A Los Angeles-based Uber driver has made $90,000 in the last six months alone, almost entirely off referral bonuses he receives when he signs up other drivers.
Joseph Ziyaee, has turned the ridesharing service’s rewards system into his own personal business model. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Uber rewards new driver bonuses to people who sign up for its service and complete a certain number of rides. A single bonus can reportedly be worth hundreds of dollars.
The new “King of Uber” was reportedly inspired by a Business Insider article about another driver, Blake Jareds, who did the same thing.
Ziyaee reportedly spends a great deal of time researching what areas have the most valuable referral bonuses. Cities that need more Uber drivers often offer higher rewards for each new person who signs up.
He told the Chronicle that a hairline fracture on his foot turned out to be a “blessing in disguise,” because it made it difficult for him to drive, and turned him on to the business of recruiting referrals for Uber.
Ziyaee has reportedly even gone so far as turning his Westwood apartment into an “Uberville” by decorating it with Uber and driving paraphernalia.
Breitbart News reported last year about Uber’s attempts to lure drivers from their main ompetitor, Lyft, by offering a $500 reward for them to try Uber.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.
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