IShowSpeed is a controversial and entertaining YouTube personality. His real name is Darren Watkins Jr but he also goes by Speed or Speedy. The YouTuber has had a rapid rise on social media over the last two years. He’s become famous for his angry outbursts and crazy antics on his live streams. As of 2023, IShowSpeed has an estimated net worth of $1 million.
Early Life
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on January 21, 2005 and Speed has stayed in his hometown for the majority of his life. He also has two other siblings, a little brother and a little sister.
Growing up as a teenager, he was always fascinated by YouTube and loved playing computer games. Darren is currently enrolled in his sophomore year of high school.
Prior to joining the online community, Darren worked in a nursing home, delivering food to the elderly. IShowSpeed has decided not to attend college and will focus on his YouTube career instead. In the past, he has considered quitting school but his family wants him to finish high school.
Online Career
Darren was motivated to start doing YouTube by a friend. In April 2020, he began posting videos online as IShowSpeed since he had nothing else to do during the lockdown.
Not long after, he quit his nursing home job and focused on uploading content. Speed got a huge bump in followers over a short period as he was one of the few people streaming NBA 2k20 and 2k21 videos.
He also played Fortnite, Talking Tom & Friends, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. His current content is based on his live streams in the past. He also performs music, rapping in a fast-paced style. This has helped him gain over 12 million subscribers in just two years.
Controversies
Unfortunately, unpleasant events followed Watkins’ fame. In December 2021, he was invited to Adin Live’s dating show on Twitch. There, he made moves on social media influencer Ash Kaash.
The model said no to Speed, and he started to get aggressive. He left the stream for a while, and when he returned, he made some unsavory comments to Ash. He got banned from Twitch as a result of his actions.
His most notorious song, titled Shake, released in November 2021, is also a subject of controversy. He danced to its questionable lyrics on stream. His father saw it and slapped his hands, but the young man proceeded to dance to the music.
Net Worth
IShowSpeed has stated that depending on the length of his streams, he earns between $75 and $200 per upload. He also makes money from YouTube ad revenue, sponsorships, and other sources.
From the ads on his YouTube videos alone, he makes an estimated $167,000 every month. Speed earns an average of $2 million each year solely from YouTube. Incorporating his other income sources, he has a net worth of $1 million.
Personal Life
Darren is said to have a daughter and is allegedly the father of a baby girl whose name is unknown. However, this was never confirmed. He once had a relationship with Ermony Renee but broke up with her after finding out she was cheating on him.
