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Jake Joseph Paul (born January 17, 1997) is an American professional boxer, influencer and actor. He began his career posting videos on Vine in September 2013 and had amassed 5.3 million followers and 2 billion views before the app was discontinued. As an actor, he played Dirk Mann on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark (2016–2018). Paul launched his YouTube channel Jake Paul in May 2014, and has ranked on the Forbes list as one of the highest paid YouTube creators in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
Jake Paul | |||||||||||||
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_(cropped).jpg) Paul in 2023 | |||||||||||||
| Born | Jake Joseph Paul January 17, 1997 | ||||||||||||
| Occupations | |||||||||||||
| Years active | 2013–present | ||||||||||||
| Relatives | Logan Paul (brother) | ||||||||||||
YouTube information | |||||||||||||
| Channel | |||||||||||||
| Years active | 2013–present | ||||||||||||
| Genres | |||||||||||||
| Subscribers | 20.9 million[3] | ||||||||||||
| Total views | 7.7 billion[3] | ||||||||||||
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Last updated: December 1, 2024 | |||||||||||||
| Boxing career | |||||||||||||
| Other names | |||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | |||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[4] | ||||||||||||
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm)[4] | ||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox[4] | ||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||
| Total fights | 12 | ||||||||||||
| Wins | 11 | ||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | ||||||||||||
Paul's boxing career began in August 2018 with a white-collar boxing match against Deji Olatunji, which he won via technical knockout. His professional boxing debut was against AnEsonGib in January 2020. He later faced and defeated former basketball player Nate Robinson and former MMA fighters Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (twice), and Anderson Silva. In February 2023, Paul lost to Tommy Fury via split decision in his first fight with an active professional boxer. He then built a winning streak defeating Nate Diaz, Andre August, Ryan Bourland and Mike Perry. His November 2024 bout against Mike Tyson, which he won via unanimous decision, became the biggest boxing gate in U.S. history outside of Las Vegas.
In 2021, Paul founded Most Valuable Promotions, a boxing promotion alongside his adviser Nakisa Bidarian, and founded Anti Fund, a venture capital firm with Geoffrey Woo.
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Paul was born on January 17, 1997,[1] in Cleveland, Ohio,[1][2] and raised in Westlake, Ohio, with his older brother Logan, who is also a YouTuber and internet personality. They started filming themselves when Jake was ten.[6] Their parents are Pamela Ann Stepnick (née Meredith) and realtor Gregory Allan Paul.[7] He was raised in a church-going, Christian household.[8]
2013–2016: Vine, YouTube, and Bizaardvark
Paul began his career in September 2013 posting videos on Vine. By the time Vine was discontinued by Twitter Inc., Paul had amassed 5.3 million followers and 2 billion views on the app.[9] Paul launched his YouTube channel on May 15, 2014.[10] His channel became known for pranks, controversies, and his hip hop music.[11]
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After gaining acclaim on Vine and YouTube, Paul was hired onto the set of the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark, playing a character who accepted dare requests to perform.[12] On July 22, 2017, during the middle of filming the second season of Bizaardvark, the Disney Channel announced that Paul would be leaving the series.[13] The announcement followed a news report from KTLA[14] about public complaints from Paul's neighbors regarding the noise generated by Paul's pranks, parties, hazards and large crowds of fans congregating in their neighborhood.[15][16][17] Paul later confirmed the news on his Twitter page, saying he would now focus more on his personal brand, YouTube channel, business ventures, and more mature acting roles.[13] Paul later revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was actually fired from Bizaardvark by Disney, which wanted to expedite the process of weaning him off the show due to the KTLA segment.[18]
2017–2019: Music, business, and Team 10
Paul launched entertainment collective Team 10 in 2016.[19] On January 17, 2017, his 20th birthday, it was reported that he had launched media company TeamDom with $1 million in funding to create an influencer marketing management and creative agency around teen entertainment.[6] Investors included Danhua Capital, Horizons Alpha, Vayner Capital, Sound Ventures & A-Grade Investments and Adam Zeplain.[20]
Paul released the single "It's Everyday Bro", featuring Team 10, on May 30, 2017. It featured vocals from members of the team at the time, consisting of Nick Crompton, Chance Sutton, Ivan and Emilio Martinez and Tessa Brooks. It drew over 70 million views in one month and became YouTube's third most disliked video. The song debuted and peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its title refers to how Paul at the time posted a video every single day.[21] In 2017, Paul released and later deleted singles including "Ohio Fried Chicken", "Jerika", "No Competition", "That Ain't on the News" and "Litmas". The singles were deleted for various reasons, including his 2018 break-up with Erika Costell.
