it is a great title. Being the CEO of everything gay, there is a lot of responsibility, right? I’m preserving gay institutions like the Abbey and Fire Island. And you want to preserve what’s there but also kind of have to evolve it a little bit because it has to sustain itself for the future generations. It’s a lot of fun, but kind of the downside of owning all of these businesses is I’m working seven days a week. When I’m at the Abbey. I’m having a good time but I’m also looking like, why is that glass half empty? What’s that ladder over there? So the downside of owning everything is that I’m always working. The great part of it is it’s not bad to be at the Abbey or in Fire Island, quote, “working.”
SM: Mm-hmm.
TS: But it is a heavy responsibility. I mean, let’s just say I go bankrupt tomorrow. I mean look at all those institutions that would be at risk. So making sure that they’re profitable, making sure we don’t do anything to kind of change the overall feel of those destinations, right?
SM: Mm-hmm. And a lot of people have said in the Pines and different places, you face criticism, right, for coming in and essentially buying everything and taking it over. What are the biggest critiques you’ve faced? Because as somebody who owns 68 different organizations and coming into these iconic cultural destinations, I’m sure people come for you sometimes.
TS: You know, that’s the one thing about gays, which is terrible. Like you look at other minority groups and they all gather and support each other. Gays just love to tear people down. So I come into a place and I’m, you know, Fire Island has not had any money invested in it in years. Like I thought, OK, we’re going to do this and do that. And maybe I was a little quick with my inspection because it was the middle of winter and I was not prepared for how cold Fire Island is in December. I’m like, I don’t recall that wall being so crooked when I did my inspection. I mean, that place really eventually will be torn down and completely rebuilt, right? But, you know, with that said, we’re trying to preserve the floor of the Blue Whale. But you do have those naysayers that kind of want you to fail. And then I think, why do you want me to fail? Because if I fail, then the thing that you love going and seeing and spending time at every summer is gonna be gone.
SM: Why do you think they want you to fail?
TS: I don’t know, it’s just a negative aspect of gay culture where I think people see somebody succeeding and they want to kind of tear you down. Misery loves company, right? And I think people, in Fire Island, we have staff housing where you have two people sharing 80 square feet of living space, four people sharing a 40-square-foot bathroom. I wanna spend $3 million tearing it down and rebuilding it. That is a terrible investment, right? I mean, I’m never gonna get my money out of that, with the exception of hopefully good, hardworking employees. And it’s shocking to me that people in Fire Island, and it’s a small, small, tiny minority that are against this, right. It doesn’t impact them whatsoever. And my thought is, here’s somebody that is willing to put money, not only into the Pavilion, the Blue Whale and the infrastructure that everybody enjoys, but also staff housing, which a lot of people aren’t gonna see, except for the, you know, 100 employees, plus or minus, that we have working there all season. And my favorite is when they say, “Oh, 80 square feet is enough for two people.” And I think, how big is your home? 1200 square feet? Shut up and sit down, you know? I’m like, what are you talking about?
SM: And just to stay on Fire Island quickly, I was there last weekend. People are annoyed.
TS: Are they annoyed?
SM: They’re a little annoyed. Yes, from the hotel not being done there. They’re like, “It was supposed to be done at the beginning of the summer. Where is it?” So can you provide those listening with an update?
TS: Yeah, you know, it is not by any lack of enthusiasm on our part. It is very frustrating. You know, when I went there, everybody said, “Oh, we’re going to get these permits to you in weeks,” but you have a lot of different organizations there. It is a natural reserve. It’s in a flood plain. You got the state, you got the city or the town. And so, you know that whole New York minute thing. I don’t believe in it anymore. I think it’s a falsehood. It’s just a matter of permits. Some people say, oh, I ran out of money. I did not run out of money. I’ve not changed my mind about doing it. It is really permits. I mean, I have doors and windows and all sorts of other building materials sitting in a warehouse in Long Island for over a year. We got the construction documents, everything, but we don’t have the permit. And I don’t know if you’ve seen our contractors on site, but they’re just shaking their asses in those windows. I mean, that’s another problem. They’re just not working hard enough.
SM: And the question that everyone was asking, when do we expect doors open, people can go in and stay at that hotel?
