Former CIA officer John Kiriakou's unexpected second act: From whistleblower to viral sensation
John Kiriakou spent 15 years working in the shadows as a CIA officer. Today, at 62, he's walking the runway at New York Fashion Week, racking up millions of views across social media and becoming an unlikely Gen Z internet sensation.
His videos regularly attract millions of views, and his audience of hundreds of thousands of followers has transformed the former intelligence officer into an unexpected voice for a generation that was too young to remember the events that once defined his life.
"I never thought that I would be this figurehead for thousands and thousands of young men between 15 and 35," Kiriakou told Fox News Digital.
That newfound popularity has opened doors he never imagined, including one into the fashion world. Kiriakou is the first to admit he has never considered himself fashionable. During the interview, he joked that the black T-shirt he was wearing cost about $12 and said he only occasionally flipped through GQ to see what men were wearing. Yet in September, he found himself walking the runway for designer Elena Velez at New York Fashion Week — an unexpected appearance for a man better known for the CIA, national security and exposing the agency's interrogation program.
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"I'm 62 years old. When in life am I ever going to get the chance to be on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week?" he said.
Velez, whose runway shows are known for avant-garde fashion and unconventional casting, reached out after hearing Kiriakou's appearances on several podcasts. But the runway is only one chapter in what has become an unlikely second act.
His online popularity accelerated after appearing on Steven Bartlett's "The Diary of a CEO" podcast. Clips from the interview spread rapidly across social media, introducing millions of younger viewers to stories from his years inside the CIA.
For many members of Gen Z, Kiriakou represents a world they never experienced firsthand. He joined the CIA in 1990, serving as both an analyst and counterterrorism officer before leaving the agency in 2004. His online reach now extends well beyond short-form videos. Kiriakou also connects directly with supporters through Cameo, where users can purchase personalized video messages.
Long before he became an internet personality, Kiriakou was at the center of one of the most contentious national security controversies of the post-9/11 era. In 2007, he publicly discussed the CIA's use of waterboarding during the war on terror. He later pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally disclosing information identifying a covert CIA officer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
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Many of the young people who now follow him, however, know him first through viral videos rather than the headlines that once defined his career. Most were born after the September 11 attacks and did not experience those events as they unfolded. Kiriakou believes that generational distance is part of what draws Gen Z to his story.
"There is a special place in my heart for Gen Z," he said. "It's because of Gen Z that I’ve been able to turn my life around and to do things that I had, for the last 62 years, never thought I could do."
Kiriakou believes his growing popularity reflects something larger than internet algorithms. He said many young Americans are increasingly skeptical of traditional politics and are searching for voices they view as more authentic.
"Gen Z has the largest number of political independents of any generation," Kiriakou said. "They don't like the Democrats. They don’t like the Republicans because they feel like they’re being lied to."
Kiriakou, who described himself as an "equal opportunity hater," said he believes frustration with both parties has made younger audiences more willing to listen to voices outside the political establishment.
"I think that's why I’m popular with Gen Z — because I’m seen as somebody who’s telling them the truth," he said.
He argues that his appeal isn't rooted in perfection, but in transparency. Rather than trying to present himself as flawless, Kiriakou said he speaks openly about government, politics and his own personal mistakes.
"I have literally nothing to lose," he said. "I have nothing to gain by lying."
That willingness to speak candidly, he said, has allowed him to build an audience that stretches across the political spectrum. Despite his criticism of modern politics, Kiriakou remains optimistic about the next generation.
"I think that these are real leaders in waiting," he said. "I think they're the ones who are going to save the country."
His confidence in Gen Z is shaped in part by his own improbable second act. The life Kiriakou leads today bears little resemblance to the one he expected after leaving the CIA. In addition to hosting a podcast, he has advised a royal family in the Persian Gulf and is set to appear in an upcoming movie.
"I never thought that I would walk in New York Fashion Week, that I'd be an advisor to a royal family in the Persian Gulf, that I’d have my own podcast," he said. "I never thought that I’d act in a Hollywood movie."
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Those experiences have reinforced a lesson he now tries to pass along to younger people: don't be afraid to pursue opportunities that fall outside the life you originally envisioned.
"One of the things that I've learned, especially this year since February, is to embrace everything life has to offer," Kiriakou said.
For young people uncertain about what comes next, he said the answer is often simpler than they think.
"You just have to grab it," he said. "Grab it and do it. And have fun and enjoy yourself."
Kiriakou's online following has also given him a new audience for issues he believes will shape the future, including artificial intelligence and national security. During his interview with Fox News Digital, he warned that AI is advancing faster than governments are prepared to manage. "This is the new frontier, AI," Kiriakou said. "It’s developing so quickly."
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From his perspective, the technology presents two major risks. One is the possibility that artificial intelligence eventually becomes difficult for humans to control. The other is the growing ability of foreign adversaries to weaponize AI against the United States.
"There are two things to worry about here," he said. "One is that AI goes out of control, but two, it’s that our enemies use AI against us."
Kiriakou said the United States has not kept pace with those emerging threats.
"We’re not prepared. No, we’re not," he said.
He pointed to one example that concerns him most: the impact AI could have on undercover intelligence operations. As facial recognition and biometric technology continue to improve, he questioned whether intelligence officers operating under aliases will be able to remain anonymous.
"How in the world do undercover CIA officers or undercover intelligence officers from any country cross borders now or go through airports in an alias, in disguise?"
Kiriakou argued that the United States should continue investing in both defensive and offensive AI capabilities while also building stronger safeguards around the technology before its development outpaces existing security measures. Questions surrounding national security have also remained central to Kiriakou's own legal battle. He is seeking a presidential pardon related to his conviction for disclosing classified information.
His message to President Donald Trump:
"Barack Obama, Eric Holder and John Brennan ruined my life, and Donald Trump is the only person who can give it back to me," Kiriakou said.
Kiriakou said what happened to him is part of a broader debate over government secrecy, whistleblowers and public accountability, issues he said also influence his views on artificial intelligence and modern surveillance.
As one example, Kiriakou pointed to Flock Safety's automated license plate readers, which use artificial intelligence to capture license plates and vehicle information. He said the technology reflects broader questions about privacy and surveillance that Americans across the political spectrum are increasingly debating.
Whether discussing espionage, artificial intelligence or his own unlikely rise as an online personality, Kiriakou said the past few years have reinforced one lesson above all else: life rarely unfolds the way you expect.