A guide to: celebrities in esports – music, film, and TV – Esports Insider

Celebrities have flocked to esports in recent years as a way to express themselves and expand their careers.

Famous musicians, artists, actors, and more that have or continue to invest in or become involved in esports recognise the link between fandoms and competition, whether live or in video games.

To help keep track of all the celebrities in esports, we have compiled a growing list of musicians, actors, and other entertainers who have entered the space.

Famous musicians, artists, and actors in the world of esports

Note: celebrity investors and partners are listed in alphabetical order by the person’s surname or performance monicker. This list will be updated periodically. Last updated: 27 September 2021

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A | B |C | D | E | F | G | H | H | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

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Steve Aoki

Organisation(s): Rogue

Role(s): Co-owner

Details: DJ Steve Aoki became a co-owner of Rogue in 2016, announcing the partnership during that year’s TwitchCon event.

B

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Lex Borrero

Organisation(s): ReKTGlobal, Rogue

Role(s): Investor

Details: Former Roc Nation executive Lex Borrero invested in ReKTGlobal alongside Latin producer Tainy, in 2019. 

Scooter Braun

Organisation(s): 100 Thieves

Role(s): Investor, Co-owner, Strategic Advisor, Board of Directors

Details: 100 Thieves closed its Series A funding round in 2018 which was co-led by recording artist Drake and entertainment industry heavyweight Scott Samuel ‘Scooter’ Braun. Drake and Braun became strategic advisors for 100 Thieves, and Scooter Braun joined the Board of Directors.

C

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Jay Chou aka Jieyi Wenchuang

Organisation(s):  J Team, formerly called Taipei Assassins

Role(s): Owner

Details: In 2016, Taiwanese megastar Jay Chou purchase League of Legends team, the Taipei Assassins. He has since become ‘team captain’ in title only, participating only in celebrity events. He renamed the organisation to J Team. The organisation fields teams in League of Legends, Hearthstone, and Legends of Valor. In 2017, Chou spent about 18 million RMB to build the Jay eSports building in Shenzhen, China.

Sean ‘Ditty’ Combs

Organisation(s):  PlayVS

Role(s): Investor

Details: High school esports organisation PlayVS closed a Series B funding round in 2018, with Sean Combs listed as an investor. 

D

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Disco Fries

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor

Details: DJ group Disco Fries was among a slew of musicians that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020.

DJ Paul

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor

Details: Rapper DJ Paul was among a slew of musicians that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020. He is also an official content creator for the brand.

Drake

Organisation(s): 100 Thieves, Player’s Lounge

Role(s):

100 Thieves: Co-owner, Investor, Strategic Advisor
Player’s Lounge: Investor

Details: 100 Thieves closed its Series A funding round in 2018 which was co-led by recording artist Drake and entertainment industry heavyweight Scott Samuel ‘Scooter’ Braun. Drake and Braun became strategic advisors for 100 Thieves. The organisation had previously collaborated with Drake, with custom gaming stations that travel with the artist on tour and apparel collaborations.

Drake was among the investors for Player’s Lounge in 2019, which raised a total of $3 million (£2.1 million) following a seed funding round.

G

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GUXTA

Organisation(s): LOUD

Role(s): Content creator, influencer

Details: In April 2021, Brazilian rapper GUXTA signed on as an official influencer for esports organisation LOUD. Prior, in 2020, the rapper launched ‘Zero Farpas’ in collaboration with the organisation. Moreover, GUXTA also debuted ‘Não Cheguei’ which featured LOUD influencers, LOUD Coringa and LOUD Mob.

H

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Jam Hsiao

Organisation(s): The Jams

Role(s): Founder

Details: Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao formed his own esports organization, The Jams, in 2018, with support from Hong Kong-based investment holding company China Digital Culture Group. As of this writing, the organisation planned to field a team in PUBG and recruited players but has yet to compete in an event.

I

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Imagine Dragons

Organisation(s): ReKTGlobal, Rogue

Role(s): Investors, co-owners (Daniel Platzman and Wayne Sermon)

Details: In 2018, rock band Imagine Dragons secured a stake in ReKTGlobal. Members Daniel Platzman and Wayne Sermon also became co-owners of ReKTGlobal’s Las Vegas-based esports organisation Rogue. Imagine Dragons performed the song ‘Warriors’ in 2014 for the League of Legends World Championships.

J

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Ray J

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor

Details: Rapper William Ray Norwood Jr., better known as Ray J, was among a slew of musicians that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020. 

Michael B Jordan

Organisation(s): Andbox (New York Excelsior, New York Subliners)

Role(s): Investor

Details: Andbox, the ownership group behind New York Excelsior (Overwatch League) and New York Subliners (Call of Duty League), received investment from actor Michael B. Jordan in 2019. An avid Call of Duty fan, Jordan said that he appreciated Andbox’s commitment to being authentic to the city of New York.

