Caspar Lee: From content king to entrepreneur and investor

Jan 25, 2023

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Embracing YouTube before most people had even heard of it, through perseverance and grit, Caspar Lee rose to become one of the biggest content creators on the planet.

From his bedroom as a teenager in South Africa, he built his channel amassing a seismic following and leading him to collaborate with many of the world’s biggest stars including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ed Sheeran and Kevin Hart.

Caspar leveraged his success and co-founded a global influencer marketing business. The company operates globally with 100+ employees and boasts many of the world’s leading brands as clients, including Coca-Cola and Google. He also co-founded Creator Ventures, a $20m VC fund investing in start-ups alongside a syndicate of top creators, musicians, athletes and actors.

Here's what we discussed with Caspar Lee

Could you explain your background for our viewers? (00:47)
When did people start to accept your career as a YouTuber? (02:56)
When it comes to becoming a YouTuber, what would you say are the secrets to success? (04:17)
What would you say to businesspeople who said they couldn't monetise YouTube? (05:36)
How have you found the transition from YouTuber to entrepreneur? (07:32)
How have you learnt your leadership skills? (09:31)
Running a business of 100+ people is difficult, but especially at the moment. How are you finding this? (10:58)
Are there any other markets you'd see yourself going into? (12:44)
What do you look for in the businesses you invest in? (14:17)
When investing, are you looking for a yield and exit at a certain time or do you have a long-term view of it? (16:23)
There was a trend of companies celebrating fundraising instead of focusing on making money. Do you think this is starting to change? (18:04)
What are your tips for people looking to raise investment? (19:56)
Why do you do what you do? (21:51)
Do you find yourself learning from other cultures a lot? (23:14)
Do you feel that failure can be a good thing? (24:43)
What makes a great business leader? (26:19)
Would you like to go into TV? Dragons' Den for example? (27:12)
Some people see money as the by-product of doing well - do you agree with that? (28:05)
Answer the Internet: What does it mean to build a personal brand? (29:14)

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