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
Jump to a section:
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.
T
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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.
Y
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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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