Money
Lethal Shooter’s Hidden Media Strategy
Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews over the past several years has solidified himself as one of the most notable sports figures online. He’s branded himself through his attention grabbing 3 point shooting scenarios and his signature “I get it now” catch phrase. Though his skills maybe be shocking, they are legit. His shocking precision turned him into one of the most valuable trainers in the world of basketball.
A few weeks ago, Matthews appeared in a new MrBeast video centered around shooting challenges and elite performance. On the surface, it looks like another viral sports crossover. Underneath, it’s a case study in how one of basketball’s most respected coaches built a premium business by monetizing trust, scarcity, and social media credibility.
What Happened
MrBeast, the most powerful creator on YouTube, invited Lethal Shooter to train him and team him the art of precision shooting . The video immediately exposed Matthews to millions of new viewers and added to his already established credibility. His brand was built through results: training Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and dozens of other elite players.
Why It Matters
What makes Lethal Shooter’s business model different is what he refuses to monetize.
In past interviews, Matthews has explained that he intentionally limits how many NBA players he trains, often working with only one or two per day. He avoids large group sessions, refuses “two-for-one” workouts, and even turns away players if he feels the relationship could damage his brand.
That scarcity is the foundation of his pricing power.
Instead of scaling through volume, Matthews scales through prestige. Each successful client becomes marketing. Each shooting record, like his viral 23-for-25 three-point streak becomes proof of concept. Each social clip functions as both content and credential.
From there, he built multiple revenue streams:
- Premium private training with NBA and pro-level athletes
- Selective youth camps with small group sizes and high ticket prices
- Brand partnerships with Nike, Jordan Brand, NBA 2K, and Red Bull
- Media projects, including his documentary and now high-profile creator collaborations
The MrBeast video amplifies all of it. It places Matthews in front of a mainstream audience that doesn’t just follow basketball.
Lethal Shooter recently collaborated with viral fitness influencer, Ashton Hall, for similarly the same reason. These crossovers expands his funnel far beyond gyms and leagues. Ashton’s audience especially is global. One of the things that stands out about Ashton’s content is that there are very few words which allows it be globally consumable. You don’t need to understand english to completely relate to the video which gives it global appeal.
You don’t have to be the star athlete to build a massive business in sports media. You can be a coach. You can be a trainer like Chris Brickley or a technician. If your expertise is rare and your results are visible, social media becomes your growth engine.
This collaboration also reflects a bigger creator-economy trend: top YouTubers are increasingly partnering with domain experts to add credibility and depth to their content. For MrBeast, featuring the world’s most famous shooting coach raises the stakes. For Matthews, it opens the door to more brand deals, speaking opportunities, digital products, and future media formats.
What’s Next
Matthews has already teased upcoming projects with new influencers. With the MrBeast appearance now part of his portfolio, his positioning shifts from “elite trainer” to “sports creator entrepreneur.”
For trainers, coaches, and niche experts watching from the sidelines, the lesson is clear: in today’s economy, mastery plus media beats scale alone.
Lethal Shooter built his empire through picking his spots right.
He built it by training the right people, and letting the internet do the rest.
Kai Cenat shook the internet this week after releasing a 23-minute YouTube video titled “I Quit,”. While many were shocked Kai used the moment to open up about self-doubt, mental health, creative purpose and to officially announce his new clothing brand, Vivet.
The video opens with Kai reflecting on identity, pressure, and growth.
“I feel like sometimes, people need to self-reflect and take a step back from the broad perspective of what their life has been,” he says. “There is more to the world that is much greater than myself… That’s why I quit.”
At first, it sounds like he’s ready to walk away from streaming altogether but the message was deeper. He’s decided to quit letting fear stop him from his creativity and genuine curiosity.
“I quit overthinking. I quit staying in my head about the goals I have,” he continues. “I want to push limits to see what I can truly create in life.”
A Real Conversation About Mental Health
Kai opens up in a grounded conversation with his mother, admitting he’s been dealing with doubt despite massive success.
“I’ve achieved so much… but in my head it’s a lot of self-doubt. I’m not depressed, I’m not sad. I’m just having a lot of self-doubt.”
This moment connects directly to recent statements Kai made online, admitting that constant streaming made him feel disconnected from reality and distant from loved ones. He didn’t frame himself as broken but afraid. His mom affirmed that this is what comes with success.
The Fashion Pivot: Introducing Vivet
Kai shows the behind the scenes of what’s been going on in his life these last few months. He travels to Italy, walks through fabric rooms and shows some footage of his design team. He also shares a clip of a conversation he had with legendary fashion stylist, Law Roach, on how he should roll out his brand. Law encouraged him to master one thing and grow from there.
This is where he officially unveils his fashion brand:
Vivet
The clip positions Vivet not as merch, but as a genuine design endeavor rooted in craft, storytelling, and independence. Kai shows his process, his curiosity, and why fashion feels like the next evolution of his creativity.
For viewers who’ve been paying attention, this didn’t come out of nowhere. He’s quietly been experimenting with fashion content for months on his “secret” channel, Kai’s Mind.
Why This Matters
There are two big takeaways here.
First, Kai’s “I Quit” isn’t an exit. It’s a declaration of control. He’s rejecting the idea that creators must remain in one box forever, and he’s choosing to grow while fans are watching.
Second, Vivet isn’t just a brand it’s a statement. We’re watching one of the biggest creators in the world move with intention, craftsmanship, and taking the longer route to build his brand identity.
