Pranksters are everywhere. They’re lurking in corners with cameras and they seem to be breeding at an exponential rate on social media. It takes a really good gimmick to separate the posers and wannabes, and Frankie LaPenna has come up with a standout schtick. He’s invaded the world of Zoom meetings and become known as “the green screen guy,” taking online meetings to locations like bars, NFL games or even skydiving. The gimmick has given him a net worth of around $500,000, so let’s see how he came up with it and how he’s managed to capitalize on its potential.…
Author: Bob McCullough
Bob McCullough
Bob McCullough is an experienced author, journalist and freelance writer. As a journalist he's worked for the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix, the LA Times, and Publishers Weekly.
If you’re a fan of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” you’ve noticed Jamie Vernon, aka Young Jamie quietly working behind the scenes. The podcast producer’s job is to ensure everything runs smoothly and of course, pull up random videos for Rogan. But you probably don’t know much about his journey, and you’re curious about how much Rogan pays him! Fans estimate that Vernon makes $125,000 to $150,000 per year. Earning a six figure salary and working closely with Joe Rogan is a dream job for many. Vernon joined Rogan’s crew in 2013, when he was hired as an assistant to help…
Seasoned financial journalist Charles Payne provides insightful but sometimes questionable market tips on his show “Making Money with Charles Payne”. Previously, he was a Wall Street analyst who founded the Wall Street Strategies research firm. Charles Payne has a net worth of $12 million and makes $4 million per year as a host on the Fox Business Network. Early Life Hailing from South Jersey, Charles was born on November 15, 1960. Growing up he always wanted to work in finance. However, before starting he joined the United States Air Force at 17 years old. Young Charles was stationed in Minot,…
If you’re a fan of the hit Netflix series, Ozark, then you’ve almost certainly enjoyed the acting skills of Sofia Hublitz. who plays Charlotte, the daughter of Marty and Wendy Byrde. She’s become a star as a member of the notorious, problematic Byrde family. Fans of Hublitz got to see her play an important role in season 4, which unfortunately was Ozark’s swan song. But there’s more to Sofia Hublitz than just her supporting role in Ozark. Foodies may remember her as a prominent contestant in MasterChef Junior, where she ran afoul of Gordon Ramsey after making a mistake in…
It’s one of the ultimate physique memes on the Internet, so much so that people have questioned the existence of the person who’s behind it. Ernest Khalimov is the supposed originator behind the GigaChad meme, which is listed on Instagram as berlin.1969, and the account has around 1 million followers. As best anyone can tell, Khalimov is 54 and lists himself as a Russian fitness trainer and model. The earliest images of him first surfaced in 2017, but a Russian photographer named Krista Sudmalis has traced his online origins back to 2015. Sudmalis appears to have an intriguing ulterior motive…
Muff Waders are the first bib overalls that can hold cans or bottles of your favorite drink, so you can work and play. It’s a fun clothing idea that was pitched on Shark Tank by founders Garret Lamp and Taylor Nees. Sadly, they didn’t get a deal but the company was later acquired. As of 2024, Muff Waders is worth an estimated $500,000. Taylor Nees & Garret Lamp Taylor “Earl” Nees and Garret “Buddy” Lamp are childhood friends and grew up in Holstein, Iowa. They grew up in a small town and had similar dreams. Buddy studied advertising at Iowa…
Have Turkish celebrity chefs become a new foodie cult? If you’ve followed their antics lately, you might be inclined to say yes, especially if you follow the antics of Burak Ozdemir, aka CZN. Flamboyance is the key to success in their world, and Ozdemir has some great tricks that have helped him acquire an $11 million net worth. Background Ozdemir was born to an Arab family in Yayladagi, a small Turkish town near the Syrian border. His father owned a textile shop called Cinzano, which helped lead to Burak’s nickname, CZN (pronounced che-ze-ne). His cooking skills, however, came from his…
One of the most unique ways to get rich is inventing a scientific product that’s indispensable, and that’s definitely the case for Andy Hildebrand, the inventor of Auto-Tune. The pitch-correction software has been used for nearly every chart-topping album made in the past 20 years. As loathed as Auto-Tune is by many, it made Hildebrand a rich man. As of 2024, Andy Hildebrand has a net worth of $20 million. So let’s explore his history as well as that of his unique creation. Early Days Hildebrand is the first to admit he wasn’t a normal kid. He was an easily-distracted…
If you’re gonna be a travel icon these days, you gotta have a great gimmick. And if you’re gonna have a gimmick that’s a nickname, it better be way over the top to get you noticed. Welcome to the world of Bald and Bankrupt, otherwise known as Benjamin Rich, appropriately enough. He may be big and bald, but he definitely ain’t bankrupt. It’s a complicated situation, but Rich’s riches-seeking venture has definitely paid off. Bald and Bankrupt’s estimated net worth is $3 million, and shockingly, he’s about to bail on his lucrative YouTube channel. His show started on a whim, mostly.…
If we’ve learned anything from social media it’s that it’s a great vehicle for both pranks and social experiments. Sometimes these are one and the same, and occasionally the folks who design them end up rich and famous for reasons that are obscure. That’s definitely the case for Juan Gonzalez, who has amassed a net worth of $3 million plying his trade. It’s been a strange journey for sure, so let’s check out the various steps that led to his success on YouTube. Early Days Gonzalez was born in Cancun, Mexico in 1993, but he keeps much of his early…