TS: I’m pretty confident next season. So we’re getting very close. But there’s so many moving parts. If I literally wanted to open up the hotel and put some paint on it, we could have had it open awhile ago, but that’s not my intention. Tryst is a five-star luxury brand and I’m building something that will last generations.
SM: Cool. I want to pivot to your personal story. I read that you, you know, I think in your late teens kind of came out to your parents in a teary scene in a garage where your dad was worried it would be harder for you to get a job. Your mom was worried you would get AIDs and die, I think is what I read. What was your kind of experience coming to terms with your sexual orientation when you were younger growing up?
TS: I came out in ‘97, so 30 years ago. I used to live in Amsterdam. That’s where I was with my first relationship. And I came home and told my parents, you know, I’m gay. And it’s been 30 years. But yes, late ‘90s is when I came out. You know, maybe I would have known. I remember my first job at Taco Bell. I remember giving this guy, Eric, who I was like “in love” with, free soda every time he came in. So I definitely knew before I came out at 18. But it was really 17 turning 18.
SM: After that scene in the garage, were your parents kind of chill after that or was it difficult?
TS: No, I mean, you know, my parents are very, very supportive. My mother died shortly thereafter and we’re going through the attic and she had like rainbow flags. She would put a flag outside for every holiday. But when people say I had a terrible childhood growing up and I didn’t get enough love or my parents kicked me out for being gay? I can’t imagine, because I really had a great childhood.
SM: And yeah, I resonate with that. You got involved very heavily, obviously, in fighting to end HIV and AIDS. Is there personal connections? I feel like you can’t do something like this in the way that you do it without a deep inherent personal connection too.
TS: Well, it was ‘97, I was living in Amsterdam. My boyfriend was actually in a throuple. That was my first relationship. And they were older, right? They were 32, 33. And so they had friends that had HIV, AIDS and one of their friends died. And so, you know, I was young. I mean, it was kind of scary. I remember going to the hospital, and in Holland you do three kisses, right? There’s so much misinformation at that time too. It was like, if you share a toothbrush, if you kiss, all that stuff. I mean I was terrified of getting HIV. And I think if it wasn’t for them, I would have gotten it because they educated me on so many things. That’s really what motivated me. I think for the first time in a generation, seeing those people, their friends and our friends that we hung out with, terrified of dying. I mean, they were selling their life insurance policies, quitting their jobs and traveling the world because they knew they only had a short time to live. But right around that same time, the medication started working and then they started living. But with PrEP, if you’re negative and you’re taking PrEP and if you are positive and you are virally suppressed, I mean you could really eliminate and that’s what motivated me. I think for the first time in a generation, we really have a viable opportunity to end HIV, which we didn’t have before. We lost a whole generation of people. Not just people, but of talents.
SM: And yeah, I agree. I think it’s incredible that we have the tools now to essentially end the epidemic. But let’s talk about HIV under Trump 2.0. We did an investigation last June about the staggering scale of the administration’s HIV cuts, which amounted to over a billion dollars from the National Institutes of Health and more from other agencies at the time. We also found that mathematical models indicate that the worst case scenario of the Trump administration’s HIV-related cuts could result in three million deaths and an infection rate outpacing the virus’s peak in the 1990s. What are your thoughts on what the administration has done as it relates to cuts for HIV and AIDS?
TS: Well, you know, in Trump’s first administration, he was the president that allocated the most HIV funding domestically with the goal of ending it in 2030. So it is disheartening. I don’t know who put that bug in his ear, but they did. And we were on a great path. And now in the second term, every dollar that’s cut has an impact, right? Whether it’s money allocated to education or prevention or treatment and care. You have up to 16,000 people that are gonna lose their insurance coverage. If you lose your insurance coverage, you don’t have the money to pay for your drugs.
SM: I’m surprised you say disheartening. Like I would imagine if I were the head of HIV, of PrEP and one of the leaders in the country, I would have stronger words for Trump right now. I mean, what would you say to him right now if you could speak with him?
TS: Let me help you be the first president to end HIV in America. I can pitch it in multiple ways, right? This makes financial sense for the country. This is a human rights issue. There are so many reasons why ending HIV should be at the top of your priority list. And we can make it happen.
