NBA star Ben Simmons is the latest non-digital native celeb to join leading esports collective FaZe Clan.
In addition to creating content under the moniker FaZe Simmo and serving as an ambassador for the company globally, Simmons — a forward for the Philadelphia 76ers — has also invested in the FaZe Clan. Neither the size of his investment nor the equity stake that he will receive are being disclosed, FaZe Clan said.
Simmons, who was born in Australian but moved to the U.S. at age 17, has been an avid gamer since his early teens, and started playing along FaZe stars in 2018 — most often Call Of Duty with Thomas ‘FaZe Temperrr’ Oliveira, who is one of the organization’s original members and owners. He currently counts 48,000 followers on Twitch. Most recently, Simmons supported the organization’s #Fight2Fund initiative, a four-week pro-am Call Of Duty tournament that raised $125,000 for those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
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“Gaming is an important part of my life, and so it was a natural progression to personally invest in this industry,” Simmons said in a statement. “FaZe Clan represents the pinnacle of the gaming culture, and I am really looking forward to connecting with new fans around the globe.”
FaZe Clan, founded in 2010, recently surpassed 1 billion lifetime views on its flagship YouTube channel — and has also dipped its toes into new business ventures, including feature films and meal replacement shakes. The company counts 230 million combined followers across all social platforms, and reps 85 esports competitors and creators. Other celebrity members of the organization include rappers Offset (who also tendered an equity investment in FaZe) and Lil Yachty.
