matt stonie

Matthew Kai Stonie, born on May 24, 1992, in San Francisco, California, and raised in San Jose, began his competitive eating career in 2010. His initial victory in a lobster roll eating contest in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, where he won by a narrow margin, sparked his interest in the sport. This early success led him to join Major League Eating (MLE), becoming the youngest member at the time. Stonie’s career progressed quickly, marked by consistent participation and record-breaking performances across various food categories.

A significant milestone in Stonie’s career occurred on July 4, 2015, when he won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by consuming 62 hot dogs, dethroning eight-time champion Joey Chestnut who ate 60. This victory solidified his position as a top-tier competitive eater. Beyond MLE, Stonie developed a substantial online presence through his YouTube channel, where he posts videos of eating challenges. As of January 2024, his channel had accumulated over 16.3 million subscribers and 3.62 billion video views, with individual videos reaching over 145 million views. His engagement with a large online audience broadened his impact beyond traditional competitive eating circuits.

Stonie’s career has also included business ventures. In August 2022, he partnered with TGI Fridays to launch his own fast-casual restaurant franchise, Stonie Bowls, which specializes in large portion rice and poke bowls. In September 2024, Stonie participated in the Netflix event “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” winning a chicken wing eating contest against three Olympians. He maintains numerous world records in competitive eating, showcasing enduring dedication and remarkable capacity in the field.