Jacksepticeye

Seán William McLoughlin, born on February 7, 1990, in Westmeath, Ireland, established his YouTube channel under the name “jacksepticeye” in December 2012. Initially, his content featured voice impressions before shifting to gameplay. A significant turning point occurred in 2013 when fellow YouTuber PewDiePie mentioned his channel, leading to a rapid increase in subscribers from 2,500 to 15,000 in just four days. This early success allowed McLoughlin to transition to YouTube as a full-time career by May 2014. By August of the same year, he amassed one million subscribers, further growing to 1.5 million by the end of 2014. His channel continued its upward trajectory, reaching one billion views and 3.2 million subscribers by February 2015, and an additional six million subscribers by 2016. In 2016, he became one of the inaugural creators signed under PewDiePie’s multi-channel network, Revelmode, and co-hosted the South by Southwest’s annual SXSW Gaming Awards. McLoughlin also made an appearance in the 2016 YouTube Rewind.

Throughout his career, McLoughlin has diversified his activities. In 2017, he featured on Disney XD and Irish national television, and embarked on his “How Did We Get Here” tour across Europe and the US. The tour, which continued into 2018, chronicled his journey from childhood to YouTube stardom, incorporating interactive gaming segments with his audience. In 2018, he secured a multi-year agreement with Disney Digital Network to produce exclusive content for Twitch. McLoughlin’s philanthropic efforts have raised significant funds for various charities, leading to recognition such as the Humanitarian Stream Team award from Save the Children in 2019 and the Best Philanthropic Streamer at The Streamer Awards in 2022. He also ventured into business, co-founding the clothing brand Cloak with Markiplier in 2018 and launching his own coffee company, Top of The Mornin’ Coffee, in 2020. McLoughlin has also taken on acting roles, including a cameo in the 2021 film “Free Guy” and a biographical documentary titled “How Did We Get Here?” released in 2022. He has engaged in various media projects, including a podcast with Ethan Nestor called “Brain Leak” (2023) and a comic book series titled “Altrverse” (2023).

McLoughlin has been recognized for his financial success and influence, appearing on Forbes lists such as the Top Gaming Influencers (2017) and the Top Creators (2022, 2023, 2024). In 2018, Forbes estimated him as the eighth highest-paid YouTuber with earnings of $16 million, and again as the eighth highest-paid gamer in 2019 with $11 million. He was also featured on the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. His channel has consistently been the most subscribed in Ireland, highlighting his significant reach and impact. Despite discussing potential retirement, McLoughlin has continued to produce content and engage in charity work, raising over $26 million for causes like homelessness and mental health through his annual “Thankmas” streams. He has been vocal about the challenges of content creation, including mental health and burnout, advocating for a more inclusive video game culture.