Jake Paul
Jake Joseph Paul (born January 17, 1997) is an American professional boxer, influencer, entrepreneur, and actor. He began his career posting videos on Vine in September 2013, amassing 5.3 million followers and 2 billion views before the platform was discontinued. He subsequently built a massive presence on YouTube, where Forbes ranked him as one of the highest-paid creators of the 2010s and 2020s.
Paul transitioned into professional boxing in 2020, building a 12-2 professional record that includes victories over former UFC champions and a unanimous decision victory over Mike Tyson in November 2024—a fight that achieved the biggest boxing gate receipts in U.S. history outside of Las Vegas. His December 2025 bout against Anthony Joshua ended in a sixth-round knockout loss, his first stoppage defeat.
As an entrepreneur, Paul co-founded Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) in 2021 alongside business partner Nakisa Bidarian, establishing himself as a major figure in boxing promotion. The company has promoted significant events including the historic Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano bout, described as the "biggest women's fight of all time." In 2022, Paul co-founded Betr, a sports-media and mobile-betting company that has raised $100 million in total funding at a $375 million valuation. He also co-founded Anti Fund, a venture capital firm, and launched W by Jake Paul, a men's personal care brand that projects $50 million in revenue by 2025.
According to Forbes, Paul earned an estimated $50 million in 2024 alone, making him one of the world's highest-paid creators. His estimated net worth ranges from $100 million to $200 million in 2025.
Early life
Family background
Jake Joseph Paul was born on January 17, 1997, in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the younger brother of Logan Paul, who is also a prominent YouTuber, internet personality, professional wrestler, and entrepreneur. The brothers began filming videos together when Jake was ten years old, laying the groundwork for their future careers in digital content.
Their father, Gregory Allan Paul, worked as a real estate agent and commercial roofer in the Cleveland area. Their mother, Pamela Ann Stepnick (née Meredith), was a registered nurse who worked at UH Westlake Surgery Center for approximately 20 years. Jake was raised in Westlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, in what he has described as a church-going, Christian household.
Jake's parents divorced when he was seven years old, creating significant family tension. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Paul described the difficult dynamics: "There was mental manipulation, and my mom trying to get me on her side, my dad trying to get me on his side." This childhood experience of family discord would later inform some of his public discussions about personal challenges.
The success of both Jake and his brother Logan eventually allowed their mother to retire from nursing and become a social media personality in her own right. Their father also gained a following through appearances in his sons' content.
Education
Paul attended Westlake High School, where he was an active athlete. He competed in wrestling and football during his high school years, developing the competitive drive and physical conditioning that would later serve him in his boxing career.
After high school, Paul briefly attended Cleveland State University before dropping out to pursue his rapidly growing social media career full-time. His success on Vine and YouTube made traditional higher education seem less relevant compared to the opportunities available through digital content creation.
Entertainment career
Vine success (2013-2016)
Paul began his online career in September 2013 by posting videos on Vine, the short-form video platform. His content—typically comedic sketches, pranks, and physical comedy—resonated with the platform's young audience, and he quickly built a substantial following.
By the time Vine was discontinued by Twitter, Inc. in 2016, Paul had amassed 5.3 million followers and an astonishing 2 billion views on his content. This made him one of the most successful creators on the platform and positioned him for continued success as he transitioned to YouTube.
YouTube career (2014-present)
Paul launched his YouTube channel on May 15, 2014, while still actively creating Vine content. His YouTube channel featured longer-form content including pranks, challenge videos, controversies, and hip hop music. The channel capitalized on the audience he had built on Vine while allowing him to create more elaborate and monetizable content.
Paul's YouTube success was substantial. His channel grew to over 20 million subscribers and accumulated more than 7 billion views. Forbes ranked him among the highest-paid YouTube creators of both the 2010s and 2020s, recognizing his ability to build and monetize a massive audience.
Team 10 (2016-2019)
In 2016, Paul launched Team 10, an entertainment collective and content house that brought together multiple young influencers to create collaborative content. The model followed the emerging trend of content houses—shared residences where creators lived together and produced videos featuring each other.