On November 22, 2017, Paul released a remix of "It's Everyday Bro", featuring American rapper Gucci Mane in place of Team 10, alongside the new music video for it. On April 27, 2018, he released the single and music video for "Malibu" with now-former Team 10 member Chad Tepper. On May 11, he released another single and music video for "My Teachers", featuring now-former Team 10 members Sunny Malouf and Anthony Trujillo, along with the music video. On May 24, he released two singles, "Randy Savage" and "Cartier Vision". The former song features Team 10 and hip-hop duo Jitt & Quan, featuring vocals from Team 10 members at the time, consisting of Anthony Trujillo, Sunny Malouf, Justin Roberts, Erika Costell, and Chad Tepper; it was released along with the music video. The latter song features Anthony and the duo as well; the music video was released later on September 12.
On August 15, 2018, Paul released another single titled "Champion", with a music video. The song was a diss track towards Paul's boxing opponent Deji Olatunji (ComedyShortsGamer), the younger brother of British YouTube star, internet personality, boxer, and rapper KSI. Their fight took place ten days later on August 25. Throughout the summer of 2018, Paul and Team 10 went on a tour in North America, performing their songs.[22] Gradually, the Team 10 members split up throughout the year.[23]
Paul's varied business ventures ultimately led to his second-place ranking in Forbes' list of highest-paid YouTubers in 2018.[24][25]
On March 1, 2019, Paul released the track and music video for "I'm Single". The song focused on Paul's feelings about being single and his breakup with Erika Costell. As the social media accounts for Team 10 have been inactive since September 2019,[26] some assumed that Team 10 had disbanded and Paul had formed a new team.[27]
2019–2020: More focus on music
On December 13, 2019, Paul released another single, "These Days", alongside a music video featuring model Julia Rose. The song features Jake rapping about his past long-distance relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Alissa Violet.[28] Less than a year later, the song was removed from all streaming services.[29]
On July 24, 2020, Paul released the single "Fresh Outta London", which was released alongside the music video.[30] For the video shoot, he threw a party at his home in Calabasas, California on July 11, in which he garnered national attention after being criticized by Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub after videos and pictures of the party surfaced online.
On September 10, Paul released another single, titled "23", alongside a music video at his house[31] which only starred his older brother Logan and also featured clips of him and a few of his friends.[32] The title of the song refers to his age at the time, as well as American former basketball player Michael Jordan's jersey number.
On October 15, Paul released the single "Dummy", featuring Canadian rapper TVGucci, who is signed to fellow Canadian rapper Drake's record label, OVO Sound. The lyric video was published on Paul's YouTube channel six days later, on October 21.[33]
2021–present: Sports business, startups, and investments
In 2021, Paul partnered with serial entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo to launch a venture capital firm called Anti Fund.[34] In August 2021, Anti Fund led investment in sports gambling firm Simplebet Inc. raising $30 million in a financing round in August 2021.[35] In August 2022, Anti Fund invested in defense technology and military contractor Anduril Industries.[36]
Paul founded Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) with his business adviser, Nakisa Bidarian, in 2021, signing professional boxer Amanda Serrano to a promotional deal in September 2021.[37] In tandem, Paul founded an organization named Boxing Bullies to help youth combat bullying.[38]
In May 2022, Paul featured on the Forbes list for the highest paid athletes in 2022. Forbes estimated that Paul made $38 million from his three boxing bouts, and various other income streams in the period.[39]
In August 2022, Paul founded Betr, a sports-media and mobile-betting company alongside Simplebet founder Joey Levy. Paul claims to have received $50 million in series-A funding for this venture.[40] In March 2024, Betr raised $15 million at a $375 million valuation, led by Harmony Partners and 10X Capital, with its total funding reaching $100 million as it aims to expand its sports betting operations, including real-money fantasy sports product in 24 states and plans for a nationwide sportsbook brand.[41]
In November 2022, Paul's brother Logan faced Roman Reigns in a wrestling match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, headlining WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Paul made an appearance during the match, entering the arena to his 2017 song "It's Everyday Bro" and rescuing Logan from an attack by The Usos and Solo Sikoa. Despite the intervention, Logan lost the match.[42]
