We could rehash a million of the insidious or just downright annoying things that Jake Paul has done: his choice of filming in the suicide forest, his general disrespect for other cultures or his deliberate objectification of women. We could also just forget about him and move on (the preferred option, really).
The third option, of course, is that Jake Paul could launch another business venture in which he convinces his young, impressionable fans to pay him money in order for him to make them rich, successful and powerful influencers like him. I guess we have to go with the third option.
Recently, Jake Paul, other creators and a company targeting millennials and Gen Z-ers have launched a product called Financial Freedom Movement (FFM). It’s a $19.99/month subscription on all things of how to be successful in real life.
It’s eerily similar to his last flop of a cash grab: Edfluence. Edfluence was a platform where Paul released exclusive videos in order to teach his fans how to become successful like him, eventually allowing them to gain access to “Team 1000,” a play on words referring to his group of influencers, Team 10. Edfluence required you to pay $7 for access, at which point you would be able to enter the platform and then spend around $60 to actually unlock all the features of the product he boasted. All of his exclusive videos were poorly-edited and unprofessional, and featured barebones tips on the life of an up-and-coming influencer.
FFM is a bit different. It would reportedly include video calls with influencers such as himself, tips on how to be successful and a structured education on business affairs. It’s a lot broader than Edfluence was even pretending to be.
FFM’s website is littered with over-the-top images of Paul showing off his wealth and popularity and promises of being able to live a life where you can freely take vacations any time you choose. It’s also a platform requiring more money out of its purchasers than the majority of other streaming services, and it’s the successor of a very dangerous, exploitative predecessor.
Jake Paul is undeniably a part of the media that many would choose to ignore and for good reasons. As he lines up more potential money-making scams with little payout, however, it will be interesting to see if his young audiences continue to let him profit off of their naivety.