On January 17, 2017, his 20th birthday, Paul launched TeamDom, a media company built around Team 10 with $1 million in funding. Investors included Danhua Capital, Horizons Alpha, Vayner Capital, Sound Ventures & A-Grade Investments, and Adam Zeplain. TeamDom aimed to create an influencer marketing management and creative agency focused on teen entertainment.
Team 10 members released collaborative content and music throughout 2017-2018, with Paul serving as the central figure. However, the collective gradually dissolved as members departed due to various conflicts and controversies. By September 2019, Team 10's social media accounts became inactive, and the collective was considered disbanded.
Disney Channel: Bizaardvark (2016-2017)
After gaining acclaim on Vine and YouTube, Paul joined the cast of the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark, playing a character named Dirk Mann who accepted dare requests from viewers. He was notably the first social media star to be cast in a Disney Channel main cast role.
On July 22, 2017, during the middle of filming the second season, Disney Channel announced that Paul would be leaving the series. The announcement followed a news report from KTLA about public complaints from Paul's neighbors regarding noise from his pranks and parties, hazards, and large crowds of fans congregating in their neighborhood.
Paul initially stated he was leaving to focus on his personal brand, YouTube channel, and business ventures. However, he later admitted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was actually fired by Disney. He stated that Disney wanted to remove him from the show quickly due to the controversy generated by the KTLA article. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "For Disney, the KTLA news segment was the final straw."
Music career
Paul released numerous singles throughout his career, with varying degrees of commercial success and controversy:
"It's Everyday Bro" (2017): Released on May 30, 2017, featuring Team 10 members, this track drew over 70 million views in one month but became one of YouTube's most disliked videos. Despite the negative reception, the song debuted at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Other releases: Paul released multiple additional singles including "Ohio Fried Chicken," "Malibu," "My Teachers," "Randy Savage," "Cartier Vision," "Champion" (a diss track aimed at boxing opponent Deji), and "Fresh Outta London." Many of these tracks were later deleted due to various circumstances including his 2018 breakup with Erika Costell.
Film and television
Beyond Bizaardvark, Paul has appeared in various film and television projects:
Film roles:
- Dance Camp (2016) – First film role
- Airplane Mode (2019)
- Mainstream (2020)
- A Genie's Tail (2022)
Television appearances:
- Walk the Prank (2016)
- The Price Is Right (2017)
- Ridiculousness (2020)
- Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson (2024) – Netflix documentary series narrated by Ice-T
Boxing career
Amateur debut (2018)
Paul made his boxing debut in August 2018 in a white-collar (amateur) match against English YouTuber Deji Olatunji. The bout served as the co-feature to his brother Logan's fight against Deji's older brother, KSI. The fight took place on August 25 at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Paul defeated Olatunji via technical knockout (TKO) in the fifth round, demonstrating surprising boxing ability for a YouTube star with limited training. The event generated massive pay-per-view interest and established that YouTuber boxing matches could be commercially viable.
Professional career (2020-present)
Early professional fights
AnEsonGib (January 2020): Paul made his professional debut against English YouTuber AnEsonGib on January 30, 2020, at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami, Florida. The bout was the co-feature to the WBO world middleweight title fight between Demetrius Andrade and Luke Keeler. Paul won via first-round TKO and immediately called out KSI for a future bout.
Nate Robinson (November 2020): Paul faced former NBA player Nate Robinson on November 28, 2020, as the co-feature to the exhibition match between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Paul knocked out Robinson in the second round, generating viral footage of Robinson's dramatic fall.
Transition to MMA fighters
Paul began fighting former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, generating controversy about whether these matchups represented legitimate boxing competition:
Ben Askren (April 2021): Paul headlined a bout against former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion Ben Askren on April 17, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Paul won via first-round TKO. The event reportedly generated 1.45 million pay-per-view buys, though the legitimacy of both the match and the viewership numbers was questioned by various personalities.