In January 2023, Paul signed a multiyear contract with the Professional Fighters League to cofound and compete in a new pay-per-view division, known as Super Fight, as well as adopt the official role of "head of fighter advocacy".[43]
In June 2024, Paul launched a men's personal care brand called W, with products priced at less than $10 with retail partner Walmart.[44] The company was incubated by Paul's venture capital firm Anti Fund.[45] In July 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that W has raised over $14M in venture capital funding from Shrug Capital and others including tennis star Naomi Osaka at a valuation over $150M.[46]
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Early career
In 2018, Paul made his boxing debut in a white-collar match against English YouTuber Deji Olatunji.[47] Paul vs Olatunji was the co-feature bout to Paul's older brother's fight, Logan Paul, against Olatunji's older brother, KSI. The bout took place on August 25 at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Paul defeated Olatunji via technical knockout in the 5th round.[48]
In 2020, Paul made his professional debut against English YouTuber AnEsonGib. The bout took place on January 30 at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami, Florida and was the co-feature bout to the WBO world middleweight title bout between professional boxers Demetrius Andrade and Luke Keeler.[49] Paul defeated AnEsonGib via technical knockout in the 1st round and proceeded to call out KSI.[50]
On November 28, Paul returned to the ring against basketball player Nate Robinson and was the co-feature bout to the exhibition match between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.[51] Paul defeated Robinson via knockout in the 2nd round.[52]
Transition into MMA fighters
Paul vs. Askren
In 2021, after a back-and-forth on social media, it was announced that Paul would headline a bout with former Bellator MMA and ONE Welterweight Champion Ben Askren on April 17, 2021 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.[53] Paul defeated Askren via technical knockout in the 1st round.[54] The event reportedly generated 1.45 million pay-per-view buys as per Triller, however, the legitimacy of both the match and the numbers of the event have been heavily questioned by multiple personalities, fans, MMA fighters and boxers alike.[55][56]
Paul vs. Woodley
Prior to the Paul vs Askren bout, Paul and one of his cornermen, American professional boxer J'Leon Love, were involved in a backstage confrontation with former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.[57] After Paul defeated Askren, Woodley called him out.[58] On August 29 Paul fought Woodley at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio and defeated him via split decision, with one judge scoring the fight 77–75 for Woodley, while the other two judges scored it 77–75 and 78–74 in favor of Paul.[59] After the bout, Woodley expressed his desires for a rematch and Paul offered him one if he tattooed "I love Jake Paul" on his body.[60] The event reportedly generated 500,000 pay-per-view buys.[61]
In December, Paul was originally scheduled to face English professional boxer Tommy Fury on December 18 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, but Fury withdrew due to medical issues. On December 6, it was announced that Paul would be rematching Woodley instead.[62] Paul defeated Woodley via knockout in the 6th round.[63] The event reportedly generated 200,000 pay-per-view buys.[61] After the bout, Paul was awarded the ESPN Ringside Award for "Knockout of the Year" over his victory on Woodley.[64]
In 2022, Paul was scheduled to face Fury for August 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, but Fury withdrew once again due to travel issues. On July 7, it was announced that Paul would face American professional boxer Hasim Rahman Jr., however, the event was canceled on July 30 due to weight issues from Rahman.[65]
Paul vs. Silva
After the cancellation, it was announced that Paul would be facing former UFC champion Anderson Silva on October 29 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.[66] Paul defeated Silva via unanimous decision with the judges scoring the bout 78–73, 78–73, and 77–74 in favor of Paul.[67]
First defeat to Tommy Fury
After two previous attempts failing, on January 27, 2023, it was announced that Paul would face Fury on February 26 in Saudi Arabia.[68] Fury defeated Paul via split decision despite Paul knocking Fury down in the 8th round. One judge scored it 75–74 to Paul, while the other two judges had it 76–73 to Fury.[69] The event reportedly generated 800,000 pay-per-views.
