Teen Makes More Than £150,000 A Year Playing Fortnite In Dad's Garage
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Most people who grew up gaming will have at some point been told by their parents to stop wasting their time gawping at the telly, controller in hand - but the dynamic is quite different in the Benabe household.
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Alex Benabe, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, is making more than $200,000 (£153,000) a year playing Fortnite and he has used $50,000 (£38,420) of this converting his dad (and manager) Manny's garage into a high-tech gaming centre.
The 19-year-old - who goes by the name 'Destroy' online - specialises in Fortnite Battle Royale and earns $10,000 to $12,000 (£7,680 to £9,220) a month on Twitch, a top live-streaming platform for gaming.
On top of this, he rakes in tens of thousands from playing to live audiences in stadiums and from deals with the gaming software company Epic Games
But while it may seem like Alex is the luckiest teen ever, making a massive wedge by just playing games all day, this is a dream he's worked hard at.
He said: "I've been playing games since I was seven years old. To be honest I didn't have a plan B. I knew I didn't want to go to college and I knew I didn't want to get a job.
"I play every day for at least eight hours. Some days I play up to 12. On average I'd say I play around 10 hours a day, but I've played 24 hours before. My longest stream ever was actually 37 straight hours.
"I eat on camera and take bathroom breaks as necessary."
Indeed, he plays so much that it can actually take a physical toll on him.
He said: "There are times when my back hurts. I get active and stay in shape to counteract the stress of sitting in a chair all day.
"I hit the gym four to five times a week and have a personal trainer. It definitely helps me mentally."
Alex is now training to compete in the Fortnite World Cup in July, a tournament with a $30 million (£23 million) prize pool, but beyond making an absolute fortune from the game, Alex also credits it with keeping him safe and helping him to manage his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
He said: "Growing up I struggled, always getting in trouble and getting in fights. I was super hyper and lacked self control.
"When I started taking gaming more seriously, I wanted to stop taking my [ADHD] medication. I didn't want to depend on medication to function.
"Gaming also kept me out of the streets. Philadelphia can be a really toxic place if you fall in with the wrong crowd. Gaming kept me from choosing the wrong friends."
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
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