Tyron Woodley I (August 2021): Paul faced former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley on August 29, 2021, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Paul won via split decision (77-75, 78-74, 77-75), with one judge scoring the fight for Woodley. The event reportedly generated 500,000 pay-per-view buys. After the fight, Paul offered Woodley a rematch if Woodley agreed to tattoo "I love Jake Paul" on his body.
Tyron Woodley II (December 2021): After Tommy Fury withdrew from a scheduled December fight, Paul rematched Woodley on December 18. Paul knocked out Woodley in the sixth round, earning the ESPN Ringside Award for "Knockout of the Year."
Anderson Silva (October 2022): Paul faced former UFC champion Anderson Silva, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, on October 29, 2022, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Paul won via unanimous decision (78-73, 78-73, 77-74), his most credible victory to that point.
First professional loss: Tommy Fury
After two previous attempts to schedule the fight fell through, Paul finally faced Tommy Fury—an actual professional boxer and half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury—on February 26, 2023, in Saudi Arabia.
Fury defeated Paul via split decision (75-74 Paul, 76-73 Fury, 76-73 Fury), despite Paul knocking Fury down in the eighth round. The loss was Paul's first as a professional boxer. Following the defeat, Paul reportedly exited negotiations for a proposed fight against KSI at Wembley Stadium.
Rebuilding with wins
Nate Diaz (August 2023): Paul faced former UFC fighter Nate Diaz on August 5, 2023, at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Paul won via unanimous decision (98-91, 98-91, 97-92) in a 10-round bout.
Andre August (December 2023): Paul faced professional boxer Andre August (10-1-1) on December 15, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. This was Paul's first fight not on pay-per-view, with Paul stating he wanted to "build experience in the ring." Paul won by first-round knockout.
Ryan Bourland (March 2024): Paul faced professional boxer Ryan Bourland (17-2) on March 2, 2024, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Paul won by first-round TKO.
Mike Perry (July 2024): Paul faced former UFC fighter and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship "King of Violence" Mike Perry on July 20, 2024, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Paul won by sixth-round TKO.
Mike Tyson fight (November 2024)
On March 7, 2024, it was announced that Paul would face former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson on November 15, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The bout was broadcast on Netflix, marking a significant moment for the streaming service's entry into live sports.
The fight was sanctioned as a professional boxing match by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, Paul's debut at heavyweight. After being postponed from its original July date due to Tyson suffering an ulcer flare-up, the fight proceeded in November.
Paul defeated the 58-year-old Tyson via unanimous decision (80-72, 79-73, 79-73). Paul landed 78 punches to Tyson's 18 during the eight two-minute rounds. The fight achieved the biggest boxing gate receipts in U.S. history outside of Las Vegas, cementing Paul's status as a major boxing draw regardless of opinions about his skill level.
Paul reportedly earned $40 million from the Tyson fight, his largest single payday to date.
Julio César Chávez Jr. (June 2025)
Paul fought Julio César Chávez Jr. in a 10-round cruiserweight bout on June 28, 2025, in Anaheim, California. Paul won via unanimous decision (99-91, 97-93, 98-92).
Following the fight, Paul received rankings from boxing sanctioning bodies—he was ranked #14 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), with World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman stating Paul would also receive a WBC ranking. This made Paul theoretically eligible to challenge for world titles. However, after criticism from ranked contenders, the WBA announced it was reviewing Paul's ranking.
Anthony Joshua loss (December 2025)
On November 17, 2025, it was announced that Paul would face former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on December 19, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The bout was broadcast on Netflix.
The fight was widely criticized due to the significant size and experience disparity between the fighters—Joshua weighed 26.8 pounds heavier, stood 5 inches taller, and entered with a 28-4 professional record including 25 knockouts at championship level.
Joshua defeated Paul via knockout in the sixth round, handing Paul his first stoppage loss. Paul was hospitalized with a broken jaw and required surgery to have two titanium plates fitted, along with having some teeth removed. He was unable to eat solid food for at least one week following the fight.
