Brian Zembic

Brian Zembic, nicknamed the Wiz, born 1961 (age 55–56), is a magician and high-stakes gambler specializing in blackjack and backgammon. In the late 90s he became famed as a man who would do anything to win a bet. His most famous wager was in 1996 when he agreed to receive breast implants and keep them for one year in return for US$100,000 (US$150,000 in 2017). The year passed and he won the bet but he became accustomed to the breasts and did not have them removed.

Biography

Early life

Zembic was born 1961 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The Breast bet

In the summer of 1996 Zembic was gambling in a high-stakes game when the conversation turned to women's breast implants. One of his friends, another gambler named Jobo, had the opinion that having implants in order to attract men was a crazy thing to do. Zembic disagreed and said that it was not a serious event and that the consequences were small. An argument ensued and the two agreed that they would enter into a wager where Zembic would receive breast implants and if he kept them in for a year he would win US$100,000 (US$150,000 in 2017).

The two established a contract to work out the details. Brian would pay for the operation to have 38C implants placed under his pec muscles. Jobo placed the money with a third party to guarantee payment if Zembic won the bet. For a few months in 1996 he didn't follow through with the wager but in the fall of 1996 Zembic lost a large amount of money playing the stock market and sought out a surgeon to go through with the procedure in order to win the $100,000 prize to cover his losses.

Through his gambling contacts he found a cosmetic surgeon who was also a gambler and after a few games of backgammon Zembic was able to get the $4,500 surgery in exchange for forgiving the doctor's debt. In October 1996 Zembic underwent the breast augmentation surgery in New York City. Jobo upon hearing that Zembic had undergone surgery offered to buy out the bet by paying $50,000 to cancel the wager but Zembic refused and said he would see the wager through for the full year and full $100,000. In October 1997 he fulfilled the arrangements of the bet and Jobo deposited the full $100,000 into a Swiss bank account.

After the one-year mark passed he became a celebrity of sorts because of the wager and that he hadn't had the implants removed. In 1999 his tale was the title feature in a book of short stories called The man with the $100,000 breasts and other gambling stories. Zembic and his breasts have even been photographed by famed fashion photographer Helmut Newton. As of 2013 he still has the implants.

Other wagers

Although Zembic is a notorious gambler, he claims the ‘breast bet’ remains the most stupid he has ever accepted. He has taken part in other wagers, including one for $14,000 when he lived in a bathroom for a week before the people he took the bet with bought him out for $7,000. He once played famous poker player Doyle Brunson in a ping pong game where the winner, Zembic, took $14,000. On another bet he slept the night in New York's Central Park with $20,000 on his person. He also lived in a box for a week to win another $25,000.

Other work

On March 25, 2005 Zembic played in the Season 2 of World Series of Blackjack where he lost to Jason Geraci, Michelle Richards, "MIT Mike" Aponte, and Eric Kiel (winner of a million dollar tournament) in round 9. Zembic is also a professional magician.

Public appearances

The Man Show

He was seen by millions as the guy with the band-aids on his nipples on The Man Show. For this feat, the hosts paid Brian $100. On that show, he also recounted his experience living in a bathroom for a month in exchange for $15,000.

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Zembic appeared on the popular Ripley's TV show in 2001.

Botched_(TV_series)

Zembic appeared on Season 3, Episode 2, "Man Boobs," aired 2016-05-17, describing his personal history involving his breast implants and consulting with Drs. Dubrow and Nassif on the health concerns involving retaining or removing them.

In popular media

Book

• Konik, Michael. The man with the $100,000 breasts and other gambling stories (1999 ed.). Broadway Books. ISBN 978-0-7679-0445-2. - Total pages: 234

Untitled movie

In a 2005 interview Brian Zembic stated that starting in 1999 there was a movie in the works about his story. Fox Searchlight Pictures bought the rights to his story. The script has been completed and various stars have been attached like Drew Carey and David Duchovny. Zembic says part of the reason he hasn't had the implants removed is that “... every year when they renewed the rights, they kept saying, ‘Keep the tits so you can appear at the end of the movie. It’ll be really cool.’” But David Higgins the producer attached to the film says, “I’m not insisting that he keep his implants in; it’s completely up to him,” he says. “It would be great for marketing, of course, but we can always find another way.”

Family

In 2000 Zembic fathered a daughter, Mika with his then-wife. When asked about her father's strange mammaries Mika said, "I know why you have boobs: Uncle Mike paid you money to put them in." In a 2006 interview he said that Mika was one of the few reasons he would have the implants taken out: if they caused her to be bullied in school, he would have them removed.