14-year-old makes $200K playing Fortnite and posting videos on YouTube

[Shawn Knight]

The big picture: Collecting and recycling aluminum cans, mowing yards, working construction with family or bagging groceries and pushing carts at the local supermarket – that’s how most of my peers earned money as teens. These days, you don’t even have to leave the house to generate a substantial living.

Griffin Spikoski, better known by his online handle Sceptic, is a 14-year-old that plays Fortnite and publishes videos of his matches on YouTube. Spikoski only has 45 public videos on his channel dating back just nine months yet has managed to amass more than 1.1 million subscribers.

He’s putting those views and viewers to good use, reportedly earning in excess of $200,000 to date.

The Long Island teenager told Eyewitness News ABC7NY that he spends up to eight hours a day playing Fortnite and invests as many as 18 hours doing so on the weekends. Last August, he joined the Misfits Gaming professional esports organization as a player.

Sceptic’s parents have hired an accountant and financial adviser to help manage their son’s newfound wealth. He said he plans to save most of the money to pay for college and maybe one day buy a house. Very smart.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/79410-14-year-old-makes-200k-playing-fortnite-posting.html

 

[stewi0001]

Ok, I give the kid props that he has a long term plan and not just blowing all of his money on stuff.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Money flowing through the economy. I love it.

 

[Drew Valadez]

Glad to hear he has plans for college. Being that young at least he has a plan for after gaming as a profession, or if he decides to move onto another career, will set the path well for him.

 

[ckm88]

I need a new job.

 

[EEatGDL]

A very well-payed full time job for him, it seems.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I am a Youtuber with just over 55,000 subscribers.

The best I've done is $3000 a month...and that's with lots of ad clicks.

I just wish I had it in me to stream gaming so I could talk unholy levels of smack and draw more audience. I think that I will move into game-trash-talking when I get Mortal Kombat 11.

 

[Evernessince]

I am a Youtuber with just over 55,000 subscribers.

The best I've done is $3000 a month...and that's with lots of ad clicks.

I just wish I had it in me to stream gaming so I could talk unholy levels of smack and draw more audience. I think that I will move into game-trash-talking when I get Mortal Kombat 11.

Only problem is not a lot of people want to watch Mortal Kombat streamers. You'd not only have to build your own base of supporters but also attract people over to the game. It'd be much easier if you chose a more popular game. Not like it's impossible though but you will need something special that other streamers don't have.

Honestly 8 hours a day and 18 hours per day on the weekend sounds like a lot of work. Not to mention handling the trolls and mental abuse. The job seems to pay accordingly.

 

[Uncle Al]

If I were one of his parents I would be asking HIM for a weekly allowance ......

 

[Manrubio]

I am a Youtuber with just over 55,000 subscribers.

The best I've done is $3000 a month...and that's with lots of ad clicks.

I just wish I had it in me to stream gaming so I could talk unholy levels of smack and draw more audience. I think that I will move into game-trash-talking when I get Mortal Kombat 11.

Really? share you channel with us so we can support it brah

 

[poohbear]

I am a Youtuber with just over 55,000 subscribers.

The best I've done is $3000 a month...and that's with lots of ad clicks.

I just wish I had it in me to stream gaming so I could talk unholy levels of smack and draw more audience. I think that I will move into game-trash-talking when I get Mortal Kombat 11.

Only problem is not a lot of people want to watch Mortal Kombat streamers. You'd not only have to build your own base of supporters but also attract people over to the game. It'd be much easier if you chose a more popular game. Not like it's impossible though but you will need something special that other streamers don't have.

Honestly 8 hours a day and 18 hours per day on the weekend sounds like a lot of work. Not to mention handling the trolls and mental abuse. The job seems to pay accordingly.

He's playing video games. Not doing quantum physics. When I was 14, 8 hours on video games woulda been a dreaaaam!!!

 

[Evernessince]

He's playing video games. Not doing quantum physics. When I was 14, 8 hours on video games woulda been a dreaaaam!!!

Streaming isn't just playing video games, it's entertaining your viewers, putting up with stream snipers, and dealing with toxic trolls. It also means you have a public profile and have to deal with the consequences of that as well. If it were easy everyone would be doing it. It isn't and the few people who do make the income this kid is making are rare. For every 10,000 failed streamers there is maybe one success story like this.

I'd recommend you read up on the subject before jumping to the conclusion that streaming is as easy as simply playing a video game.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Streaming isn't just playing video games, it's entertaining your viewers, putting up with stream snipers, and dealing with toxic trolls. It also means you have a public profile and have to deal with the consequences of that as well. If it were easy everyone would be doing it. It isn't and the few people who do make the income this kid is making are rare. For every 10,000 failed streamers there is maybe one success story like this.

I'd recommend you read up on the subject before jumping to the conclusion that streaming is as easy as simply playing a video game.

If only you could hear all the things I've said since I got on Xbox Live. I'd be bigger than Pew Die Pie...

I am going to start live streaming Mortal Kombat 11 trash talk. I already have all the equipment (Desktop, headset, mic) and El Gato for my Xbox One X. I'm not going to use my new webcam tho cause I don't want to be identified

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

I am a Youtuber with just over 55,000 subscribers.

The best I've done is $3000 a month...and that's with lots of ad clicks.

I just wish I had it in me to stream gaming so I could talk unholy levels of smack and draw more audience. I think that I will move into game-trash-talking when I get Mortal Kombat 11.

What's your channel?

 

[Danster1616]

I wish I had online gaming when I was younger.

 

[Markoni35]

It wasn't really his "fault". The secret is in his name. Or to be more precise, his family name. That's why Google presented his videos to lots of audience, which made the kid popular. As in every business, pedigree is important. Sometimes people with the right name get magical support from rich people without even realizing why.

 

[Sir Sparkles]

I've got 3 kids and there is no way in the world I would let them play Fortnite for 58 hours a week.
That sort of screen abuse will cause long term developmental problems.
Not cool parents. Hiring an accountant to count beans when they should be taking their son out for healthy normal activities that will make him a better person. A million dollars won't give him back his stolen childhood.