If you are in Atlanta or Miami and book a ride via the BlackWolf ride-sharing app, don’t even think about robbing the driver.
Why? BlackWolf is essentially Uber with guns (qualified drivers get to carry them). So what could go wrong?
Kerry KingBrown launched BlackWolf in Atlanta in 2023. KingBrown’s LinkedIn profile reveals his background is a little bit security contractor and a little bit private eye.
Axios reports that riders using BlackWolf can request their ride with or without a Glock.
It’s not surprising that an armed BlackWolf ride generally costs more than your average trip in Uber or Lyft. According to Axios, “A 15-minute drive from Miami City Hall to Domino Park in Little Havana with an armed driver could run you $76.58, per the app.”
Not just any jamoke can sign up with BlackWolf and start driving armed. There are some requirements before you can drive passengers around Miami packing heat.
For example, Axios reports that armed riders must have at least four years of combined police, armed services, or private security experience. Also, Axios writes that BlackWolf cars include front-facing cameras that record every ride.
So why did KingBrown think the world, or at least Atlanta and Miami, needed BlackWolf?
According to the company’s website, the service was launched to keep women safe.
“BlackWolf App was started to ensure women’s safety from evil people, and it’s now expanded to a ride-hailing service for all,” the BlackWolf website says.
“We have received an outstanding amount of messages and emails from women around the nation expressing their experience about feeling vulnerable and unsafe with other ride-hail companies due to the lack of driver standards. BlackWolf App is filling the void.”
Is it a Tech Company or a Security Firm?
The service hasn’t completely avoided controversy.
In June of last year, Georgia authorities stripped KingBrown of his personal security license. The nature of the dispute was whether BlackWolf provides security services….or something else. An Atlanta news report last year quoted KingBrown describing BlackWolf as “a tech company”.
That statement reminds us of WeWork founder Adam Neumann’s constant claim that he too was running a tech company, not a company renting desks to freelancers.
Probably a fairer description of BlackWolf is a “tech-enabled” ride-sharing business. With guns.
Calling yourself a tech company doesn’t change the fact that the most notable thing about your business is that the drivers are packing.
More recently KingBrown told Axios that the Georgia dispute only impacted his private security company and BlackWolf’s ride-hailing services were never disrupted in Georgia.
