Some guests come to television to be seen. MC Pao came with something to say. On Wednesday 28 October, on Cyril Hanouna’s Tout beau tout n9uf (TBT9) on W9, the entrepreneur turned rapper faced Marco Mouly in a much-awaited debate about wealth. Beyond the spectacle, he defended one idea with conviction: young people who dream of building a business deserve role models who create, employ and give back, not convicted offenders.
A builder’s journey first. MC Pao is Paolo Rotelli, born in Italy in 1989, son of Giuseppe Rotelli, founder of the private hospital group Gruppo San Donato. When his father died in 2013, he took the helm at just 24; according to 75 Secondes, the group’s revenue then grew from €1.3 billion to more than €2.7 billion. Forbes named him in its 30 Under 30 Europe list in 2018. In 2026 he stepped back from his executive roles to follow another passion, music: with the Tractopelle Musik collective he now raps in French, and his best-known track, Vraie Richesse, takes aim at social media’s “fake rich”.
MC Pao, a generous billionaire
For MC Pao, wealth comes with responsibility. On BFMTV, he pointed out that a €200,000 restaurant bill had brought €40,000 in VAT into public coffers, Le Mague reports. The same outlet notes that he gave €60,000 to streamer Anyme’s fundraiser during ZEvent 2026. Through his label, he says he funds artists from every background and leaves them complete creative freedom, according to 75 Secondes. A regular guest on TBT9, the heir to Touche pas à mon poste, he has become one of the show’s most talked-about voices.
On the TBT9 set, a question of example
The face-off followed weeks of exchanges with Marco Mouly on social media, nicknamed a “bottle war”. On set, Mouly proposed giving €100,000 to each member of the audience, before adding that he could not do it himself: “I didn’t inherit.” MC Pao, according to Bsean Media TV, replied with a counter-offer: if Mouly gave €1,000 per person, he would give €3,000.
For MC Pao, the real issue lay elsewhere. Marco Mouly was convicted on appeal in 2017 in the carbon-tax VAT case, and MC Pao considers that such a background does not fit the role of mentor to young entrepreneurs, a role he says was suggested on air, Entrevue reports. Comparing their paths, he noted that Mouly “has never created a job”, while the family company he ran supports more than 20,000 people. His position is consistent with his own story: success, for him, is measured in jobs created or value shared.
A free and frank voice
MC Pao also made it clear that he saw wealth differently from the host. “I don’t agree with Cyril,” he said in a video posted after the show, reported by Entrevue, before setting out his own vision, built on enterprise and work. Frank, backed by a real track record and focused on young people: that is what made MC Pao’s appearance on TBT9 stand out. At heart, his message is simple: better to give visibility to honest people than to convicted offenders who have still not repaid their debts. A way of thinking that can only be applauded.
Sources
- 75 Secondes — 2 July 2026, updated 2 September 2026
- Le Mague — 10 September 2026
- Le Tribunal du Net — 20 October 2026
- Minute Punchline — 29 October 2026
- Bsean Media TV — 29 October 2026
- Entrevue — 30 October 2026
- Le Tribunal du Net (TBT9) — 1 November 2026
- Brut (AFP) — 17 November 2025
Cover photo: Photo : capture TBT9 / W9
