The question is no longer “what does it take to be an influencer?” but “what do you do when you become one?.” Read about the infamous YouTuber’s rise and fall and fouseyTUBE net worth.
Before there were the likes of YouTube sensations Andrew Callaghan and Megan Batoon, fouseyTUBE’s name came on top as one of the most successful influencers on the platform.
He triggered trends that many copied in the hopes of achieving the same level of fame and wealth.
Before becoming a content creator, Yousef Erakat moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He sustained himself by working two jobs that paid just enough until the next check. And trying his luck on YouTube was of no added cost to his already tedious routine.
Erakat began uploading videos in 2011. He received his first recognition in 2012 as one of the 40 most influential Muslims under 40. He reached one million subscribers in 2014 and was awarded YouTube’s Diamond Play Button in 2017 after reaching ten million subscribers.
FOUSEY enjoyed a very expensive lifestyle. He paid $13,500 for a condo where he lived alone. He bought high-end cars and took lavish vacations. The former waiter and busboy spent on everything he ever wanted on a much higher level than what he imagined before his prominence.
So what happened to Yousef Erakat? He was living a life that only a tiny percentage of people could achieve, but as of this moment, fouseyTUBE net worth is $2 million. And by just looking at his previous YouTube stats, Erakat was earning so much more than this.
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FouseyTube Short Bio
Yousef Erakat, aka fouseyTUBE, was born on January 22, 1990, in Fremont, California. His parents were Palestinians who migrated to the US. Yousef is their fourth child; he has two older brothers and a famous elder sister, Noura Eraka, a legal scholar and university professor who once served as a legal counsel to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee.
Yousef attended San Jose State University, where he majored in Theater Arts. After graduating in 2013, he immediately packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Unfortunately for Yousef, he was up against the thousands who are after that same dream.
Yousef understood that somehow, he needed to stand out in order to get the chance he needed. He was trapped in a loop of working measly paying jobs to support his Hollywood venture. Adding one more initiative wouldn’t affect his situation.
FouseyTube’s Career
Beginnings and Rise on YouTube
Yousef started fouseyTUBE on March 21, 2011. He simply switched the first and last letters of his name and used that to create a channel. Despite the protest of his university dean, Yousef started uploading videos on YouTube. He had a rough start, but results came the following year.
After a laboring year of trying to attract views, FOUSEY successfully gained his first 100,000 subscribers. His content thrived on positive genres like health, following workout routines, sharing his opinions about the process, and straightforward clips of good vibes for chuckles.
In 2012, FOUSEY received YouTube’s Silver Play Button to commemorate his first milestone on the platform. At the same time, he was named third on the Top 40 Most influential Muslims Under 40. And with the fame, FOUSEY’s finances grew exponentially.
FOUSEY’s Skits and Pranks
In 2011, FOUSEY uploaded a cultural skit that sold relatability and became an instant hit with viewers, especially those who come from the same Middle Eastern background. Despite having no more than five thousand subscribers at the time, the video attracted almost 100,000 views on YouTube.
He continued to create quirkily and almost mocking videos of what it is like to grow up in a Muslim family. With the support of his family, Yousef’s early content helped him establish a place on YouTube. but he also knew that he had to develop new ideas for his channel to go beyond the 100,000 mark.
FOUSEY came up with elaborate but harmless pranks that he executed and recorded in public. His Mortal Kombat Elevator Prank, which was uploaded in September of 2014, has close to 132 million views to date. And as outrageous as it may seem, the video has a part two.
FOUSEY involved unsuspecting strangers in his crazy antics. He came up with ideas like randomly holding people’s hands and casually chatting with people while FOUSEY snacks on their food. While many found his jokes funny, some got angry and chased him off.
Regardless of how his audience and prank victims reacted, fouseyTUBE’s fame exceeded everyone’s expectations. The next thing FOUSEY knew, he was appearing on television shows, working with big stars like Kevin Hart, and was named for numerous awards for his content.
FouseyTUBE Subscriber Milestone
- 1 million subscribers: January 12, 2014
- 2 million subscribers: March 31, 2014
- 3 million subscribers: July 2, 2014
- 4 million subscribers: September 2, 2014
- 5 million subscribers: March 8, 2015
- 6 million subscribers: June 13, 2015
- 7 million subscribers: September 16, 2015
- 8 million subscribers: January 22, 2016
- 9 million subscribers: July 2, 2016
- 10 million subscribers: June 3, 2017
By December 13, 2015, fouseyTUBE reached 1 billion views on YouTube.
