Dubai: Why Zach King turned down a $100,000 job offer to be a full-time content creator

Social media sensation Zach King, famous for his “magic” videos, once came close to giving up content creation for a more traditional, well-paying job. The American influencer, with over 150 million followers across multiple platforms, was tempted by a $100,000 offer from the Discovery Channel.

Recalling the pivotal moment, Zach shared: "I was on this epic road trip and stopped in Washington, DC, where a talent agent approached me with an offer. Describing it as the “job offer of a lifetime”, he admitted that he was intrigued by it. “They were offering $100,000 as a starting salary. And to a poor little kid [like me], that was a lot of money,” he said.

After a month and a half of interviews, Zach’s doubts surfaced during his final interview in Los Angeles. “I shared my thoughts about YouTube and how I was torn between taking the job and doing YouTube,” he explained.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

The interviewer, sensing his uncertainty, gave him some crucial advice: “I think you should stick with YouTube. That opportunity may not always be there for you, but a job will probably always be. You can get a job anywhere you want. But you should try that. You're young. Take a risk on yourself.”

Zach shared this story during his talk on the first day of 1Billion Followers Summit, which kicked off in Dubai on January 11. The summit, one of the largest events focused on the content creator economy, brought together influencers from around the world to share their journeys, experiences, and exchange ideas.

Zach King's beginnings

The influencer, who ranked as the sixth most followed person on TikTok last year with 82 million followers, grew up in Oregon alongside three younger sisters. He was homeschooled by his mother.

He developed an early interest in filmmaking, saving money for a better camera by mowing lawns and offering to film local events. “I'd go around to neighbours, begging the to let me film their kids' weddings and events," he said. Eventually, he saved enough to buy the camera he had dreamed of.

Zach’s original goal was to make it in Hollywood as "the next Steven Spielberg". However, when he applied to film school, he was rejected. Determined, he worked his way through film school by creating and selling DVD courses on editing software like Final Cut Pro. “You couldn’t make money on YouTube back then, but I thought if I could build an audience, I might eventually be able to sell them something,” he said.

“I would make these DVD courses in my dorm room,” he shared. “And after I posted a YouTube video, I'd say, look, I've got ten hours of training on a DVD. If you want it, I'll send it to you for 50 bucks. And I did that over and over. And throughout four years, that's how I ended up paying through film school.

• Qoruz strengthens its position as a top influencer marketing company in the UAE