Olajide “JJ” Olatunji, aka KSI
By far the most high-profile and successful of the group, Olajide “JJ” Olatunji, 29, has been a YouTube household name for over a decade since dropping out of the £23,000-a-year Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire.
KSI previously revealed how he hid in the toilets from his parents for over an hour to avoid telling them his exam results – terrified of their reaction as they had sacrificed so much, coming to the UK from Nigeria and running into debt go and do more work for himself, to send him to private school.
When he finally told them about his AS level C, D, F and U grades, his father Jide buried his head in his hands while his mother Yinka smashed glasses in the kitchen.
In addition to his work with the Sidemen, KSI – which stands for Knowledge, Strength, Integrity – personally has over 24 million subscribers.
His boxing fights with American YouTuber Logan Paul in August 2018 and November 2019 were among the most watched events in the platform’s history.
In July 2021, his second album All Over The Place went to number one in the UK.
He had a reported net worth of £16 million last year.
Simon Minter, aka Miniminter
A fellow Berkhamsted alumnus, Minter, 30, dropped out of college when tuition skyrocketed and went to work in a warehouse, before being hired by his old school friend, KSI, to run his clothing line.
At the same time, he started making his own YouTube content, mainly videos about FIFA and football in general, while also recreating famous Vine clips. Since then, he has amassed over 10 million subscribers on the video sharing platform.
Not much is known about his family, but his father is said to have a small business.
Minter also owns a real estate company and had a reported net worth of £9 million last year.
Joshua Bradley, aka Zerkaa
Born in Bermondsey, Bradley, 30, attended Bexley Grammar School as a teenager before completing a 2:1 Diploma in Digital Film Production from Ravensbourne University.
He created his first YouTube channel in 2009, mainly uploading video game content from FIFA and Call of Duty, before co-founding the Sidemen, with whom he lived for four years, until he moved into an apartment with his girlfriend Freya Nightingale .
Cousin of British grime MC Jme, he has also launched his own personal clothing line called ZRK.
He had a reported net worth of £3 million last year.
Tobi Brown, aka TBJZL
Another Bexley Grammar alumnus, Brown, 29, was born to working-class Nigerian parents and completed a degree in computer science from Coventry University before launching his YouTube career.
He usually uploads commentary on FIFA and NBA 2K video games, as well as football challenges, vlogs and comedic style videos, creating a fan base of nearly five million subscribers.
Brown has also founded a streetwear brand called ILLVZN, released a number of musical tracks, including one featuring his brother Manny and sister Janelle, and was invited to train with League Two Crawley Town after impressing in a charity football match.
He had a reported net worth of £1.2 million last year.
Ethan Payne, aka Behzinga
Payne, 27, who attended a comprehensive school in Romford and dropped out of a criminal studies course in Hull, had a troubled childhood and says the Sidemen ‘100 per cent saved my life’.
His biological father disappeared before he was born and the man he had been led to assume was his father left when he was 13, while his mother struggled with cancer.
When he started uploading videos on YouTube, mainly FIFA and Call of Duty commentaries, viewers made fun of him for his weight, which eventually inspired him to get fit, charting his journey to 4th place to lose to his fan base of nearly five million subscribers.
He and his girlfriend, Faith Louisa Kelly, have a child together, born in September 2022. He had a reported net worth of £3 million last year.
Vik Schuur, also known as Vikkstar123
Born in Guildford, Surrey, Barn moved to Sheffield at the age of eight to attend Silverdale School.
He then turned down a place to study science at University College London in order to pursue his YouTube career – including videos on Call of Duty and Minecraft – full-time.
He often jokes that his parents, British nationals of Indian descent, are “disappointed” that he didn’t become a doctor.
Barn caused a stir by announcing that he would quit Call of Duty if hackers allegedly cheating went unpunished and invested in esports teams.
In December 2021, Barn announced his engagement to his longtime girlfriend, Ellie Harlow, and he had a reported net worth of £8 million as of last year.
Harry Lewis
The youngest of the collective, Lewis, 26, also attended a secondary school in Guernsey before making a name for himself on YouTube, where he has amassed an army of over 16 million subscribers.
He was the last to join the Sidemen after meeting Bradley at a FIFA game event in New York City.
His parents, including mother Sue, have appeared in some of his videos.
Lewis also owns London’s first football match club called Kicktown and had a reported net worth of £4 million last year.