FouseyTUBE Goes Offline
By 2016, fouseyTUBE net worth was in the millions. He was living a life comparable to any Hollywood superstar. But after the Try Not to Laugh video with Kevin Hart, FOUSEY disappeared for seven months. There was no prior notice nor did he show any indication of stress.
He popped back up with a seven-minute video on May 25th, 2017. FOUSEY’s Dear YouTube explained his sudden disappearance and the struggles that he was going through.
FOUSEY claimed that fame and money turned him into a very greedy person. His new attitude was causing rifts in the family and everyone he cared about, and he hated it. Many commended the heartfelt transparency of someone so famous, and many well-wishers gave their support.
And yes, the breakdown happened before his channel hit the ten million subscriber milestone, but Yousef had enough existing content to pull fouseyTUBE over the line. Despite reaching such a significant achievement, FOUSEY showed clear signs of emotional and mental distress.
FouseyTUBE’s Decline
The “Other” Explanation for FOUSEY’s Hiatus
Even with all the money he had, FOUSEY ran out of gas to keep his creative juice flowing. He simply took off because people found out that many of his prank videos were staged. Revelations of the “supposedly” random strangers in the videos were all in it for the take.
The truth was served cold to FOUSEY’s avid viewers. As additional toppings to their dismay, the YouTuber argued that real or otherwise, the fact shouldn’t matter if his jokes made people laugh. The revelation resulted in fouseyTUBE losing subscribers and a rapid drop from his normal view count.
FOUSEY divulged that he had an unaddressed issue with YouTube, that he was receiving only five percent of what he usually earns per video. It was fitting to demand an explanation, but it’s another realistic explanation as to why the YouTuber had no motivation to create better content.
FouseyTUBE net worth drastic decline mirrored his growing infamy. From $8,000 per video, FOUSEY was only receiving around $500 for every content with no less than two million views.
FouseyTUBE 2018 Event
In 2018, FOUSEY organized an event called Hate Dies, Love Arrives. The seemingly positive event’s climax was a bomb threat that many suspect, FOUSEY called in himself. All 1500 attendees were evacuated from the Greek Theater, and the whole event was shut down.
But instead of apologizing and sending the spooked crowd on their way, FOUSEY dragged the event on the streets. Yousef exploded from a complete mental breakdown, screaming suicidal thoughts from the top of his lungs, and claimed he was a heavenly messenger.
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FouseyTUBE Net Worth – Frequently Asked Questions
How Much is fouseyTUBE Net Worth?
For the current year, fouseyTUBE net worth is estimated at $2 million. Yousef Erakat is an American-Palestinian YouTube content creator who grew in extreme prominence, with over ten million subscribers on his channel. His famous uploads included pranks and cultural skits.
Before his fall from grace, fouseyTUBE net worth was at least a hundredfold compared to his current wealth.
Why Was fouseyTUBE Famous?
FOUSEY’s fame began from the comedic skits he posted, based on his Middle Eastern upbringing. Many enjoyed his videos because they were clever and very relatable. The support of his growing audience was instantly carried on after FOUSEY moved to do pranks.
What Is FOUSEY Doing Now?
It appears that Yousef has been trying to make a comeback on YouTube. In 2021, Erakat continued his DOSEofFOUSEY channel, which currently has around 3.4 million subscribers. He also created a new channel called FOUSEY, where he has 253,000 subscribers and 78 uploads.
FouseyTUBE Net Worth – Final Thoughts
This is another example that young people like Jack Gleeson deserve all the admiration in the world for being wise enough to leave an industry that he felt was “ruining” him.
But do not get me wrong for even a second. Money and fame are results of effort, may it be our own or passed down. The question lies on our capacity to carry such status.
It is never impossible for fouseyTUBE net worth to regain its former numbers, and even beyond that. Now that Yousef is going for his third try, we can only hope that he has learned his lesson and now knows how to deal with his demons. He has the potential and deserves the chance.
Lucky for us, there is no great fear of how future influencers will turn out. There will be a few falls, here and there, but the new generation has this unbelievable knack to learn from the past. And thanks to the net, we can always scare them (and us too) with cringeworthy clips that will make them want to keep trekking the proper path to glory – if they ever choose to take it.
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