The King Of Random (TKOR), a YouTube channel dedicated to concocting cool gadgets, exploring science, and enacting explosive stunts, has crossed the 10-million subscriber threshold — as it continues to near 2 billion lifetime views.
Hosted by 37-year-old Canada native Grant Thompson — who is now based in Utah — the channel launched in Jan. 2010. Its tagline is “Projects so awesome they make grown men fangirl” — and some of the hub’s most popular videos feature experiments in which concentrated sunlight is harnessed to melt metal, or Thompson cooks up some stackable Lego gummies. Recently, Thompson has stepped away from hosting duties to spend more time with his family, whereupon co-host named Nate Bonham has begun to front many clips.
Earlier this year, Thompson found himself in legal hot water after neighbors complained about his backyard explosions — though the charges for possession of an explosive device were ultimately dismissed after Thompson agreed to make two videos about the safety and legal precautions others can take when embarking on their own experiments.
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Looking ahead to the future of TKOR, however, Thompson says he intends to bring a female co-host onboard to provide a fresh perspective. And a new series called TKOR Rewind is also in the works, in which past clips will be amassed into ‘best-of’ compilations. Finally, to celebrate the 10 million subscriber milestone — a feat that has been accomplished by less than 300 channels globally — TKOR is poised to launch a series of giveways for dedicated fans, including drones, smartphones, and gaming consoles. Thompson is also currently vending a limited edition T-Shirt to memorialize the occasion.
Check out a celebratory video — in which Thompson delves into the establishment of the channel and introduces the six-man off-camera TKOR crew — below. “I’m trying to make sure that what we’re focusing on isn’t YouTube trends, or the algorithm — we’re not chasing views,” he said. “We’re not doing anything other than trying to produce content that we’re absolutely passionate about, and that we love.”