K

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Ashton Kutcher

Organisation(s): Unikrn

Role(s): Investor

Details: Actor and tech evangelist Ashton Kutcher joined competitive eSports wagering platform Unikrn’s Series A investment round in 2015 via venture capital firm Sound Ventures.

Kyivstoner

Organisation(s): HyperX

Role(s): Ambassador

Details: Ukrainian rapper Albert ‘Kyivstoner’ Vasiliev is a gaming ambassador known as a ‘HyperX Hero’. As part of his partnership, Hayward appears in marketing for the peripherals brand.

L

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Swae Lee

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan, XSET

Role(s): Investor

Details: Rapper Swae Lee was among a slew of musicians that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020. He also became the first musician to invest in XSET the same year.

Lil Yachty

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Ambassador

Details: Rapper Miles Marks McCollum – known in the public realm as Lil Yachty – joined FaZe Clan as a content creator in 2018 and goes by the name FaZe Boat.

JJ Lin

Organisation(s): Team Still Moving Under Gunfire (SMG), Makan Cendol 

Role(s): Founder

Details: Mandopop megastar JJ Lin co-founded SMG in 2017 alongside esports pro-turned-coach Kenchi Yap. The organisation fields teams in Valorant and PUBG. In early 2020, Lin acquired Malaysian Mobile Legends team Makan Cendol to add to his squad in Shanghai.

 Jennifer Lopez, aka J Lo

Organisation(s): NRG

Role(s): Investor

Details: Jennifer Lopez was among the investors in NRG’s Series B financing round in 2017 alongside Michael Strahan, Marshawn Lynch and ex-New York Yankees man Alex Rodriguez.

O

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Chris O’Donnell

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor

Details: Actor Chris O’Donnel was among a slew of musicians, sports stars, and celebrities that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020.

Offset

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor, Ambassador

Details: Rapper Kiari Kendrell Cephus, better known as Offset, invested in FaZe Clan in 2019 and was among a slew of musicians that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020. He is also an official content creator for the brand.

P

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Pitbull

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor

Details: Rapper Pitbull was among a slew of musicians that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020. He is also an official content creator for the brand.

Post Malone

Organisation(s): Envy Gaming (Team Envy, Dallas Empire, Dallas Fuel)

Role(s): Co-owner

Details: Austin Richard Post, known professionally as Post Malone, joined the ownership group of Envy Gaming in 2020. The singer is now a co-owner of Team Envy, Call of Duty League franchise Dallas Empire, and Overwatch League franchise Dallas Fuel.

R

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Sylvia Rhone

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor

Details: Epic Records Chairman and CEO Sylvia Rhone was among a slew of musicians that invested in the FaZe Clan’s Series A funding round in April 2020.

Nicky Romero

Organisation(s): ReKTGlobal, Rogue

Role(s): Investor

Details: In 2019, DJ and record producer Nicky Romero announced that he would support ReKTGlobal with its planned global expansion through ‘strategic integrations and partnerships’. Romero was also to co-host livestreams and create video content with Rogue’s players.

S

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Oh Se-hun aka Sehun

Organisation(s): APE Sports (SeolHaeOne Prince)

Role(s): Shareholder

Details: South Korean recording artist Oh Se-hun, better known by his performing name Sehun became a shareholder in Korean organisation SeolHaeOne Prince in July of 2020.

Will Smith

Organisation(s): Gen.G

Role(s): Investor

Details: In 2019, Gen.G announced a $46 million round of funding. Among the investors was actor Will Smith’s and Japanese soccer player Keisuke Honda’s Dreamers Fund.

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Tainy

Organisation(s): ReKTGlobal, Rogue

Role(s): Investor

Details: Marco ‘Tainy’ Masís, a Puerto Rican record producer behind songs from popular artists such as Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin, invested in ReKtGlobal in 2019.

W

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Jackson Wang

Organisation(s): Victory Five

Role(s): Investor

Details: During its home stadium opening ceremony, Macao esports organisation, Victory Five revealed that Hong Kong rapper, singer, and dancer Jackson Wang is an investor through his company, Team Holding. Wang is well-known for being a member of the South Korean boy group Got7, though he’s also an acclaimed solo artist and television host.

The Weeknd

Organisation(s): OverActive Media (Splyce, Toronto Defiant)

Role(s): Investor, Ambassador

Details: OverActive Media, the parent company of Splyce and Overwatch League franchise Toronto Defiant, added Grammy-winning singer Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye to its ownership group in 2019.

Wiz Kalifa

Organisation(s): Pittsburgh Knights

Role(s): Strategic partner

Details: Grammy-award-winning rapper Cameron Jibril Thomaz – better known as Wiz Khalifa – entered into a strategic partnership with the Knights in 2019. At that time, the plan to lend “expertise in creative direction, marketing, live events and entertainment” to the organisation.

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Yo Gotti

Organisation(s): FaZe Clan

Role(s): Investor

Details: Rapper Yo Gotti was among a slew of musicians that invested in the organisation’s Series A funding round in April 2020.

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