Axios C-Suite: Why Kai Cenat is an influencer you should know
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The unattainable educational dream for millions of young people isn't Harvard. It's getting picked by Kai Cenat to learn the skills needed to be the next Kai Cenat.
- The 24-year-old streamer, the most-followed person on Twitch, teased the return of his Streamer University this week. Its first edition, featuring four days of all-expenses-paid instruction from top influencers, pulled in more than 1 million applications for about 200 spots.
Why it matters: Most companies only think about creators when they're buying reach, but young people increasingly see it as a viable career path — largely because of Cenat and his peers.
By the numbers: More than half of Gen Z social media users said they'd be an influencer if given the chance, a figure that's remained steady over a half-decade.
- Grand View Research estimates that the creator economy will be worth more than $300B this year, with streaming leading the market.
The big picture: This thinking is finding its way into mainstream education, too. Syracuse University is launching a creator economy minor this fall.
The bottom line: Some of the most enterprising talent in America is going to end up in Streamer University instead of your pipeline.
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