In July, when Patreon announced a $60 million funding round, it touted the fact that it was the first time creators were investing in the company alongside traditional VC firms — including musician Serj Tankian and comedian Hannibal Buress. Though at the time, neither Tankian nor Buress were active on the platform.
Now, that’s changed. Tankian, a singer-songwriter, poet, visual artist, and activist who is perhaps best known as the former lead singer of ’90s heavy metal brand System Of A Down, has launched his own Patreon page, which he has titled Looking In. On Patreon, Tankian will share a more intimate window into his creative endeavors and personal life, including unreleased music, art, film, and poetry. Patrons can choose monthly memberships ranging from $3 (for a tier dubbed ‘Curious Kiwi’) to $50 (‘Canary In A Coal Mine’).
“I’ve never really casually done video uploads much on social media as I always felt a bit reserved reaching out to vast millions of mixed casual and hardcore followers,” Tankian writes on his page by way of introduction. “I only want to interact with the hardcores.” You can check out his Patreon intro video below.
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Tankian is not alone as both a Patreon investor and creator. A spokesperson said that there are currently a mix of creators who are both advisers and investors in Patreon, though no names beyond Tankian have yet been disclosed.
“When we raised our last round, it was imperative to find investors who also live and breathe our core mission,” Patreon SVP Wyatt Jenkins told Tubefilter in a statement. ”Serj was a natural fit, as both a creator and investor, and sealed the deal by launching on Patreon.”