After the bout with Tommy Fury, KSI's manager Mams Taylor revealed that he and Paul's team were in negotiations to have a bout with the YouTuber set for August at Wembley Stadium in London, England, however, Taylor stated that after the Fury loss, Paul exited the negotiations.[70] Paul later confirmed that he opted out and chose to have a bout with Nate Diaz instead, whom he deemed the tougher opponent.[71]
Paul vs. Diaz
On April 12, it was announced that Paul would face Diaz on August 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.[72] Although the fight was originally scheduled to be 8 rounds, it was later extended to 10.[73] Paul defeated Diaz via unanimous decision with the judges scoring the bout 98–91, 98–91 and 97–92 all in favor of Paul.[74]
Moving up in weight and transition to professional boxers
On October 16, 2023, it was announced that Paul would be returning to the ring on December 15.[75] On November 8, Paul's opponent was confirmed to be American professional boxer Andre August (10–1–1). The bout would take place at the Caribe Royal Hotel in Orlando, Florida as the headline bout of Most Valuable Prospects IV.[76] This was Paul's first headline bout to not be on pay-per-view with Paul stating "so far, my entire boxing career has been on PPV, but now it's about more than business. Now I want to build my experience in the ring."[77] Paul defeated August by knockout in the first round.[78]
On December 21, 2023, it was announced that Paul would be fighting on March 2, 2024, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[79] On January 30, 2024, Paul's opponent was announced to be American professional boxer Ryan Bourland (17–2).[80] Paul defeated Bourland by technical knockout in the first round.[81]
Paul vs. Perry
On June 11, 2024, it was announced that Paul will face former UFC fighter and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship "King of Violence" Mike Perry on July 20, 2024, after Mike Tyson was unable to compete on that date.[82] On June 18, 2024, the bout against Perry was confirmed for July 20, 2024 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL.[83] Paul won the fight by technical knockout in the sixth round.[84]
Sanctioned bout against Mike Tyson
On March 7, 2024, it was announced that Paul would take on former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The bout was broadcast on Netflix.[85] The bout marked Paul's debut fight at heavyweight.[86] On April 29, 2024, it was announced that the fight would be sanctioned as a professional boxing match by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).[87][88] On May 31, 2024, it was announced that the fight was postponed after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare up aboard a plane.[89][90] On June 7, 2024, it was announced that the fight will take place at the same arena on November 15, 2024.[91]
On November 7, 2024, Netflix premiered the first two episodes of Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson, with the third, and final one following on November 12. The show is narrated by Ice-T.[92]
Paul defeated Tyson via unanimous decision with the judges scoring the bout 80–72, 79–73 and 79–73 in favor of Paul.[93][94] The match became the biggest boxing gate in U.S. history outside of Las Vegas.[95][94]
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In 2021, Paul, alongside his adviser Nakisa Bidarian, founded a boxing promotion titled 'Most Valuable Promotions.' The promotions first signing was of Puerto Rican boxer and seven-division world champion Amanda Serrano.[96]
In 2022, Paul co-promoted with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano billed as "For History". It was the first women's boxing match to headline Madison Square Garden, and was described as the 'biggest women's fight of all time'. The fight was universally acclaimed, being named Fight of the Year by Sports Illustrated[97] and Event of the Year by The Ring.[98]
In 2023, Most Valuable Promotions and DAZN announced a new series of events billed as 'Most Valuable Prospects,' which would feature up-and-coming boxers headlining events on DAZN without pay-per-view.[99] Their first event took place on May 26 which headlined Ashton Sylve vs Adam Kipenga at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida. Sylve defeated Kipenga via unanimous decision.[100]
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Professional Fighter League
On January 5, 2023, it was announced that Paul had signed a multi-year deal with the Professional Fighters League.[101][102][103] In anticipation of his MMA debut, Paul began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu with ADCC head organizer Mo Jassim and Michael Perez.[104]
Throughout his career, Paul has become the subject of many controversies due to his behavior, including being charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly.[105][106][107]
Content controversies