In January 2026, Paul lost his #14 WBA cruiserweight ranking as a result of the defeat.
Professional boxing record summary
As of December 2025, Jake Paul holds a professional boxing record of 12 wins and 2 losses, with 7 wins coming by knockout. His notable opponents include:
- Wins over: AnEsonGib (TKO), Nate Robinson (KO), Ben Askren (TKO), Tyron Woodley twice (SD, KO), Anderson Silva (UD), Nate Diaz (UD), Andre August (KO), Ryan Bourland (TKO), Mike Perry (TKO), Mike Tyson (UD), Julio César Chávez Jr. (UD)
- Losses to: Tommy Fury (SD), Anthony Joshua (KO)
Business ventures
Most Valuable Promotions
In 2021, Paul co-founded Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) alongside his business adviser Nakisa Bidarian. The boxing promotion company has become a significant player in the sport, signing major fighters and promoting high-profile events.
Amanda Serrano signing: MVP's first major signing was Puerto Rican boxer Amanda Serrano, a seven-division world champion, in September 2021. Serrano has become one of the most prominent female boxers in the world under MVP's promotion.
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano (2022): MVP co-promoted with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing the historic bout between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, billed as "For History." The fight 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 bout was universally acclaimed, winning Fight of the Year from Sports Illustrated and Event of the Year from The Ring.
Most Valuable Prospects: In 2023, MVP and DAZN announced a new series of events featuring up-and-coming boxers without pay-per-view, designed to develop new talent in the sport.
Betr
In August 2022, Paul co-founded Betr, a sports-media and mobile-betting company, alongside Simplebet founder Joey Levy. The company aims to combine sports content with mobile betting services.
Funding: Paul initially claimed to have received $50 million in Series A funding. In March 2024, Betr raised an additional $15 million at a $375 million valuation, led by Harmony Partners and 10X Capital. Total funding has reached $100 million.
Operations: Betr operates real-money fantasy sports products in 24 states and plans to expand to a nationwide sportsbook brand.
Anti Fund
In 2021, Paul partnered with serial entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo to launch Anti Fund, a venture capital firm focused on investing in "rebels and iconoclasts." The firm targets seed to early-stage companies in cryptocurrency, sports, and e-commerce.
Notable investments:
- Simplebet Inc. (August 2021): Anti Fund led investment in the sports gambling firm, raising $30 million.
- Anduril Industries (August 2022): Investment in the defense technology and military contractor company.
W by Jake Paul
In June 2024, Paul launched W, a men's personal care brand, with products priced under $10 available exclusively at Walmart. The company was incubated by Anti Fund and targets young male consumers who follow sports and influencers.
In July 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that W raised over $14 million in venture capital funding from Shrug Capital and others, including tennis star Naomi Osaka, at a valuation exceeding $150 million. The brand projects $50 million in revenue.
Boxing Bullies
Paul founded Boxing Bullies, an organization designed to help youth combat bullying. The initiative connects Paul's boxing career to social causes affecting young people.
Professional Fighters League
On January 5, 2023, Paul signed a multi-year deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) to co-found and compete in a new pay-per-view division called Super Fight. He also adopted the official role of "head of fighter advocacy." In preparation for a potential MMA debut, Paul began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu with ADCC head organizer Mo Jassim and Michael Perez.
Controversies and legal issues
Disney firing and neighbor complaints (2017)
Paul's departure from Disney's Bizaardvark followed extensive complaints from neighbors about noise, hazards, and crowds at his West Hollywood home. A KTLA news report documented the complaints, leading Disney to terminate his contract. Paul initially claimed he was leaving voluntarily but later admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that he was fired.
Content controversies
Inappropriate thumbnails (2018): In January 2018, Paul uploaded a video entitled "I lost my virginity" that used a thumbnail showing himself and then-girlfriend Erika Costell posing semi-nude. YouTube age-restricted the video, and critics including Keemstar criticized the thumbnail as inappropriate for Paul's young audience.
