Twitter | jovanhiII
A 25-year-old man in New York says he makes more money by streaming his life online than he did previously working a traditional job.
Jovan Hill has found a much better way to earn a living than putting in 40 hours a week at his previous job. In fact, his new “work” isn’t work at all.
In his new “job,” Hill smokes weed, rants about pop culture, discusses his mental health, eats, talks to friends, and walks around his Brooklyn neighborhood, all while streaming these activities live over the Internet.
Hill, an African-American, who is both bipolar and gay, has found a niche audience of subscribers who turn into his unscripted, unfiltered and raw live streaming channels online. He’s built up dedicated followers who send him enough in donations each month to help him avoid needing to work a traditional job.
Hill’s audience is captivated by his unfiltered storytelling, self-deprecating humor, self-awareness, mental breakdowns, as well as, their fascination around how he manages to eke out a meaningful existence without a traditional job.
Hill says he is now making more money sitting in his living room live-streaming five times a day, than he did previously working at a movie theater. He quit his previous job after realizing he could make more money online.
Hill gets paid by soliciting his followers to donate money to him. He makes pleas either by shaming or enticing his audience, with statements such as “I’m very poor today, so if you want any tax write offs, please donate to the Jovan charity.”
Hill reaches out for handouts using a variety websites and apps including Twitter, Periscope and Patreon. And they do. Even when he doesn’t ask for money – his fans send him unsolicited Venmo donations.
Hill says he receives upwards of $4,000 a month in donations from his social media followers.
Besides spending some of his money on rent, weed, video games and clothing, Hill also uses the money to help out his mother.