He’s betting on his passion rather than what’s been proven to work. Creativity over routine. Evolution over stagnation.
And if history is any indication, when Kai commits to something, the internet follows.
Money
MrBeast’s Conglomerate Play: Products Fund Media
MrBeast has redefined the meaning of content creator turned mogul.
Beast Industries is turning the “creator business” model into something way closer to a conglomerate: big media as the growth engine, consumer products as the profit engine, and new verticals stacked on top once distribution is locked.
The headline: the business is already doing hundreds of millions in annual revenue—but reporting also suggests it’s been unprofitable because the media arm is expensive and aggressively reinvested.
By the numbers (reported)
Because Beast Industries is private, most concrete figures come from investor documents and major reporting:
- Business Insider, citing a February pitch deck, reported Beast Industries generated $473M in revenue in 2024 and forecast $899M in 2025.
- Bloomberg reported Feastables generated about $250M in sales and $20M+ in profit, while the media business lost almost $80M over a similar period.
- Business Insider also reported Beast Industries generated over $400M in revenue in 2024, but wasn’t profitable due to high media costs.
- The Guardian reported MrBeast was exploring raising capital at a valuation around $5B, with the overall empire generating $400M+ in sales the prior year.
Translation: the company is already operating at serious scale, but the core tension is revenue vs. profitability—and the media arm is where the burn happens.
Feastables is the profit engine
If you’re wondering why investors care so much: chocolate is boring in the best way—repeat purchases, retail distribution, predictable margins compared to unpredictable content economics.
Bloomberg’s reporting describes Feastables as the real moneymaker: $250M-ish sales and $20M+ profit (per investor documents).
That’s the blueprint: use internet-scale reach to launch durable products that don’t depend on algorithms for every dollar.
Media is expensive — and it’s being treated like marketing
The other half of the story is that Beast’s media business is famously expensive to produce.
Business Insider reported that in 2024, Beast Industries’ media arm brought in $224M in revenue but incurred $344M in costs—a gap that helps explain why the overall company can be huge and still not profitable.
Bloomberg similarly reported the media side produced comparable sales to Feastables but ran a major loss.
MrBeast has also acknowledged that large-scale media swings like Beast Games were financially painful (even if they were culturally massive).
Key strategic point: this isn’t “media as the business.” It’s increasingly media as the marketing engine—the thing that fuels product launches, retail expansion, and new ventures.
The “creator conglomerate” strategy (what they’re building)
Beast Industries isn’t just stacking random side hustles. The reported strategy looks like this:
1) Keep the attention machine running
YouTube + tentpole entertainment projects create unmatched distribution.
2) Convert attention into product revenue
Feastables is the proof-case that the funnel works at scale.
3) Add “infrastructure” businesses
Business Insider reported the pitch deck includes a creator marketplace concept designed to help other creators replicate the model (connecting creators to marketers, launching products, tools, etc.).
4) Expand into new verticals once distribution is secured
Business Insider also reported Beast Industries is exploring additional expansions (including financial services concepts mentioned publicly by leadership).
This is the play: not “a creator with brands,” but a creator-led holding company where each new line can launch on top of a built-in audience.
Why this matters (bigger than MrBeast)
This is the next evolution of mainstream celebrity business:
- Old model: celebrity endorsement → occasional brand collab
- New model: creator distribution → owned products + owned platforms + owned pipelines
If Beast Industries can consistently make products profitable while dialing back media losses, it becomes a case study that creators can build real companies—not just “influence.”
Jake Paul lost the fight, but financially, the Paul vs. Anthony Joshua Netflix event may have been one of the biggest paydays in modern boxing.
Multiple reports ahead of and after the bout pegged the total fight package around $184 million, with roughly $92 million per fighter if split evenly — though neither side has publicly confirmed an official final number.
Paul himself added fuel to the chatter with a post claiming “$267 million,” a figure that would imply a much larger overall pool — but again, there’s no public confirmation of that number as an official payout.
Why the number is hard to pin down
Unlike traditional pay-per-view events where revenue flows through a visible PPV model, this fight was distributed on Netflix — where the business goal is typically subscriber acquisition and retention, not PPV buys. That makes the economics more opaque. As one breakdown noted, even credible reports vary, and combat media figures suggested the historic figures being thrown around may still be lower than the hype.
What likely made up the money stack
While exact terms aren’t public, the reported “total purse” chatter typically bundles multiple components:
- Guaranteed purses (base pay)
The simplest: each fighter receives a contracted guarantee. - Netflix rights/licensing fee
Instead of PPV, the event’s main distribution value is the global streaming rights package. - Sponsorship + brand integrations
This includes anything from ring canvas / corner branding to broadcast segments and promotional tie-ins. - Live gate + event revenue
The fight took place at Miami’s Kaseya Center in front of a capacity crowd (reported at 19,600). Live ticket revenue can be meaningful even in a streaming era.
Jake Paul’s extra leverage: promotion upside
Paul isn’t just a fighter — he’s also a promoter/operator in this lane. Depending on how the event was structured, he could benefit from the upside of promotion, branding, and distribution beyond a flat purse (even if the exact split isn’t public).
The real takeaway
Whether the final number is closer to the widely reported $184 million or something else, the important signal is this: creator-driven boxing is now a mainstream entertainment product — and streaming platforms are willing to pay for spectacle if it moves culture.
Parasocial will update this story if official payout documentation or contractual reporting becomes public.
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