King Operating Corporation (Jay Young) and G2 Partners (Cottom Graham) - Oil / Gas

King Operating Corporation (Jay Young) and G2 Partners (Cottom Graham) - Oil / Gas

Member since 2025 · 53 posts · 34 votes

I know this is not REI, but this passive oil/gas fund was recommended by a RE syndicator/fundraiser. I wanted to share my experiences and see if any other BP members wanted to share input or notes.

KING:
I invested with Jay Young and his team based on a recommendation from Sarah Sullivan at SuGo Capital. The original oil and gas investment proforma projected the following: a $75,000 W-2 tax deduction, a 3x return on investment (approximately 350% over 3–5 years), and an 8–12% annualized return (ARR) paid monthly.

While the tax deduction did come through as expected, the actual monthly returns have been significantly lower. My last two monthly distributions were under $100, and based on 2025 year-to-date results, my returns equate to roughly a 2.8% annualized rate.

Despite these underwhelming results, the team continues to launch new funds and actively solicit additional investor capital. I would strongly caution others before investing. Notably, Sarah Sullivan has since moved on to another firm—G2 Petroleum, with Cotton Graham.

G2:
I invested with Cottom Graham and his team based on a recommendation from Sarah Sullivan at SuGo Capital. This was Sarah’s new oil and gas opportunity following the poor performance of King Operating. G2 promoted a strategy focused on drilling numerous shallow wells at a lower cost, rather than investing heavily in a few expensive deep wells. The idea was to create diversification across many wells and reduce the risk of significant losses if a single deep well failed to produce oil.

For this fund, G2 reportedly raised approximately $22 million from around 270 investors. I’m not sure what portion of those funds, if any, went to Sarah as a referral or finder’s fee.
The original proforma for this investment projected a $75,000 W-2 tax deduction, a 2.5x return on investment over 3–5 years, and a 15% annualized return (ARR) paid monthly, based on an assumed oil price of $75 per barrel. In a 2025 investor webinar, G2 stated they expected to achieve a 35% annualized return by Q3 2025 with daily production reaching 520 barrels per day.

Unfortunately, as of October 2025, the fund is averaging only about 60 barrels of oil per day—far below projections. Correspondingly, the current returns are well under the original proforma, although the G2 team maintains confidence that they can still achieve the targeted 2.5x return within 3–5 years. Personally, I have little confidence in that outcome.

Despite these disappointing results, the team continues to launch new funds and raise capital for their 2026 program. I would strongly advise potential investors to proceed with caution—and if you are investing through Sarah Sullivan or the SuGo community, it’s worth asking directly what compensation she receives for referring investors to G2.

1Reply
622 views

7 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Member since 2021 · 2 posts · 2 votes
    11mo
    Thanks for sharing. I’ve done some recent oil and gas investments and low oil prices are definitely impacting returns. But definitely good to know what operations are over promising and under delivering.
  • Don KonipolBusiness Member
    Investor · The Woodlands TX / Avon, CT · Member since 2009 · 6k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    11mo
    Quote from @Joseph M.:

    I know this is not REI, but this passive oil/gas fund was recommended by a RE syndicator/fundraiser. I wanted to share my experiences and see if any other BP members wanted to share input or notes.

    KING:
    I invested with Jay Young and his team based on a recommendation from Sarah Sullivan at SuGo Capital. The original oil and gas investment proforma projected the following: a $75,000 W-2 tax deduction, a 3x return on investment (approximately 350% over 3–5 years), and an 8–12% annualized return (ARR) paid monthly.

    While the tax deduction did come through as expected, the actual monthly returns have been significantly lower. My last two monthly distributions were under $100, and based on 2025 year-to-date results, my returns equate to roughly a 2.8% annualized rate.

    Despite these underwhelming results, the team continues to launch new funds and actively solicit additional investor capital. I would strongly caution others before investing. Notably, Sarah Sullivan has since moved on to another firm—G2 Petroleum, with Cotton Graham.

