Numbers Don’t Lie

Hello again, readers. Hope you’re enjoying the end of summer while you catch up on today’s creator news. Did you see KSI perform at Reading Festival this weekend? He even brought the Sidemen out 👀. From dominating the global stage on YouTube to shutting down an IRL stage in front of thousands of fans, KSI is showing the world he’s serious about music. Are there any KSI fans reading right now? Let me know. 👇

– Alice Ophelia

In Today’s Issue 💬

→ What Jake Paul’s victory means for the future of boxing

→ A look at what fashion icon Iris Apfel is creating for her 100th birthday

→ The details on Bored Ape Yacht Club’s NFT auction at Sotheby’s

Jake Paul Remains Undefeated In Boxing, Winning By Split Decision

Did you know that Jake Paul was the 3rd highest-paid boxer in 2020? And not just among ‘influencer boxers’, but across everyone in the field. From YouTube menace to the ‘problem child’ of boxing, Jake has changed the face of the sport forever. We saw this thesis put to the test last weekend with Jake’s fight against Tyron Woodley, a former UFC Welterweight Champion. Jake won by split decision, which brings his record to 4-0 as an unbeaten professional boxer.  

The event was held in Cleveland, Paul’s hometown, with a nod from LeBron James who tweeted “CLEVELAND IS JUMPING!! Should have flew back to the crib.” Jake signed a promotional deal with Showtime early this year, with pay-per-view (PPV) slots selling for $59.99 a pop. While PPV numbers are yet to be revealed, Sporting News said “It will easily be the most-viewed boxing match ever for a fighter with four bouts.” 

Creator boxing has exploded in popularity over the past couple of years, buoyed by efforts from YouTubers like Joe Weller and KSI. Since then, Jake has built his image as a professional fighter who wants to “bring new eyeballs to the sport.” While a multi-million dollar payday is inevitable for Jake, he alleges that he turned down a higher purse so that fighters on his undercard could receive adequate compensation: "Everyone on the card is getting the biggest pay-day that they've ever had as a fighter and that's just part of my movement.”

Our Take

Boxing has always relied on the cult of personality to transform a fight into an entertainment spectacle. The bigger the ego, the more interested and invested we become in the outcome. Jake Paul knows the internet inside out from his years as a creator, and has the ability, arguably more than other fighters, to sell the story. Attention is the most valuable currency a boxer can hold, and Jake has it in droves. So, who does he fight next? My bet is on Tommy Fury.

Iris Apfel Launches Centenarian Collab Collections 

Listen Forbes, we’re going to need a new category for creators. What about 101 under 101, with Iris Apfel leading the charge? In case you missed it, fashion icon and serial entrepreneur Iris Apfel turned 100 on Sunday, with two new collaborations under her belt to celebrate the occasion. The centenarian has partnered with Edward Bess on a limited-edition makeup collection, to “always keep it 100”. The self-proclaimed “geriatric starlet” is also collaborating with glasses brand Zenni for a multi-year deal featuring 100 Zenni styles. 

Iris’s story is movie-worthy and then some. After enjoying a textile career at The White House that spanned nine presidencies, she landed her first big job in fashion at 87. A decade later, she signed to IMG as a model and became the oldest person to have a Barbie made in her image. What a legend. 

You can keep up with Iris and her curatorial finesse as she closes in on 2 million followers on Instagram, not to mention her partnership with Etsy, and an episode “Old School Meets New School” with Lil Yachty on TikTok. 

Our Take

Creatorship has no age limit, especially when the barrier to create has never been lower. While teens on TikTok often dominate headlines and precious social real estate, Iris’s story shows that it’s never too late to get started. As Edward Bess said, “I consider Iris proof that great things are recognized and never go out of fashion.”

Bored Ape Yacht Club Heads For Sotheby’s

Will you be putting in a bid at the Bored Ape Yacht Club’s forthcoming auction at Sotheby’s, beginning September 2nd? The collection will see two lots of the phenomenally popular NFT project up for grabs, including 101 Bored Ape Kennel Club NFTs, which were airdropped for free to Bored Ape holders. 

Bored Ape Yacht Club launched in April, originally comprising 10,000 randomly generated NFTs, with each ape selling for ~$186. Last week, Steph Curry purchased a Bored Ape for ~$180,000 (55 ETH), making the announcement by changing his Twitter profile picture to the new asset. The Sotheby’s auction follows $96 million generated by the Bored Ape Yacht Club in just one hour on Saturday night, through sales of 10,000 Mutant Apes. To put this into context, one of the pseudonymous Bored Ape co-founders said “Your ape is your Amex black card.”

Our Take

In the creator world, community is king. The Bored Ape community has driven early loyalty and engagement for the brand, leading to mainstream recognition from institutions like Sotheby’s. Buying into the NFT boom doesn’t always guarantee inclusion to one of the hottest spaces right now, but investing in the Bored Ape Yacht Club secures a share of the culture and a slice of the pie. Monkey business? Absolutely.

🔥 In Other News

• Kanye West (finally) releases Donda, his tenth studio album

• Addison Rae’s He’s All That movie is out on Netflix  

• DrLupo will start streaming exclusively on YouTube starting August 31st

• DJ 3LAU is launching Royal, an NFT platform for music

• UTA signs Rally to connect crypto-interested talent with fans