On January 3, 2018, Paul uploaded a video to his YouTube channel titled "I lost my virginity" which used a thumbnail of himself and his then-girlfriend Erika Costell posing semi-nude on top of each other. The video was age-restricted by YouTube as a result, and critics such as Keemstar criticized the thumbnail as being inappropriate for his younger audience. The thumbnail was later changed with both Paul and Costell fully clothed and not touching each other.[108]
On November 29, 2020, Paul sparked frustration after stating he paved the way for content house creation and boxing matches between high-profile social media stars. Many objected to Paul's claim, observing that he did not create the first content house, nor was he the first YouTube star to fight in a boxing match.[109]
Racism allegations
On August 1, 2017, Paul uploaded a video titled "SELF DRIVING TESLA IN DRIVE THRU PRANK (FREAKOUTS)". In the video, Paul was approached by a fan who asked if he could appear in his vlog. One of Paul's associates asked where the fan was from, who identified himself as Kazakhstani. Paul responded with the retort "It sounds like you're just going to blow someone up. Send the nuke!".[110] For that, Paul was accused of perpetuating stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in the United States as suicide bombers, as Kazakhstan is predominantly Islamic.[110][111] His comments were also seen as insensitive due to Kazakhstan's history with nuclear weapons as the republic saw extensive nuclear weapon testing while a part of the Soviet Union, the fallout of which exposed as many as 200,000 locals around Semipalatinsk-21, causing health problems that were a contributing factor in Kazakhstan's independence and rapid denuclearization, and still impacted citizens into the 2010s.[110][112][113]
In November 2017, twin brothers Ivan and Emilio Martínez left Team 10. In a vlog explaining their departure from the group, the brothers accused Paul and the other members of regularly targeting them out of Anti-Mexican sentiment, conflating them with Mexicans when they are in fact Spaniards. The Martínezes alleged Paul and his associates would use Hispanic stereotypes and slurs, invade their privacy, destroy their property, and withheld payment after telling them they could not have a bank account in due to being immigrants.[114][115] When interviewed by Shane Dawson on the Martínezes' accusations, Paul said "nothing was off-limits" when it came to jokes the Team 10 members made about each other, that "[he thinks] at the time [the Martínez twins] thought it was funny", and they were only accusing him of racism to boost their career without him.[115]
On January 5, 2018, in the week after his "I lost my virginity" video and his brother's Aokigahara controversy, TMZ revealed a video in which Paul used the racial slur nigger multiple times while freestyle rapping to "Throw Sum Mo".[116][117]
Scam allegations
In January 2018, Paul started the website Edfluence, a program claiming to teach younger people how to be successful, learn life skills, and earn money online. The course cost $7 per user, which would allow the user to unlock a series of videos for a "roadmap" to success as an influencer. However, the seven dollars did not unlock the entire program, but only gave a few basic tips. Paul also promised his audience that if they joined the course, they would get to join "Team 1000", which did not happen. Following the situation, Paul was accused of scamming young followers and stealing their money. Then, two years later, on January 31, 2020, Edfluence was shut down, which stopped the course permanently.[118] On February 15, Paul announced that he would partner with Los Angeles-based brand development group GenZ Holdings Inc. to create a $19.99-per-month platform aimed at teaching children how to build an online presence.[119] "The Financial Freedom Movement" promises to give subscribers access to "Jake Paul's personal experience, rituals and secret formula" and "cutting edge mentorship, coaching, and training".[120] The program has been criticized by some, with one interviewer questioning whether it would send a dangerous message to his young fanbase.[120]
On January 3, 2019, Paul, along with fellow YouTuber RiceGum, came under fire for promoting MysteryBrand, a website that offers the chance to open a digital "mystery box" of pre-selected items with a promise to win one in real life at random. Many users have said they have not received prizes they won through the site.[121]
On February 18, 2022, in a class-action lawsuit filed against the cryptocurrency company SafeMoon that alleged the company is a pump and dump scheme, Paul was named as a defendant along with musician Nick Carter, rappers Soulja Boy and Lil Yachty, and social media personality Ben Phillips for promoting the SafeMoon token on their social media accounts with misleading information as part of the 2022 Safemoon fraud allegations.[122][123] On the same day, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a lawsuit against Bitconnect that the Securities Act of 1933 extends to targeted solicitation using social media.[124] In March 2022, YouTuber Coffeezilla uploaded a video in which he accused Paul of using cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens to scam his fans out of $2.2 million.[125]
