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Serial

METRO - Karat and Schtick

October 30, 2026 • 40m

Summary

⏱️ 10 min read

Overview

This episode explores TraxNYC, a Diamond District jewelry store that went viral after owner Max Aghajani got into a physical fight defending a customer. Reporter Sarah Koenig spends two days at the store examining questions of authenticity—in business dealings, online personas, and New York City itself—culminating in a dramatic watch fraud incident that tests the company's values and reveals the complex reality behind their viral moment of integrity.

The Viral Fight and Diamond District Culture

A video of Max Aghajani fighting another jeweler over alleged customer fraud went viral with tens of millions of views, raising questions about whether it was real or staged. Reporter Corey Kilgannon introduces the Diamond District on 47th Street, a chaotic, old-school jewelry hub that feels frozen in time. The area operates unlike anywhere else in New York—thousands of vendors packed into one block, with deals negotiated on sidewalks and an immediate encounter with a salesman literally named James Bond setting the tone for a world where reality and performance blur.

  • A fight video in NYC's Diamond District between jewelers Max Aghajani and another dealer went viral with tens of millions of views
  • The Diamond District is a singular, old-school place on 47th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, operating like New York from 20-30 years ago
  • First person they meet is a salesman who shows his driver's license proving his name is actually James Bond
  • A $2.2 million 40-carat yellow diamond ring is casually displayed in a window
" I don't know if you can take anything at face value here. I think this is a place really literally where money talks. I think it's all about the deal and everything else. You can take it with a grain of salt, right? It's part of the shtick, you know? "

TraxNYC's Post-Viral Surge and the Training Program

The viral fight video doubled TraxNYC's monthly sales, creating a hiring spree as the company tries to capitalize on momentum. Two trainees, Ray and Shivanya, are in day three of a brutal trial period where they must sell $25,000 in five days just to advance. The pressure is immense as they navigate real customers mixed with fake ones—people pretending to be Serbian rappers or NBA players—while trying to land sales that could change their lives in one of America's most expensive cities.

  • Sales more than doubled for the month thanks to the viral video, pushing the company to hire aggressively
  • Trainees must sell $25,000 worth of merchandise in five days, then repeat twice more before earning commission
  • Shivanya makes her second sale at $1,500, bringing her total to about $2,365 out of the $25,000 goal
  • Trainees deal with numerous fake customers including someone pretending to be NBA player Tyrese Halliburton
" Eat what you kill "

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