THE MOST INFLUENTIAL DIGITAL VOICES

TIME 100 CREATORS

- 

KAI CENAT

@kaicenat

BY ANDREW R. CHOW/ AKRON, OHIO, AND ATLANTA

KAI CENAT IS WHIPPING A GOLF CART ACROSS THE University of Akron campus on Memorial Day weekend, furiously honking his horn, gaining ground on a trio of students who have cut class and are fleeing his wrath. Within seconds, he’s cornered them and shakes a fistful of keys in their faces. “My office, lunchtime,” he spits. Over the next few days, Cenat will roam around campus corralling other troublemakers, mediating disputes, fixing tech issues, and delivering supplies.

None of this is real, per se. Every day, Cenat wakes up and creates his own reality. He has no real authority over these “students,” who are actually among his best friends. This is Streamer University, a four-day content-creator fantasy come to life, and Cenat is both organizer and star.

With 18 million followers, the 23-year-old is, by many metrics, the most popular performer on the Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch. He entertains his audience by acting out improvised skits, playing video games, delivering monologues about music or fashion, and interviewing pop-culture icons. Teens love him because his content is both relatable and aspirational: he’s turned having fun in his Atlanta house into a multimillion-dollar empire. And his influence reaches far beyond his fan base. He coined the term rizz (Gen Z slang for romantic appeal), which Oxford named the word of 2023. Rappers seeking his approval come to his house to premiere songs. Cenat reports that when he criticized Drake’s “Nokia” music video, Drake offered Cenat the chance to direct one for him.