YouTuber Ben Phillips has revealed he was homeless before he became a social media sensation thanks to his prank videos.
Twenty-six-year-old Ben, from Bridgend in Wales, has got an impressive 15 million followers across his social media platforms and now lives a life of luxury thanks to big sponsorship deals with companies including KFC and Audi.
He's also had two books published, owns a media company and hosts a podcast - so he's pretty busy.
Ben, who found viral fame sharing clips of himself pranking his brother Elliot, has splashed his cash on a whopping 18 cars and lives in a mansion just outside of his hometown.
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However, this hasn't always been the case - speaking to the Daily Star, Ben revealed that at 21 he was sleeping in hotel lobbies in London with nowhere to call home.
Growing up with his factory worker parents, Ben says he had dreamed of being a rugby player or working for Apple when he was younger, but then at 21 he decided to go to London to try and make a success of himself.
Ben says he had a knack for making people laugh so he started playing pranks on unsuspecting members of the public in London, but it wasn't long before his cash ran out and he was forced to leave the temporary accommodation he was staying in.
He ended up kipping in the lobbies of fancy hotels, such as The Savoy, where he would crash out on chairs.
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Deciding to move back to Wales, he then started making Vine videos with Elliot. Their Penny Prank video, in which Ben encouraged Elliot to take a look at a 'floating' 1p coin inside a bottle of water before splashing him in the eye, went viral and kicked-started his social media career.
The YouTuber is now calling for social media to be taught in schools, so a new generation can emulate his success.
He told The Daily Star: "Social media is a successful career. Things are different from when a lot of parents are growing up. We are living in a different day and age now. We cannot overlook social media.
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"It should be a subject in school, this is a tool. It should be taught, to teach if it is right for you or not. Without it, you are not going anywhere.
"We should teach them how to post and teach them how to be successful."
Offering up advice to would-be social-media-stars he encouraged them to just start filming, explaining 'the second you start recording is the moment you start getting results'.
Despite his incredible success, Ben remains humble, adding: "There isn't a day where I don't pinch myself, I have landed making the world laugh."
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Featured Image Credit: Ben Phillips
Topics: Viral, Celebrity, Inspirational, Social Media