Party complaints, public nuisance lawsuits, and COVID-19
In addition to the 2017 public complaints that eventually led to Paul's dismissal from Bizaardvark, Paul's neighbors in the Beverly Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles filed a class-action public nuisance lawsuit against Paul.[126] This came after Paul made his home address public,[126][127][17] leading crowds of fans to gather outside Paul's residence, and noise complaints by neighbors.[127][14][128][129] On April 24, 2018, it was reported that Paul was being sued by Cobra Acquisitions, the company that owns the house, for $2.5 million.[130]
On February 23, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Paul was involved in an altercation with British singer Zayn Malik at Westgate, the hotel near the MGM Grand Garden Arena at which the two were staying. Paul and Malik's rooms were right across from each other and when Paul's older brother, Logan, went to Paul's hotel room, an argument broke out between Malik and Paul because Paul believed Malik was using a rude tone. Following the interaction, Paul posted about it on Twitter, which drew attention from Malik's girlfriend, American model Gigi Hadid. Paul later deleted his tweets which criticized Malik and then posted another tweet stating that he tweeted about the incident since he was drunk, acknowledging the fact in a tweet later in the day, writing, "someone needs to take my phone when i'm drunk because I'm a fucking idiot".[131] Logan released the video footage on the 161st episode of his podcast, Impaulsive, in which he explained the whole situation.[132]
On July 11, 2020, Paul threw a large party at his home in Calabasas, California, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens of people attended without wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. After complaints from neighbors and videos surfaced on social media, Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub expressed outrage, saying, "They're having this large party, no social distancing, no masks, it's just a big, huge disregard for everything that everybody is trying to do to get things back to functioning." She continued, saying, "It's really just a party acting like COVID does not exist, it's acting that businesses aren't closed".[133][134][135] She later added that the city was looking into "all of our options" regarding penalties for Paul and the attendees of the party.[136]
On November 25, 2020, Paul attracted further COVID-related controversy due to statements in an interview with The Daily Beast. When interviewer Marlow Stern asked Paul if he regretted his words and actions regarding the July 11 party, Paul responded by saying that COVID-19 was a "hoax", also stating that "98 percent of news [about COVID-19] is fake", and that he believed the measures against COVID-19 in the United States should end, calling them "the most detrimental thing to our society." He then incorrectly stated that the flu had killed as many people in the United States in 2020 as COVID-19 did and claimed that "Medical professionals have [recently] also said that masks do absolutely nothing to prevent the spread of coronavirus"; he later referred to said professionals as "dozens of my medical friends." When Stern tried to question his claims, Paul told Stern "You're arrogant. You're very arrogant", "you want clickbait", and "I've never even heard of you."[137][138] The interview sparked condemnation from various individuals and media outlets, such as fellow YouTuber Tyler Oakley, who called Paul "aggressively ignorant" and "embarrassing."[139]
Attending a riot at an Arizona mall and FBI raid
On May 30, 2020, Paul and a few of his friends came to have dinner at P. F. Chang's outside of Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona, as part of the George Floyd protests, where it quickly escalated, and looting began in the mall. Multiple instances of footage show Paul and his friends outside of P. F. Chang's witnessing the riot and making their way inside the mall where they documented the incident. People on social media criticized Paul for entering the mall and witnessing people looting stores.[140][141][142] Paul later apologized on social media condemning the violence, and also denied the accusations of looting, instead saying he was filming as a public service for a future video. Paul said, "We filmed everything we saw in an effort to share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we travelled through; we were strictly documenting, not engaging."[143] On June 4, 2020, Paul was charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly, both misdemeanor charges, for being in the mall during the riot.