Kai Cenat

Kai Cenat is an American streamer who built his audience on Twitch with Mafiathon, a month-long subathon in which he streams around the clock [7]. Subscriber counts are the measure of those runs [6]. He was born on 16 December 2001 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia [12]. His third Mafiathon, in 2025, was the third time he broke the Twitch subscriber record [5]. Since then he has announced a clothing brand and returned to host a second Streamer University.

Mafiathon 2 and the doubled record

Mafiathon 2 ran through November 2024. The stream went 24 hours a day for the entire month, starting in early November [7]. Dexerto reported that it pushed his total to 728,532 subscribers, more than doubling the tally of the streamer Ironmouse [6]. TechTimes gives a slightly lower figure of 727,700 in its article body, so "about 728,000" is the safest way to state the total [7].

Mafiathon 3 and the Streams Charts numbers

Dexerto describes Mafiathon 3 as Cenat's third and final Mafiathon [15]. The record fell on day 24 of the marathon, when he passed 728,600 subscribers [6]. Streams Charts, which tracks Twitch data and spoke with Dexerto, counted 1,112,947 subscriptions on his channel by the end of the event [15]. Its tracking also put the event at 85.23 million hours watched, and Dexerto's headline says it drew more viewers than 2025's top subathons combined [15].

The earnings are less certain. Streams Charts estimated them at between $984,958 and $3,288,758, after Twitch's cut of subscription revenue. The estimate came from Streams Charts, not from Cenat or Twitch [15]. Across 2025 as a whole, Streams Charts ranked him as Twitch's most-watched American streamer, with 134.4 million hours watched, nearly double second-place Asmongold [16].

TIME100 Creators and Streamer University 2025

In 2025 TIME named him to its inaugural TIME100 Creators list, and he is listed first in the Titans category [10]. That year he hosted Streamer University at the University of Akron in Ohio. Tubefilter reported that the event featured more than 150 creators and drew 27 million hours of watch time on Twitch [8]. Cenat hosts the school as headmaster [8]. Dexerto wrote that he had taken over the headlines, most famously with the viral Streamer University, and quoted him telling TIME, "As a streamer, you're not in a box. You're not trapped" [11].

A quiet year and the Vivet launch

After Mafiathon 3, his Twitch account went quiet. Tubefilter described it as dormant, and some creators, including YourRAGE, speculated that his Twitch career might be "a thing of the past" [8].

In January 2026 he posted a 23-minute YouTube vlog on a separate channel, titled "I Quit". Tubefilter reported that he is not quitting streaming and that the title refers to his plan to pursue personal goals [9]. In the video he said he was having "a lot of self-doubt" about stepping back from content creation, which is what he is best known for [9].

The vlog introduced Vivet, a clothing brand whose name comes from a Latin verb meaning "to live" [9]. He spent three months in Italy working with tailors and other industry professionals, and he consulted American designers in Atlanta [9]. Tubefilter presents Vivet as one of several ambitious projects, alongside his Mafiathons and his Streamer University concept, which it cites as evidence that he can follow through on big plans [9].

Streamer University returns to Arkansas

In early June 2026 Cenat confirmed the sequel. A teaser drew 2.5 million Instagram likes in under two days, and creators were invited to apply through the official site [8]. Selected alumni were also set to return [8].

By mid-July the event was at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Aymag reported that Cenat was on site there that week, and that the Streamer University website had more than 100 channels live at all times [14].

The Union Square case

A legal matter began with a giveaway. Cenat announced a giveaway of video game consoles and other electronics in Union Square, Manhattan, and thousands of fans gathered [13]. The crowd caused damage, and scores of people were arrested [13]. Cenat was charged with inciting a riot and promoting an unlawful gathering [13]. In his apology he referred to "the disruption and damage to the community, the park, the vehicles, and the storefronts in the area" [13].

In May 2024 Manhattan prosecutors said they would drop the charges after Cenat apologized for the disruption and damage. He and two co-defendants agreed to pay over $57,000 in total, and Cenat's share of $55,000 went to the Union Square Partnership for cleanup and landscaping repairs [13].