Since it’s launch in 2005, YouTube has become millions — if not billions — of people’s go-to place for video content. Users like Daniel Keem, better known as Keemstar, have been able to benefit from the platform’s popularity in ways they could have never imagined. When Keem first appeared on YouTube over a decade ago, no one probably could have imagined all of the success he would eventually have. His channel, DramaAlert, currently has 5.5 million subscribers and he’s racked up over a billion total views. Continue reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Daniel Keem.
1. Work Keeps Him Sane
Being a YouTuber may seem like an easy job, but a lot more work goes into it than people think. The process of creating and editing videos can take hours, but Daniel doesn’t mind. He loves what he does and says that his work is the only thing that keeps him sane.
2. He Used To Be A Debt Collector
Being a YouTuber wasn’t always in the plans for Keemstar. Long before he ever thought of posting content on the internet, he was planning on pursuing a career in the legal world. Before his YouTube success, he worked in a law office for almost 10 years where he was a debt collector.
3. There’s A Petition Asking To Not Have His YouTube Deleted
Having a large platform, also comes with lots of opinions. Daniel’s YouTube success hasn’t been met without criticism which has also led to lots of people asking to have him removed from YouTube. A change.org user started a petition titled, “Do Not Delete the DramaAlert channel & Keemstar from Youtube”. The petition has been closed, but it gained nearly 60,000 subscribers.
4. He Was Accused Of Exploiting Another YouTuber’s Mental Health Issues
Daniel has dealt with a lot of of controversy over the years, but one particular incident nearly damaged his brand for good. When YouTuber, Etika, died by suicide in 2019, many people felt that Daniel had manipulated Etika’s mental health issues. People believed that Daniel had said things to Etika that encouraged him to end his life. Daniel denied these allegations and said that not only had he expressed concern for Etika prior to his death, but he wasn’t aware of the truth depth of Etika’s mental health issues.
5. He Lost A Major Sponsor
Recently, Daniel found himself in yet another controversial situation when fellow YouTuber, Ethan Klein, released a video that exposed several alleged issues with Keemstar and how he uses his platform. Shortly after the video’s release, one of Daniel’s sponsors, G Fuel, decided to end their relationship. It’s unclear whether the video is definitely the reason for the end of the sponsorship, but the timing definitely makes it seem that way.
6. He’s From New York
Daniel was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and he is very proud of his hometown. In 2018, he even tweeted that he plans to live in Buffalo for the rest of his life and referred to it as “the best place on earth with the best people that work circles around everyone else.” However, he added that he will also spend time living in Los Angeles because of his job.
7. He’s A Proud Father
No matter how you feel about his online persona, there’s one thing that no one could ever take away from him: Daniel is a great father. Even though he has a busy schedule and has to do a lot of traveling for work, Daniel loves spending time with his young daughter, Mia.
8. He Loves The Outdoors
Just because Daniel sits at his desk and makes videos for a living doesn’t mean that he likes to spend all his time inside. He is definitely an outdoors kind of guy and he enjoys spending time out and nature. He loves doing things like fishing, hiking, and 4 wheeling.
9. He’s A Philanthropist
Daniel’s platform isn’t just about controversy, he’s also used his success to help others. In January 2020, he teamed up with Softgiving to create a campaign to help Australia in the midst of the bushfires. He set out with a goal to raise $1m to to donate to volunteer firefighters in the area.
10. He Originally Got Noticed For Being A Troll
When Daniel first started getting attention online, it was because he was playing Halo 3 on Xbox Live and trash talking other players. Daniel says, “The next day I wake up and see my inbox full of messages saying that I’m on YouTube but I never uploaded.” The content had been uploaded by another YouTuber who asked Daniel if he’d be interested in doing more videos.
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