[144] On August 5, 2020, Paul's Calabasas mansion was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In a statement to the Los Angeles Times the FBI stated, "The FBI is executing a federal search warrant at a residence in Calabasas in connection with an ongoing investigation." On the same day, the charges were dismissed without prejudice, the Scottsdale Police Department said it was "in the best interest of the community" and would allow a federal criminal investigation to be completed.[145] Paul also explained in a now-deleted video that the raid was "completely related to the looting controversy."[146] In August 2021 it was reported Paul would not face federal charges over the incident.[147][148]
Sexual assault allegations
On April 9, 2021, a video was released by TikTok personality Justine Paradise who alleged that Paul forced her into oral sex and touched her without her consent during an incident at the Team 10 House in 2019. Paul responded to the accusations, saying, "Sexual assault accusations aren't something that I, or anyone should ever take lightly, but to be crystal clear, this claim made against me is 100% false."[149][150] In a later video Paradise stated she received harassment and death threats over the accusation.[151]
On April 22, 2021, an article about Paul in The New York Times featured a second accusation by model and actress Railey Lollie. Lollie, who had started working for Paul at 17, alleged that Paul would call her "jailbait" and had groped her at one point.[152][153]
SEC fine for undisclosed cryptocurrencies sponsorship
In March 2023, Paul was among eight celebrities charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with violating investor protection laws by promoting cryptocurrencies without disclosing that they had been sponsored to do so. He settled the charges for over $400,000 without admitting or denying the claims.[154][155]
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Paul has Irish, Welsh, Jewish, French and German ancestry.[156][157] Paul has a net worth of approximately $17–30 million.[158] In January 2022, Forbes reported that Paul made approximately $38 million from boxing in 2021, making him the 46th highest paid athlete in the world for that period.[159]
Paul began dating fellow American YouTuber and internet personality Tana Mongeau in April 2019.[160] In June 2019, the couple announced that they were engaged, although many fans and commentators did not believe that the engagement was legitimate.[161] On July 28 of that year, Paul and Mongeau exchanged vows in Las Vegas. InTouch later reported that the couple had not obtained a marriage license prior to the ceremony and that the officiant was also not licensed by the state of Nevada.[162] As a result, the marriage was not legally binding.[162][163] BuzzFeed News reported that Paul and Mongeau left the ceremony separately.[164] The ceremony, which was available on pay-per-view for $50,[160] was recorded by MTV for the show No Filter: Tana Mongeau.[160][163] On an episode of the show, Mongeau stated that the ceremony was something "fun and lighthearted that we're obviously doing for fun and for content."[160] The couple announced their break-up in January 2020.[165]
On April 3, 2023, Paul and Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam publicly confirmed being a couple after the two had gotten in touch via Instagram a few months earlier.[166]
In September 2023, Paul supported the Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.[167] He later expressed his support for Donald Trump and has been critical of the presidency of the Democratic president Joe Biden.[168] Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in July 2024, Paul posted on X: "If it isn't apparent enough who God wants to win. When you try and kill God's angels and saviors of the world it just makes them bigger."[169] He officially endorsed Trump in a YouTube video posted on October 31, 2024.[170]
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Professional
| 12 fights | 11 wins | 1 loss |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 7 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Mike Tyson | UD | 8 | Nov 15, 2024 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Mike Perry | TKO | 6 (8), 1:12 | Jul 20, 2024 | Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Ryan Bourland | TKO | 1 (8), 2:37 | Mar 2, 2024 | José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Andre August | KO | 1 (8), 2:32 | Dec 15, 2023 | Caribe Royale, Orlando, Florida, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 7–1 | Nate Diaz | UD | 10 | Aug 5, 2023 | American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, U.S. | |
