The name might make you do a double-take. League of Fat Bastards sounds like the punchline to a joke, or perhaps the moniker of a rowdy group of friends gathering at their local cigar lounge. But for Australian entrepreneur Adam Levine, the boldly unconventional name represents something far more profound: a lifeline for men struggling with mental health challenges.
Levine’s journey to founding LOFB began in the darkest place imaginable. At age 50, despite outward success as a self-made millionaire with decades of experience in law, investment banking and financial services, he found himself in the grip of severe depression. The mask of masculinity he’d worn his entire life—the stoic expectation that men should “suck it up” and push through—had finally cracked.
After a suicide attempt and intensive therapy, Levine emerged with clarity about his purpose. “I could sit there and feel sorry for myself and say, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ Levine recalls. “But I changed my attitude and said, ‘Why did this happen for me?’ That single change in mental attitude takes you from a victimization mindset to an empowered survivorship mindset.” He would dedicate himself to helping other men avoid the isolation and silence that had nearly cost him his life. The vehicle for this mission? Premium cigars.
The League of Fat Bastards name is carefully constructed, each word carrying significance. “League” represents community—the tribe of men coming together. “Fat” refers to the old idiom “chewing the fat,” meaning to have meaningful conversations. And “Bastards?”
“A bastard is someone who’s direct and honest and cuts through the bullshit,” Levine explains. “It’s nothing to do with physical appearance. I couldn’t give a damn if you’re purple, blue, black, white, gay, or you identify as a tree. Mental health cuts across languages, religions, barriers—everything.”
Premium Products with Purpose
LOFB launched approximately two years ago with the Serie L, created in collaboration with Juan Martinez of Joya de Nicaragua. The development process was unconventional, conducted entirely via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Martinez in Nicaragua and Levine in Australia, thousands of miles apart.
Levine’s approach to blending was meticulous. He requested individual tobacco leaves—the “fumas”—to taste flavor profiles before even considering combinations. He traveled to Nicaraguan farms, getting on his hands and knees to smell and even taste the soil in different regions, building a mental library of terroir characteristics.
“It’s like wine,” Levine explains. “The terroir is so important. I actually went to the farms and tasted the soil in all the different locations. I tasted the green leaves before they were picked. My brain works in a weird way; I was able to mix what those things should taste like in my mind.”
The result was the Serie L, which Levine describes as “the Goldilocks blend—not too heavy, not too light, not too spicy, not too creamy, just right.” Featuring an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler from Jalapa and Estelí, the medium-bodied cigar is designed as what Levine calls “the everyman’s cigar”—approachable for newcomers while satisfying aficionados.
The Serie O followed, offering a bolder experience [See review on Serie O]. With a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Piloto Cubano binder, and Nicaraguan fillers with an increased ligero ratio, it’s Levine’s “Cabernet” to the Serie L’s “Pinot”—more robust with deeper chocolate and cherry notes, enhanced mouthfeel and complex spice.
The third offering, the Skinny Bastarda, was developed entirely by Raquel and Patricia Quesada of Quesada Cigars. Levine intentionally stayed hands-off, wanting women to create a cigar for women, but enjoyed by all—a tribute to the partners who support men through their struggles.
“Having gone through the mental health episode that I went through, I realized how important it is to have a wonderful partner in life,” Levine says of his wife of 32 years. “I wanted to pay homage to women to thank them.”
The blend remains what Levine calls “secret women’s business”—Quesada has never shared the specifications with him, and he likes it that way. “It’s part of the urban legend,” he says.
Cigars as Game Changers
What sets LOFB apart in the premium cigar market is its commitment to donate 40 percent of net profits to men’s mental health initiatives. In the United States, LOFB partners with Boulder Crest Foundation, which provides transformative programs for veterans, first responders and their families. The partnership, which launched in September 2024, supports Boulder Crest’s pioneering Posttraumatic Growth programs.
“Our mission has always been more than just delivering exceptional cigars,” Levine says. “It’s about making a meaningful impact in the lives of those who need it most.”