SM: And when you say you don’t know who put the bug in his ear, I interviewed Dr. Demetre Daskalakis the other day, who’s head up in HIV research, and he left the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because he didn’t think that the organization was reflecting science anymore. Another thing he said is that he heard people in the administration saying, we don’t wanna fund HIV, it’s, quote, “too woke.”
TS: Yeah, that’s ridiculous. I mean, there’s nothing woke—HIV is not a gay disease, right? It’s very similar to, that same politician could say, “Oh my God, HIV is woke, being gay is woke” until they’re personally infected, right? And maybe that’s what it takes to wake them up.
SM: And I think one thing I’d be remiss not to talk about is that like the people who are most vulnerable are affected by a lot of these cuts. That would be queer people of color in the Bible belt and low income areas in red and rural states. Do you agree with that? Is that kind of how this is playing out?
TS: Absolutely. I mean, if you’re relying on your state to provide health insurance subsidies, which we do at MISTR as well, actually. We don’t turn anyone away. I mean, that’s one thing we’re the only telemedicine provider where 70% of our patients are insured, 30% are uninsured. But those people that are most affected, those most vulnerable people, I would say, is anyone who’s at risk of HIV is going to be impacted by any budget cuts or changes to policy.
SM: And I read that MISTR makes some of its money through fees paid by nonprofits, through a government program that subsidizes the cost of HIV prevention drugs, but that the company could soon face challenges as Congress considers changes to the program. Has that affected MISTR yet? Is it going to?
TS: We represent 65 community-based health organizations across the country, which essentially outsourced their online PrEP program to us. And it is a great program. It doesn’t cost the taxpayers anything. So it’s really a win-win. But yes, changes to policy and budget cuts are constantly under threat. And that’s why, speaking about Trump, I mean, he could wake up today and change his mind about something and it has a huge domino effect, right? And by lunchtime, he changed his mind again, maybe in the other direction. So, yeah, it’s challenging.
SM: I’m sure, to say the least. I love the Real Housewives and I love that you brought the Real Housewives to Congress, you had I think seven of them storm in to speak about the importance of HIV prevention, HIV funding. Why did you do that?
TS: You can go into Washington in a very combative state or you can woo them with star power, and that’s what we did. And I say, you know, if I can get seven housewives to agree on one thing, I think we have a lot of hope for Congress, right? I want to come back as a housewife in my next life because they’re like rock stars. I mean, it was like the seas parted when they were walking down the halls of Congress. And so if that’s what it takes to get you to come and listen to my spiel, and put HIV prevention and long-term HIV care on your radar and make it a priority for you, that’s what I’m gonna do.
SM: Was it a win? Was it a smart thing to do?
TS: I think it was a huge win. Yeah. It was packed. We couldn’t get enough people in there and it was people from both parties. It was really well received and written about. And that’s the whole point, right? I mean, you want to get exposure.
SM: I love it. A fun pivot for me at least because I’m fascinated. OK, let me get it right. You have six boyfriends.
TS: I do have six boyfriends.
SM: We met in person about two months ago. And for some reason I thought, oh, you probably wouldn’t talk about this publicly. But you do. Describe that for my mom, who’s going to hear this and be like what do you mean you have six boyfriends? Like who doesn’t even know what a throuple is? How do you explain this?
TS: This is how I got in the hotel business, actually. It was cheaper than paying all their rent. But no, yeah, it’s basically, I think people have misconception that I’m dating six different guys. But we’re actually in traditional, well, non-traditional, I guess, relationships, committed relationships. So my fiancé and I have a boyfriend. It’s basically three throuples, OK? So it’s like an SAT question here. But my fiancee and I have a boyfriend and then, my other two boyfriends were a couple before we became a throuple. So I was the third in that equation. And we’ve known each other for many, many years and we’re friends and then one thing led to another, and now we’re a throuple. And then I have my other boyfriend. And then all of a sudden, I met Victor, actually a year ago, so we just celebrated our one-year anniversary on Fire Island. And I said, “Do you have any plants at home?” And he goes, “Yes, why?” And I’m like, “They’re all going to die because I’m never sending you home again.” So all of a sudden, he came into what we call the familia, all right? All my boyfriends are Latino. But we all live together. You know, we have different rules. It’s not everyone sleeping with everyone. We don’t sleep in one big bed. Can you imagine how big that bed would be? But we live together. We travel together, and yeah, essentially it’s three throuples co-existing in one big happy family.