| 7 | Loss | 6–1 | Tommy Fury | SD | 8 | Feb 26, 2023 | Diriyah Arena, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Anderson Silva | UD | 8 | Oct 29, 2022 | Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Tyron Woodley | KO | 6 (8), 2:12 | Dec 18, 2021 | Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Tyron Woodley | SD | 8 | Aug 29, 2021 | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Ben Askren | TKO | 1 (8), 1:59 | Apr 17, 2021 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Nate Robinson | KO | 2 (6), 1:24 | Nov 28, 2020 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | AnEsonGib | TKO | 1 (6), 2:18 | Jan 30, 2020 | The Meridian at Island Gardens, Miami, Florida, U.S. |
Amateur
| 1 fight | 1 win | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Deji Olatunji | TKO | 5 (6), 1:55 | Aug 25, 2018 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England |
| No. | Date | Fight | Billing | Buys | Network | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 17, 2021 | Paul vs. Askren | — | 500,000 | Triller | $25,995,000 |
| 2 | August 29, 2021 | Paul vs. Woodley | — | 500,000 | Showtime | $29,900,000 |
| 3 | December 18, 2021 | Paul vs. Woodley II | Leave No Doubt | 200,000 | $11,998,000 | |
| 4 | October 29, 2022 | Paul vs. Silva | — | 300,000 | $17,997,000 | |
| 5 | February 26, 2023 | Paul vs. Fury | The Truth | 800,000 | ESPN+ | $39,992,000 |
| 6 | August 5, 2023 | Paul vs. Diaz | Ready 4 War | 450,000 | DAZN / ESPN+ | $27,000,000 |
| 7 | July 20, 2024 | Paul vs. Perry | Fear No Man | 68,000 | DAZN | N/A |
| Total | 2,750,000 | $152,882,000 | ||||
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dance Camp | Lance | ||
| Mono | Dugan | Cameo | ||
| 2019 | Airplane Mode | Himself | ||
| 2020 | Mainstream | |||
| 2022 | A Genie's Tail | Wendell | ||
| 2023 | Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child | Himself | Documentary |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2018 | Bizaardvark | Dirk Mann | Main role (seasons 1–2) |
| 2016 | The Monroes | Conrad | |
| Walk the Prank | Himself | Special guest | |
| 2017 | The Price Is Right | Special guest model | |
| 2020 | Ridiculousness | Season 16; Episode 24 | |
| 2021 | All Access: Paul vs. Woodley | ||
| 2021 | All Access: Paul vs. Woodley II | ||
| 2022 | Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel | Episode: "Jake Paul" | |
| WWE Crown Jewel | Himself | ||
| 2024 | Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson[92] | 3 episodes | |
Web shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Mind of Jake Paul | Himself | The main subject of the documentary |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rush Royale | Himself | [171] | |
| 2024 | Undisputed | Himself | DLC | [172] |
Extended plays
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [176] |
US Rap Dig. [177] |
CAN [178] |
SCO [179] |
UK Indie [180] | |||
| "It's Everyday Bro" (featuring Team 10 or remix featuring Gucci Mane)[181] |
2017 | 91 | 5 | 56 | 42 | 25 | |
| "Ohio Fried Chicken" (featuring Chance Sutton and Anthony Trujillo) |
— | 15 | — | — | — | ||
| "Jerika" (with Erika Costell featuring Uncle Kade) |
86 | 12 | 76 | — | — | ||
| "That Ain't on the News" | — | 24 | — | — | — | ||
| "No Competition" (with Neptune) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| "My Teachers" (featuring Sunny and AT3) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Cartier Vision" (featuring AT3 and Jitt n Quan) |
2018 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Champion" (featuring Jitt n Quan) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| "No Competition" (with Neptune) |
2019 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Fresh Outta London" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | —[A] | |
| "23" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Dummy" (with TV Gucci) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Park South Freestyle" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Dana White Diss Track" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Chitty Bang"[184] (Erika Costell featuring Jake Paul) |
2018 | Non-album single |
- Paul, Jake. You Gotta Want It, ISBN 978-1501139475, Gallery Books 2016 (memoir)[185]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Shorty Awards | Vineographer Award | Himself | Nominated | [186] |
| Comedian Award | Himself | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Himself | Nominated | [187] |
| Breakout Creator | Himself | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music Web Star | Himself | Won | [188] | |
| Choice YouTuber | Himself | Won | |||
| 2021 | Sports Illustrated | Breakout Boxer of the Year | Himself | Won | [189] |
| ESPN Ringside Awards | Knockout of the Year | His knockout over Tyron Woodley | Won | [64] | |
| 2022 | ESPN Ringside Awards | Viral Moment of the Year | His knockdown over Anderson Silva | Runner-up | [190] |
| 2023 | Happy Punch Awards | Best Trash Talker | Himself | Pending | [191] |
- "Fresh Outta London" did not enter the UK Independent Singles Chart, but peaked at number eight on the UK Independent Singles Breakers chart.[183]
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