LOFB’s events have become powerful catalysts for conversation. At a Hong Kong event, participants wrote their true feelings inside masks, then displayed what they show the world on the outside—a visual representation of the gap between internal reality and external appearance.
“What you feed on is this concept of permissioning,” Levine explains. “If I am honest and open and vulnerable and share with you, that gives everybody else the sense of permission to be open and honest and vulnerable and share with me. He who goes deepest sets the tone.”
At a Cigars International event in Texas, Levine witnessed the mission’s impact firsthand. A large man approached him in tears after the presentation. The 33-year veteran of the Houston homicide squad confessed he regularly woke with his own revolver in his mouth, haunted by images from his career. He was retiring the following week with no support system.
“He said the fact that there are organizations like Boulder Crest out there to help people like him gives him hope,” Levine recalls. “I introduced him to our Boulder Crest representative right there. The next day, he was enrolled in the program. I genuinely felt that I’d saved a soul.”
Levine is unapologetically focused on men’s mental health because, as he puts it, “we’re really bad at doing this.” The tagline “Smashing the Mask of Masculinity”—also the title of a book he’s writing—captures the mission’s essence.
“When you and I were growing up, man, you know what it’s like,” Levine says. “Boys don’t cry. Pick yourself up. Stoicism. Keep going. That’s what happened to me. I’m about smashing that mask of masculinity. I’m about opening up the conversation lines. I’m about creating this safe space around having a cigar, sitting down, sharing and talking.”
A Lifestyle Movement
While cigars remain central to the mission, LOFB is expanding into a comprehensive lifestyle brand. The company recently launched LOFB Zero, a line of non-alcoholic beers that allow men to gather and have meaningful conversations while maintaining clarity.
Future verticals include sporting goods and apparel under the “Core” division, and men’s grooming products and supplements under the “Raw” division. The strategy recognizes that mental health support requires multiple touchpoints.
Levine’s five-year goal is ambitious: Reach $300 million in sales to generate $50 million annually for mental health organizations. The company is building a grassroots program to establish local chapters that can run events in communities worldwide.
“We’re creating what’s known as a global ambassadors program,” Levine says. “These are people who are passionate about what we do. We can train the trainer to run local chapters within a state, creating more impactful, more local, more community-focused events.”
The Human Measure of Success
When asked how he measures success, Levine’s answer is immediate and unequivocal: “How many lives I impact.”
This isn’t naive idealism. Levine is clear that LOFB must be profitable to fulfill its mission. The more money the company makes, the more it can give back. The business model allocates 40 percent of net profits to mental health organizations, 30 percent stays for working capital and growth, and 30 percent returns to investors.
Operating in 15 countries with distribution continuing to expand, LOFB has built a following of 32,000 engaged supporters. The company maintains strict standards, choosing retail partners carefully.
“I only want to be in places that understand and want to be part of the mission,” Levine says. “I’m not interested in being in every store. I don’t need to be.”
As LOFB continues to grow, Levine remains focused on the fundamentals: premium products, meaningful conversations and tangible support for men in crisis. His biggest challenge? “Getting the right people around me as we scale,” he says. “Finding people who understand that we exist to make a positive impact on men’s mental health, but we can only exist if we make a profit. Your cadence of execution has to be at such a high level because this is such a crisis we’re facing.”
Ferdinand Piet, the company’s international sales manager who came aboard after meeting Levine through the cigar industry, understands the mission’s urgency. “Mental health is a huge issue,” Piet says. “We’re raising awareness and raising money. When you talk about a subject like this, other people feel liberated to talk about their issues as well.”
For retailers and consumers alike, LOFB offers something increasingly rare in today’s market: products with genuine purpose. Every cigar sold, every beer opened, every event attended contributes directly to saving lives.
“At a human level, if you can change that mindset from ‘Why did this happen to me?’ to ‘Why did this happen for me?’—that’s the most powerful message anyone can take away,” Levine reflects. “And oh yeah, buy the cigar. The cigar’s fantastic. But that mindset shift? That’s what changes everything.”
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For more information about the company’s mission and products, visit lofbcigars.com.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 1, 2026. To receive a copy of this magazine, you must be a current PCA member. Join or renew today at premiumcigars.org/membership.