How Fame Works Now
From Paris Hilton to MrBeast, Kai Cenat and TikTok: how algorithms replaced gatekeepers, and what ‘parasocial’ means.
The old way
Fame used to have gatekeepers. Studios, record labels and TV networks decided who got famous. Now an algorithm and an audience can do it in a week.
The prototype
Paris Hilton and the reality show The Simple Life (2003) helped invent "famous for being famous": turning personality into a brand, then selling it. The modern influencer playbook starts here.
YouTube
MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) built a channel on giant stunts and giveaways. In June 2024 he passed T-Series to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube. He then made Beast Games for Prime Video, a competition show with a $5 million prize, and sells his own snack brand, Feastables.
Live streaming
- Kai Cenat runs huge "subathons" on Twitch. In September 2025, during Mafiathon 3, he became the first Twitch streamer to reach a million active subscribers.
- IShowSpeed livestreams himself traveling around the world, and crowds show up everywhere he goes.
TikTok
Charli D’Amelio became the first creator to hit 100 million TikTok followers in 2020. Khaby Lame, who silently mocks overcomplicated "life hacks", later became the most-followed.
The words for it
- Parasocial: a one-sided relationship where you feel like you know someone who doesn’t know you exist. Cambridge Dictionary’s 2025 Word of the Year.
- De-influencing: a 2023 trend of creators telling followers what not to buy.
- Clout, brand deals, "link in bio": the business side of being online-famous.
Pop quiz
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