The rise of KSI, the 25-year-old YouTube millionaire who is fighting Logan Paul in a professional boxing match

Michael Tran/Getty Images

• British YouTube star KSI is preparing to battle US vlogger Logan Paul in their second livestreamed boxing match on December 9.
  
• London-born KSI — real name Olajide "JJ" William Olatunji — pioneered YouTube celebrity boxing matches after making a name for himself playing FIFA on the platform.
• His first match with Logan Paul in August 2018 ended in a draw, and the pair will be fighting a re-match in LA on Saturday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Here we go again.

KSI, the 26-year-old British YouTube star, is set to face off against controversial vlogger Logan Paul once again in a YouTube celebrity boxing match. The pair will battle it out on Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which holds 21,000 people. And this time, they'll be classified as professional boxers.

YouTube boxing matches are a hot new trend, kickstarted by KSI. Although the British vlogger first made his name playing video games on YouTube, he's pioneered boxing events as a way to whip up famous YouTubers' huge followings. The real-life matches could generate millions of pounds in ticket, merchandise, and streaming sales.

Here's how KSI, real name Olajide "JJ" William Olatunji, went from a suburban London upbringing to becoming one of the biggest YouTube stars in the world.

KSI was born in London, after his parents moved to the UK from Nigeria. "They would work their asses off," he told The Sun in an interview.

KSI/YouTube

He eventually moved with his parents out to the suburbs of Watford and went to a fee-paying school. It would now cost you £20,000 ($26,000) a year to send your child to the "posh" Berkhamsted School.

Getty

Despite the expensive education, KSI said he discovered YouTube from the age of about 15 and ended up failing his A-Levels. "Back then, people would be like: 'What are you doing? You're such a weirdo. Why are you making videos online?'" he told the Sun.

Getty


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• Logan Paul and KSI are facing off in another boxing match this weekend, and the months of hype around the rematch could result in 7-figure paydays for the YouTube stars
• Check out SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son's wildly optimistic slides about turning WeWork profitable
• Facebook refuses to fact-check political ads, and it's infuriating employees and lawmakers. Here's why the issue has become Facebook's latest major controversy.

SEE ALSO: Logan Paul reveals his plans to become a professional boxer, release a music album, and try out TikTok in the future

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/2NTIiNM