The TIME100 Creators List Is Proof We’re Living in the Punch Yourself in the Face Economy
From Kai Cenat to Alix Earle, the new class of creators is cashing in on chaos, clout, and clicks—and redefining what it means to “make it” in 2025.
If you still think fame is earned through talent, discipline, or sheer years of grinding it out—you haven’t been paying attention. TIME just dropped its first-ever TIME100 Creators list, a glossy celebration of the most influential people on the internet. But if you read between the ring lights and brand deals, it’s really a trophy case for the Punch Yourself in the Face Economy—where attention is the currency, and virality is the ladder to generational wealth.
Let’s unpack what that means.
Meet the Moron Millionaires (And Billionaires)
At the top of TIME’s list? Kai Cenat, a 22-year-old Twitch streamer who built an empire live-reacting to memes and launching “Streamer University.” Then there’s Alix Earle, the TikTok “Get Ready With Me” queen whose casual skincare routine sends sales through the roof. MrBeast is there too, of course—YouTube’s Willy Wonka of philanthropy, now worth an estimated billion dollars because he gives away islands and eyeball surgeries.
What do they all have in common? They’ve cracked the formula: attention + chaos = income. In a world where nobody reads beyond the headline and algorithms reward overstimulation, these creators have gamed the system by turning their lives into content 24/7.
A Job Description Boomers Will Never Understand
This list is a eulogy for the American Dream your parents sold you. Gone are the days when “success” meant a corner office and a gold watch. In 2025, success looks like live-streaming for 10 hours straight in a SpongeBob costume, making $50K a week doing reaction videos, or turning your gymnastic skills into a brand empire like Olivia Dunne.
This isn’t side hustle culture. This is the culture.
The Creator Economy Is a $100B Circus
TIME’s list is more than a popularity contest. It’s a financial report. The people on it are building empires from pixels and parasocial relationships. They’re monetizing every micro-moment—sponsored water bottles, TikTok shop links, live-stream donations, affiliate codes, and $500 “masterclasses” on how to “grow your brand.”
It’s the kind of hustle that looks easy from the outside but is mentally and emotionally exhausting. And yet? Millions are chasing it. Because in today’s economy, you’re either making content or consuming it. There is no third option.
Everyone’s a Brand. Everyone’s Exhausted.
One creator on the list, Vivian Tu (aka Your Rich BFF), is teaching finance to the masses in bite-sized reels. Another, Hasan Piker, live-streams political commentary while raking in six figures a month. These creators aren’t just entertainers—they’re pundits, teachers, therapists, and entrepreneurs rolled into one, each with their own merch line and NFT regrets.
It’s the democratization of influence, sure. But it’s also a digital rat race where you trade your sanity for sponsorships.
The Takeaway? Nothing Makes Sense, and That’s the Point
The TIME100 Creators list isn’t just a celebration of digital excellence—it’s a case study in the absurdity of modern capitalism. It proves that in 2025:
A 12-year-old influencer like Taylen Biggs can be more relevant than a Pulitzer Prize winner.
You can become a multi-millionaire by silently mocking life hacks like Khaby Lame.
And the path to power doesn’t run through Harvard or Hollywood—it runs through TikTok’s For You Page.
We are living in the Punch Yourself in the Face Economy. The rules are gone. The clowns are winning. And the rest of us? We're just watching, reposting, and maybe—just maybe—plotting how to turn our dog’s Instagram into a passive income stream.
Coming This Fall:
My book The Punch Yourself in the Face Economy will dive deeper into this chaotic landscape of digital wealth, influencer capitalism, and how we got here. Because in a world where fame is monetized and everyone’s one algorithm away from quitting their day job, we better start taking this circus seriously.
 | A guest post by
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excited for the book! I grew up in the 80's and 90's without cable, which gave me the freedom to surf a total of 6 channels. ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Channel 11 and PBS. Seemed like I got everything I wanted out of the entertainment on 6 channels, Saturday morning cartoons, all the news and nature programs, game shows and talk shows everyone watched. (and when there wasn't anything on that you wanted to watch you'd go outside or read a book or get creative) There has been such a dramatic shift that the television networks have not only lost $10B in 10 years to influencers in ad dollars, they are finding that the only way to draw audiences back to TV is by casting influencers on shows like Love Island. its nuts!! But the other thing that blows my mind is that Gen Alpha through all the options and chaos and mass consumption on Youtube still share sayings and memes. Like when a sound bite goes viral and is remixed, they all are aware of it. So as much as you would assume this would isolate them into micro niches, somehow they are still converging. All still connected.
American Devolution