This is the amazing story of Khalil Rafati. He's the multimillionaire owner of the LA health juice empire, SunLife Organics. But would you believe that just 13 years ago, he was a homeless convicted felon, addicted to heroin, covered in ulcers, and weighing 106 pounds (left). He nearly died twice, once from an overdose of heroine. Eventually he became sober and started a health drink business that has now expanded to 6 juice bar locations in LA. Read his amazing story after the cut...
Thirteen years ago, Khalil Rafati was homeless, addicted to heroin and living in Los Angeles' notorious Skid Row. He was emaciated, covered in ulcers, and 106 pounds.
Today he's a millionaire.
Rafati is the owner of SunLife Organics, a juice bar chain that has spread from its birthplace in sunny Malibu to six different locations in Los Angeles.
The juice bar, whose regulars include David Duchovny and Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, has become famous for the long lines of people waiting to purchase drinks with names like 'The Elixir of Life' and 'The Happy'.
In just five short years Rafati, now 46, has created a juice empire built on the very drinks that he credits with saving his own life.
By 2003 Rafati had served a stint in Los Angeles County Jail and reached 'the bottom of all bottoms', he said.
'There was no more digging left to do, all of my shovels were broken,' he said. 'I was done.'
Rafati became dedicated to his health and sobriety, but the real moment his life changed was when a friend introduced him to 'juicing and superfoods'.
'The results were remarkable and instantaneous,' he told Sober Recovery.
Rafati began making his own juices for patients and staff at the Riviera Recovery Center, a sober living house he opened in Malibu in 2007.
It was there he created a smoothie he dubbed the Wolverine, a date and banana concoction that would eventually become Sun Life's signature drink.
'It was meant to rejuvenate and strengthen the patients,' he told the Times. 'And give them some much-needed strength.
'Lethargy in sobriety is pretty brutal, especially if you're coming off a long run with hard-core drugs.'
But it wasn't just the patients at Riviera that loved Rafati's smoothies. News of his incredible juices started spreading through Malibu.
Ingredients in his drinks include the likes of Alkaline Water, Himalayan Pink Salt and Dandelion Greens, chosen specifically for their contribution to the body's health.
And when it comes to hiring his staff, Rafati also selects people who need the kind of help he was desperately searching for 13 years ago.
'Right from the start he was trying to better my life,' said Cache Coelho, who was addicted to OxyCotin before he moved to Los Angeles.
'He pushes us very hard,' he added. 'In a father-like sense'.
Coelho said that Rafati signed him up to run his first Tough Mudder, and bought him 20 James Perse shirts.
'He gets very personal with us,' Colho added.
'Especially the ones he believes in.'
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