    G2:
    I invested with Cottom Graham and his team based on a recommendation from Sarah Sullivan at SuGo Capital. This was Sarah’s new oil and gas opportunity following the poor performance of King Operating. G2 promoted a strategy focused on drilling numerous shallow wells at a lower cost, rather than investing heavily in a few expensive deep wells. The idea was to create diversification across many wells and reduce the risk of significant losses if a single deep well failed to produce oil.

    For this fund, G2 reportedly raised approximately $22 million from around 270 investors. I’m not sure what portion of those funds, if any, went to Sarah as a referral or finder’s fee.
    The original proforma for this investment projected a $75,000 W-2 tax deduction, a 2.5x return on investment over 3–5 years, and a 15% annualized return (ARR) paid monthly, based on an assumed oil price of $75 per barrel. In a 2025 investor webinar, G2 stated they expected to achieve a 35% annualized return by Q3 2025 with daily production reaching 520 barrels per day.

    Unfortunately, as of October 2025, the fund is averaging only about 60 barrels of oil per day—far below projections. Correspondingly, the current returns are well under the original proforma, although the G2 team maintains confidence that they can still achieve the targeted 2.5x return within 3–5 years. Personally, I have little confidence in that outcome.

    Despite these disappointing results, the team continues to launch new funds and raise capital for their 2026 program. I would strongly advise potential investors to proceed with caution—and if you are investing through Sarah Sullivan or the SuGo community, it’s worth asking directly what compensation she receives for referring investors to G2.

    So projections are for a cumulative 400% return on investment over 3 -5 years.  The RISK has got to be TREMENDOUS.   IF the sponsor hit the projections 1 out of 3 times; returned investor capital and nothing more 1 out of 3 times, and total loss of investor capital 1 out of 3 times, the average expected value is still 100% return and would be (theoretically) well worth it. 

    I don’t know if the offering is good, bad, or ugly; I don’t know if the terms are fair to investors or not; I don’t know if excessive fees are involved (I’ve never seen a drilling partnership where they’re not).  But I do know in order to fairly evaluate these ultra high risk offering the investor needs to (1) wait for the entire projected project period to end and (2) invest across multiple offerings so the natural “failures” and “successes” result on a statically verifiable range.  To be confident to the third standard deviation (confidence level of 97%) that the investor is obtaining a return not skewed by “chance” the investor would need to invest in 20 different offerings. 

    Private Mortgage Financing Partners, LLC
  • Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11mo

    @Joseph M., first I am sorry to hear these are underwhelming.  I have not invested in O&G, but actually have a former coworker that worked for an O&G operator/syndicator.  

    Like industry, there are varying levels of risk involved.  I know a lot of real estate investors started looking heavily at O&G when their friends were saying "I am making 8% PER MONTH" from my oil and gas investments.  But like Don notes, if that is any investors level of diligence, there is likely to be some poor results.  

    I forget all the of details in O&G, but like real estate, you can range from hugely speculative to stable investments, with returns to match. The one biggest difference, to me, is oil and gas is purely cash flow.  There is no residual value to a dried up drill site.

    Your point to asking how a fund of funds is being compensated should be taken in all industries: real estate, O&G, PE, hedge funds, VC, etc.  I have spoken with several FoFs groups that seemingly don't know enough to make them viable LPs, let alone able to vet multiple sponsors and industries to protect the assets of those they are raising for.

  • Member since 2026 · 1 post · 0 votes
    9mo

    @Joseph M. I'm an investor in the same fund and feel totally deceived and very dumb for handing them a small fortune :(. The meager 3% return is a far cry from the 25%-35% "fairly predictable" returns they pitch. 

  • Homeowner · TX · Member since 2026 · 1 post · 0 votes
    1mo

    I have a friend/neighbor who invested with King Operating/Jay Young. If you want further details as to the current litigation he is pursuing  you can message me.

    Short answer is i would strongly advise against giving any money to King Operating.

    • Member since 2025 · 53 posts · 34 votes
      3w

      Check your inbox

    • Member since 2025 · 53 posts · 34 votes
      1w

      Can you share more details? I sent you a private message

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.