Jake Paul Owns Up to Personal Failure 9 Years After Losing a Million Dollar on Passion Project

Before Jake Paul became known as a professional boxer, he, alongside his older brother Logan Paul, made a name for himself on Vine, later becoming a Disney Channel star and even dabbling in music. But that was just the beginning. In the years that followed, he pivoted from influencer to entrepreneur and athlete, with Forbes naming him one of the highest-paid YouTube creators four times between 2017 and 2023. Fast forward to 2025, and Jake Paul’s estimated net worth sits at a staggering $100-120 million. Thanks to savvy investments in cryptocurrency, NFTs, the stock market, and his growing promotion house, Most Valuable Promotions.

Despite his current success, Jake Paul’s journey hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Earlier today, he took to X to reflect on where his entrepreneurial spark began. “A lot of people don’t know this,” he wrote. “But when I was 17, I went to Silicon Valley and completely fell in love with entrepreneurship. I got to see some of the most innovative companies in the world up close and learned the strategies behind their success. The people I met were brilliant—forward-thinking, relentless, and shaping the future.”

That experience, he said, made one thing clear. The companies shaping the future were the ones he wanted to be part of. “Inspired by what I saw, I launched Team 10 and became the youngest CEO at the time to raise $1 million.” Yes, the same Team 10 Jake Paul founded in 2016 that quickly became a viral content machine. In case you don’t recall, its daily vlogs and influencer lifestyle set inside a sprawling Los Angeles mansion helped launch the careers of several internet stars. However, with great hype came growing pains.

A lot of people don’t know this, but when I was 17, I went to Silicon Valley and completely fell in love with entrepreneurship. I got to see some of the most innovative companies in the world up close and learned the strategies behind their success. The people I met were…

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) May 25, 2025

“If I had more experience in scaling, leadership, and managing talent, Team 10 could’ve been the next Disney—that was the vision,” Paul admitted. “There were even conversations about building a Team 10 amusement park at one point,” the 28-year-old added. He further revealed how much he learned from that failure, echoing something he once told J-14 in 2019: “A lot of the reason Team 10 fell apart is because I wasn’t able to connect with a lot of the members as people,” the Team 10 founder said. While he could have aired behind-the-scenes drama, Jake Paul chose not to, a decision that hinted at a growing maturity behind the camera.

And now, he’s not just creating content, he’s studying attention itself. “And that’s exactly what we leverage at Anti Fund. It’s why we’ve become one of the top-performing venture funds by percentage return in the world,” he said, pointing at the venture capital firm, Anti-Fund, which Jake Paul founded along with Geoffrey Woo in 2021.

In the end, he added, “Even now, every punch I throw as an athlete has a deeper agenda. Business. Strategy. Impact. That same 17-year-old kid in Silicon Valley looked around and thought: If these people can change the world, why not me? Why not you? That’s what Anti Fund is all about. That’s what MVP is all about.”

While his first big venture may have ended in a million-dollar loss, Jake Paul’s business portfolio today tells a completely different story.

Jake Paul’s new language? Fluent in millions

According to reports from last year, Jake Paul’s men’s personal care brand, W, made a serious splash in the market. The company raised an impressive $14 million in seed and Series A funding, led by Shrug Capital and his own venture firm, Anti Fund. Moreover, with a valuation climbing north of $150 million, W has drawn a star-studded roster of investors. Alongside institutional backers like Range Group, 305 Ventures, Uphonest Capital, and Quiet Capital, now individual contributors include some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment, like Celsius CEO John Fieldly, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, rapper Lil Durk, tennis star Naomi Osaka, NBA player Nick Kyrgios and even Carter Reum and Paris Hilton.

And for Jake Paul, this isn’t just about making a quick buck. “It’s incredibly important to me that W fill the void that’s been apparent in the men’s personal care category for decades,” said the founder of W. Launched exclusively in Walmart stores in June last year, W has already blown past seven figures in sales and shows no signs of slowing down. Investors are equally bullish, with Shrug Capital’s Moshe Lifschitz noting, “When we think about brands that will shape the next generation of household brands, W has all the characteristics. We are extremely excited to partner with Jake, Woodie, and Geoff and look forward to the many wins to come.”

Moreover, with his recent $42 million purchase of a 5,700-acre estate in Decatur County, Georgia, and a garage full of exotic cars and a stacked business portfolio, it looks like his empire has already extended far beyond the ring. So, with ventures like W, Betr, and MVP flourishing, do you think Jake Paul should just hang up the gloves and focus on the business side of boxing instead? Or does the dream of becoming a world champion still have a place in his story?

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