Streamer Kai Cenat has made it clear he does not want to use his platform to promote online gambling, so much so he says he turned down a $60 million opportunity in 2023.
Turning Down a Deal
An unnamed online gambling company reportedly approached him to push sponsored content to his daily audience of roughly 120,000 viewers per stream, most of whom are between the ages of 20 and 29, with 94 percent based in the U.S., according to Stream Hatchet.
“I learned that not all money is good money,” Cenat told his guest Kirk Franklin during his Mafiathon 3 on Sept. 29, Complex reported.
While the gambling website was not named, an educated guess suggests the offer may have come from Twitch competitor Kick, a livestreaming platform known for prioritizing gambling and enabling shock humor to drive engagement, Hot100.9 reported.
Turning down the deal may have been influenced by concerns about alienating his audience on an emerging platform versus sticking with a well-established one. Cenat may also have been wary of Kick’s perceived toxicity potentially jeopardizing his other brand partnerships. However, both the Kick scenario and the $60 million figure remain speculative, as there is no concrete confirmation.
“A lot of the times, there’s gonna be times and opportunities where you’re gonna wanna get money to do certain things that you wouldn’t normally do. Like, 2023, my first Mafiathon ever, I was offered like $60 million. $60 million to do something that I did not want to do, which is like gambling and stuff like that. I didn’t wanna take it because I knew it would mess me up. I knew it would make me lose focus on what I’ve got going on right now,” he said.
This incredible offer has not been confirmed, but Cenat seems to like to recount the tale.
Fellow streamer Adin Ross, who collaborates with Cenat, reportedly has a $50 million-plus equity offer from Kick.
Mafiathon 3 is the third annual installment of Cenat’s mafia-themed, 30-day streaming event, featuring numerous celebrity guests and aiming to set a new record for the most active subscribers on Twitch, the gaming and pop culture platform he primarily streams on.
The event ran from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, concluding with LeBron James cutting Cenat’s signature dreads.
Cenat’s net worth is reportedly around $35 million, surpassing that of some celebrities who have appeared on his shows, according to Bleu Magazine.
He has also secured numerous high-profile endorsements, including McDonald’s, Nike, Crocs, T-Mobile, and BAPE, according to Sole Retriever. Beyond his own career, Cenat leads the content creator collective AMP (Any Means Possible), ensuring members like Duke Dennis, Agent, Fanum, Davis, and Chrisntxdoor are positioned for their own unique multimillion-dollar brand deals.
