TIME has released its very first TIME100 Creators list, and it’s only right that Kai Cenat is on the cover. The 23-year-old has become one of the internet’s most influential personalities, boasting over 18 million Twitch followers and more than 7 million subscribers on YouTube.

While streamers are often boxed in as gamers, Kai breaks the mold. One day he’s reacting to new music, the next he’s hosting your favorite artist, or recreating video game scenarios in real life. He has transformed a variety of streams into a spectacle, becoming one of the first creators to bridge entertainment and internet culture truly.

Fans love him for his authenticity and energy. “We’re showing people that if you be yourself, people are going to f— with you,” Cenat tells TIME. “As a streamer, you’re not in a box. You’re not trapped. You can talk however you want.”

Kai’s journey started in 2018 from his SUNY Morrisville dorm, where he posted prank videos and album reactions. When the pandemic shut down campus, he dropped out and moved to Atlanta’s Creator House to go all in. Twitch became a lifeline during lockdown, growing by 80% from March 2020 to 2021, with Kai at the forefront.

Since then, he's broken Twitch subscriber records, hosted viral streaming marathons, landed official streaming rights to the 2025 Grammys and BET Awards, and launched Streamer University—a networking space for over 100 up-and-coming streamers. In the process, he has changed not only his life but also the lives of his close friends and family.

The TIME cover moment is another milestone for a creator who’s redefining what success looks like in the streaming world. And knowing Kai, he’s just getting started.