History of Kai Cenat in Timeline
Kai Cenat is a prominent American online streamer and YouTuber known for his comedic live streams and videos. By 2025, he had risen to become the fourth most-followed streamer on Twitch, boasting 16.2 million followers. Furthermore, he holds the distinction of being the most-subscribed streamer on the platform, highlighting his significant influence and popularity within the online streaming community.
December 16, 2001: Kai Cenat's Birth
On December 16, 2001, Kai Carlo Cenat III was born. He is an American online streamer and YouTuber.
January 13, 2018: First YouTube Video
On January 13, 2018, Kai Cenat uploaded his first YouTube video, focusing on pranks and challenges.
2019: High School Graduation and College Enrollment
In 2019, Kai Cenat graduated from Frederick Douglass Academy and enrolled at the State University of New York at Morrisville to study business administration.
2020: College Dropout
In 2020, Kai Cenat dropped out of the State University of New York at Morrisville due to difficulties balancing schoolwork and content creation.
February 2021: Twitch Streaming Debut
In February 2021, Kai Cenat started streaming on Twitch after migrating from YouTube, broadcasting gaming and reaction content.
June 2022: Acting Role in Polo G's Music Video Trailer
In June 2022, Kai Cenat had an acting role in the trailer for Polo G's single "Distraction".
2022: Celebrity Guests on Streams
In 2022, Kai Cenat began including celebrity guests on his streams, such as Bobby Shmurda in April, Lil Baby in October, and 21 Savage in November, boosting his viewership to 283,245 concurrent viewers at its peak.
August 4, 2023: Union Square Giveaway and Riot
On August 4, 2023, Kai Cenat's giveaway event in Union Square, Manhattan, turned into a riot. He was arrested and charged with inciting civil unrest.
2023: Popularizing Viral Internet Slang
In 2023, Kai Cenat is credited with popularizing viral internet slang words such as rizz, which was named Oxford's word of the year, and gyat.
2023: Music Video Appearances and Directorial Debut
In 2023, Kai Cenat was featured in Offset's music video "Fan" and made his music video directorial debut with A Boogie wit da Hoodie. He also participated in the Sidemen charity match and was ranked 44th on Forbes' Top Creators list, earning an estimated $4.7 million.
2023: Streamy Award Win and Rumble Show Announcement
In 2023, Kai Cenat was featured on Rolling Stone's list of the 20 Most Influential Creators. On August 27, 2023, he won the "Streamer of the Year" award at the 13th Streamy Awards, also announcing a livestreamed show with IShowSpeed exclusively on Rumble.
2023: Streamer of the Year Award and Sleep Stream Income
In 2023, Kai Cenat was reported to earn approximately $23,280 per month from sleep streams, resulting in an annual income of $285,480. On March 11, 2023, he won "Streamer of the Year" at the 2023 Streamer Awards.
February 2024: Nike Partnership and Streamer Awards Wins
In February 2024, Kai Cenat announced his partnership with Nike and won "Streamer of the Year" and "Best Just Chatting Streamer" at The Streamer Awards.
May 2024: Charges Dropped in Union Square Riot Case
In May 2024, charges against Kai Cenat, Denzel Dennis, and Muktar Din were dropped in exchange for an apology and US$57,000 in restitution regarding the Union Square riot incident.
September 2024: Losing Twitch Subscriber Record
In September 2024, Ironmouse surpassed Kai Cenat's record to become the most-subscribed Twitch streamer.
November 26, 2024: Backlash from Hanging Stunt on Stream
On November 26, 2024, Kai Cenat received backlash after a magician performed a hanging stunt on his Mafiathon 2 stream, leading to a ban on magician acts from his streams.
December 2024: The Streamer Awards Wins
In December 2024, Kai Cenat won Best Just Chatting Streamer, Best Marathon Stream, and Best Streamed Collab at The Streamer Awards.
2024: Charity Soccer Match, MrBeast Appearance, and Influencer Ranking
In 2024, Kai Cenat collaborated with Beta Squad for a charity soccer match, appeared in a MrBeast video, and was listed as the number 1 most influential creator on Rolling Stone's "25 Most Influential Creators of 2024".
January 2025: WWE Appearance
In January 2025, Kai Cenat made a WWE appearance on Raw, announcing his attendance at the Royal Rumble event and calling out IShowSpeed.
2025: Fourth Most-Followed Twitch Streamer
As of 2025, Kai Cenat is the fourth most-followed Twitch streamer with 16.2 million followers and the most-subscribed Twitch streamer.