SM: OK, I have a few follow-up questions.
TS: It’s a lot to digest!
SM: Yeah, it’s a lot to digest. Does everyone hook up with everyone?
TS: No, that’s what everybody thinks. No. I mean, it’s basically each throuple.
SM: Each throuple, OK, so you don’t hook up with all five of them.
TS: Oh, I do, yes.
SM: You do.
TS: I’m the key in each, I’m part of each throuple, right?.
SM: OK. So you’re at like the top of the diagram.
TS: Yeah, I am at the top of the diagram. Then there’s two and then there’s two and then two.
SM: And the next question I have, is there not like interpersonal jealousy that can become a hotter mess than any Housewives show?
TS: It would be a good reality show. There’s no jealousy, but you know, like any relationship, you know your partner pisses you off. So yeah, there is a lot of love and sometimes there’s pissed off people, but for the most part, we’re really happy all the time.
SM: Do you worry any of them are coming for your money ever? Is that like a thing?
TS: There’s definitely people out there that, you know, wanna be a boyfriend for that purpose, right? I mean, there’s a line like, what do I have to do to be a boyfriend? I’m like, you know, we’re not accepting any more applications at the moment. You know what I mean? It is one cohesive family unit. I mean, I don’t know. It wasn’t something I was looking for like, “Oh, I want six boyfriends.” It was like one thing led to another, and we’re together all the time. And it wouldn’t work if all the personalities didn’t really gel. And yeah, I don’t worry about that, but years ago I met somebody and I said, “Does it bother you that all these guys are hanging out with you because you have your money?” And then he said, “Does it bother you that I’m hanging out with you because you’re cute?” And I’m like, no, I guess everybody has something.
SM: Win, win, win, win, win. And obviously this is fun to talk about, but we did a story two months ago on the lack of legal protections for polyamorous people, right? And the reporter talked to experts being like, you have to think about this world. It’s made, sidewalks are even made for two people. Everything is created for like two people in relationships. What are the things that make your life as a, what do we call it? Like a six pack? Like, I don’t know what to call it, right. I don’t know!
TS: Like a soccer team checking into a hotel, you know?
SM: Right. But are there barriers? Like, what’s the stigma like? There’s got to be stigma associated with this to a certain extent.
TS: You know I kind of, maybe I get this from my mother is like, you know, if you don’t like it, great. I don’t care. I used to kind of keep it under wraps, but then I think when you’re having a conversation with somebody and you’re kind of suppressing parts of your life because you’re worried about like, “Oh my God, are they gonna accept me for just being gay?” Then you don’t really have an authentic connection. So I think the more you share, the more authentic of a connection you’re gonna have, and then you might inspire other people who are afraid to talk about it or been curious about it, right?
SM: Well, you mentioned to me when we met in person, but tell the audience the story about Hillary Clinton, because that, to me, is one of the most iconic things I heard in Pride Month.
TS: Oh yeah, so we were with the Clintons a couple days earlier and these are my boyfriends. These are not tricks, right? This is like my family. And so, OK, you get a picture with Hillary and Bill and I said, well, you know, I have like six boyfriends, right. But I said I’d love to do a photo but then all my boy friends have to be in the photo, right, and so, and they agreed to that. I was with the mayor of Rio in Brazil and I was like, “Oh, it’s so nice to meet you.” And I said, “This is my boyfriend, and this is my boyfriend, this is my boyfriend,” and then he goes, “Wait a minute, I just want to make sure I’m following this. Do you have four boyfriends?” And I go, “I have six.” He goes, “Oh my God, are they all here?” And I said, yes. He goes, “Let’s get a picture.”
SM: I love it, I love it. Already two amazing scenes for the reality TV show that’s to come. Two more quick questions. One, as I mentioned, I’d be remiss to ask, obviously you own all these bars, all these different locations. There have been a lot of headlines about the Abbey. Obviously Lisa Rinna, a fellow Real Housewife, right? Has made allegations that she was drugged at the Abbey, that it’s a consistent pattern. And she’s actually calling for the bar to be shut down. The Abbey has responded completely denying these allegations saying you checked the security footage, there was nothing to corroborate what Lisa Rinna said. Should people feel safe going to the Abbey right now and, if so, why?
