Who Is Anthony Geisler? Xponential Fitness Founder Suspended Amid Fraud Allegations

Xponential Fitness, the largest company in the US catering to boutique fitness studios, suspended its CEO, Anthony Geisler, ‘indefinitely’ on Friday. This decision comes as the company finds itself embroiled in an expanding federal investigation conducted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

The investigation, triggered by inquiries from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), centers on allegations of Xponential Fitness providing false or misleading information to both investors and franchise owners.

Anthony Geisler kicked off his career during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. Fresh out of the University of Southern California with a Bachelors of Arts degree, he started a web development business, which he sold for $20,000 within just one year.

Geisler stepped into the fitness industry by acquiring LA Boxing in 2001, transformed it into one of the country’s most popular mixed martial arts fitness franchises. In 2012, he successfully sold the business to UFC Gym.

In 2015, Geisler purchased Club Pilates, which at the time had about 30 locations. He expanded the company’s footprints in several other US locations, before selling his stake to a private equity firm in May 2017.

In the same year, he created Xponential Fitness and brought nine other small-scale fitness brands into the umbrella of exponential, significantly increasing the company’s footprint in the US. Today, Xponential boasts a portfolio boasting over 3,000 boutique fitness studios operating under various brand names.

In 2009, Geisler, then the president of LA Boxing, challenge Chris Brown to a fight. He created a Facebook group called ‘I Want to Fight Chris Brown,’ to challenge the R&B singer to a fight in the ring. This was in response to reports regarding Chris Brown’s attack on Rihanna.