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The James Altucher Show · April 16, 2026 · 56 minutes

How to Start a Private Jet Charter Business With No Money | Kolin Jones of Amalfi Jets

James Altucher, Kolin Jones
Show Notes

At 19, during COVID, Kolin Jones started Amalfi Jets from his college dorm with no investors, no planes, and no connections, armed only with a website and an obsessive cold-email strategy. Now on track for $120 million in annual revenue, Amalfi Jets still doesn't own a single aircraft. James Altucher and Kolin break down the private jet charter brokerage model, the viral TikTok that changed everything, and the unconventional tactics—like losing money on a first sale—that fueled his rise.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

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Cold Email Volume Strategy: Out-Hustling Through Numbers
Jones calculated that by sending 2,500 cold emails a day to his competitor's 400, he compressed six competitor days into each of his own, pulling months ahead in his first month.
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Brokerage Model: $120M Revenue Without Owning a Single Plane
Amalfi Jets functions as a broker, connecting clients with available private aircraft, generating $120 million in revenue while owning no jets.
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Loss Leader First Sale: Buying Long-Term Loyalty
For his first charter, Jones sold a $24,500 flight for $20,000, deliberately taking a $4,500 loss to secure a long-term client.
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Viral TikTok Video: The Moment That Changed Everything
A TikTok video about a client who chartered separate jets for his wife and mistress gained a million views, sending 150,000 visitors to Amalfi's website and generating 15,000 flight requests in one day.
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Galapagos Islands Crisis: When Everything Goes Wrong
A client's jet broke down in the Galapagos Islands; the assistant asked about bribing customs officials, forcing Jones to navigate an ethical and logistical crisis.
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Misc

✧Kolin calculated that his competitor sent 400 cold emails a day; he decided to send 2,500, compressing six of his competitor's days into one of his own.
✧A TikTok video about a client who chartered two jets—one for his wife, one for his mistress—received a million views, driving 150,000 website visits and 15,000 flight requests in a single day.
✧On his first charter sale, he knowingly took a $4,500 loss, selling a $24,500 flight for $20,000 to lock in long-term customer loyalty.
✧The episode recounts a tense situation where a client's jet broke down on the Galapagos Islands, and the client's assistant asked about bribing customs officials.
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