TS: Yeah, they should feel very safe going to the Abbey. There’s TikTok videos of the most dangerous bar in America. You know, we have 14 security guards on duty, undercover, armed, unarmed. We have security cameras throughout this space. Drink spiking is a thing that is a problem nationwide. I mean the California state passed a law saying that bars have to provide test strips for purchase by the bars. We provide them for free. We provide lids, if you feel for whatever reason your drink was spiked, you can get a new one, no questions asked. You know, Lisa, I think it’s really irresponsible of her on multiple levels. She came to us concerned. We checked the video footage. We shared it with her team. They were satisfied with that investigation. And then 30 days later, on a Good Morning New York, she comes out with this accusation. And the Abbey’s not just a bar, it’s a cultural institution. It’s a safe space for the queer community and that’s why I bought it, right? That was my motivation. So when you have a Housewife, or anyone really, that is making these accusations without real substance, right? And what I will say, for the purpose of getting some exposure, is really shameless, right, and then taking it one step further saying we should close this bar. Unlike Lisa who can go to any bar and feel very comfortable in the world, right? Even more so because she’s a celebrity. We, as a gay community, do not have that. This is our safe space. And for you to sit there and advocate that we should close it down is, you’re nothing short of that than a bully.
SM: Fair enough. Fair enough.
TS: I have other words, but I am being polite.
SM: She went last week and did another one that’s going viral, right? Like what do you want her to do right now?
TS: Well, we’ve encouraged dialogue with Lisa and we reached out and said, this individual that she referenced in her TikTok, who is that? Let us know so we can do the investigation. And so we’ve reached out to establish dialogue. That invitation has not been accepted.
SM: Mm-hmm. And last question. When you have, when Tristan, you have quiet time and you’re just able to be in between your ears to yourself, like you’re the CEO of everything gay, you’re flashy, you’re everything, you have 68 businesses, right? Like what do you think about when you think about legacy?
TS: I think I’m lucky, I have two legacies here, right? I’m eliminating, hopefully, helping to eliminate HIV. If not, I’ve eliminated a lot of people from getting HIV. And then on the hospitality side, to create hotels where people can be themselves and experience different parts of the world and cultures, and then preserving queer institutions like Crown & Anchor, Fire Island, the Abbey. I think my legacy, if ending HIV is that, oh my God, a huge legacy, preserving queer spaces, another huge legacy. And both would be great. One of those would be great. Making a dent in either one of those initiatives is also great.
SM: So you have, obviously, MISTR, you’re a huge space in the HIV and AIDS kind of world. What’s next for you guys? What are you looking forward to?
TS: Well, everybody knows us for PrEP, and that is definitely our big focus, PrEP. But we also do long-term HIV care. Well, now we just introduced E.D., where our prices are 49% cheaper than anywhere else in the market. But really, we want to continue to build on what we’ve done by making your sexual health stigma-free. I mean, when we started, when I started, MISTR, it was like Truvada Whore, Cum Dumpster, none of that happens anymore. Everyone is, you know, PrEP is socially acceptable and we want to continue building upon that with our E.D. and long-term HIV care.
SM: Would you ever veer deeper into being a competitor for something like Hims? I was mentioning, you know, I got my hairline restored in Turkey. I know there’s a massive market for things like Propecia and minoxidil. Would you go there or that’s not your space?
TS: Yeah, no, that’s our space. Everything to do with gay men’s health and wellness, we wanna do. And by the way, I got my hair done too. I didn’t do it in Turkey, but is it not amazing?
SM: It’s great. But what I’m hearing with MISTR is you wanna expand it to like focus on all things gay men’s health. So that could be hair, that could E.D., that could peptide steroids, these types of things.
TS: Yeah, absolutely, yeah.
SM: Very cool, very cool. I think that’s all I have. Tristan Schukraft, the CEO of MISTR and I believe 67 other companies. Thanks so much for speaking with me and Uncloseted Media today.
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