Content house claims (2020): In November 2020, Paul sparked controversy by claiming he "paved the way" for content house creation and celebrity boxing matches, with many objecting that he was neither the first to create content houses nor the first YouTuber to box.
Racism allegations
Kazakhstan comments (2017): In a video titled "SELF DRIVING TESLA IN DRIVE THRU PRANK," Paul made comments about a Kazakhstani fan that were accused of perpetuating stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims as terrorists.
Martínez twins accusations (2017): Spanish twins Ivan and Emilio Martínez accused Paul and Team 10 of anti-Hispanic targeting, including using stereotypes and slurs and withholding payment. Paul responded that "nothing was off-limits" regarding jokes between Team 10 members.
Racial slur (2018): TMZ revealed a video in which Paul used the n-word multiple times while freestyle rapping.
Scam allegations
Edfluence (2018): Paul launched Edfluence, a $7 program claiming to teach followers how to be successful online. Critics accused him of scamming young followers since the fee only unlocked basic tips. The program was shut down in January 2020.
MysteryBrand (2019): Paul and RiceGum were criticized for promoting MysteryBrand, a website offering digital "mystery boxes" where many users reported not receiving prizes they won.
SafeMoon lawsuit (2022): Paul was named as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit against cryptocurrency company SafeMoon, accused of promoting the token with misleading information as part of an alleged pump and dump scheme.
NFT allegations (2022): YouTuber Coffeezilla accused Paul of using cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens to scam fans out of $2.2 million.
Arizona mall incident and FBI raid (2020)
In May 2020, during protests following the murder of George Floyd, Paul was charged with "criminal trespass and unlawful assembly" related to civil unrest at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona. Paul claimed he was "documenting, not engaging" in any lawlessness.
On August 5, 2020, FBI agents in tactical gear raided Paul's Calabasas mansion. Video showed agents seizing multiple firearms from the property. The FBI confirmed the raid was connected to the Arizona incident.
Paul addressed the raid one week later, confirming it was "entirely related to the Arizona looting situation." The charges were ultimately dismissed, with the U.S. Attorney's Office announcing it was not pursuing federal charges against Paul.
COVID-19 controversies (2020)
Large party (July 2020): Paul threw a large party at his Calabasas home during the pandemic, with attendees not wearing masks or social distancing. Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub criticized the event as "a big, huge disregard for everything that everybody is trying to do."
COVID denialism (November 2020): In an interview with The Daily Beast, Paul described COVID-19 as a "hoax" and claimed "98 percent of news [about COVID-19] is fake." He suggested Americans should not be "hiding from a virus" and was widely criticized for spreading misinformation.
Other incidents
Zayn Malik altercation (2020): Paul was involved in a verbal altercation with singer Zayn Malik in Las Vegas, later posting and deleting tweets about the incident. Paul acknowledged he was drunk during the Twitter posts.
Neighbor lawsuits: Neighbors in Beverly Grove filed a class-action public nuisance lawsuit against Paul after he made his home address public, leading to crowds and noise complaints.
Personal life
Relationships
Paul has had several public relationships, including with fellow Team 10 members and influencers. His relationships with Alissa Violet and Erika Costell were extensively documented on YouTube before ending publicly. He dated model Julia Rose, who appeared in his "These Days" music video.
Residence
Paul has resided in various Los Angeles-area homes, including properties in West Hollywood and Calabasas. His homes have frequently been the subject of controversy due to noise complaints, parties, and fan gatherings.
Family relationships
Paul maintains a close relationship with his brother Logan Paul, despite occasional public tensions. The brothers have collaborated on content and business ventures, and Logan made an appearance during Jake's corner at the Paul vs. Woodley fight. Logan's WWE career has intersected with Jake's public appearances, including Jake appearing at WWE Crown Jewel 2022 during Logan's match against Roman Reigns.
Professional boxing record
| Professional record | |
|---|---|
| Wins | 12 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By knockout | 1 |
See also
References