"Lee says in that same post that he "got a random cold call from some woman asking about numbers and told her some bs, did not expect an article about it." But that call occurred because Cluely's public relations representative emailed TechCrunch and offered to make Lee available for a story."
"On Friday, Jun 27, 2025 at 8:38 a.m., Cluely's PR person sent an email to TechCrunch reporter Marina Temkin that said, "I'd love to arrange an interview with Roy. Whether for a deeper dive into Cluely's next phase or a fresh angle on his vision, we'd be happy to make it happen.""
"The PR representative shared Lee's number and confirmed that he was expecting the call. After a few attempts to reach him, Lee answered the call and gave the interview, as had been arranged."
Cluely co-founder and CEO Roy Lee confessed on X that the $7 million annual recurring revenue figure he shared with TechCrunch was fabricated. However, his retraction contained inaccuracies about the interview's origin. Lee claimed he received a random cold call and provided false information unexpectedly. In reality, Cluely's PR representative proactively emailed TechCrunch reporter Marina Temkin offering an interview with Lee. The PR person confirmed Lee was expecting the call before connecting him with the reporter. Lee subsequently provided the inflated ARR numbers during the arranged interview. Cluely gained viral attention in summer 2025 as a startup enabling users to cheat on video calls undetected.
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