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Ryan Trahan has recently exploded in popularity vis-a-vis his new series: 1 Penny 1 Million Meals. A month-long endeavor where he travels across the United States to deliver a penny to YouTube superstar Mr Beast.
His meteoric rise to fame has been the talk of the town as, by the latest estimates, the YouTuber has added more than two million subs to his name over the last month. With two days remaining to conclude the challenge, he is currently sitting at a tidy 9.62 million subscribers under his belt, all thanks to his innovative content which not only entertains viewers but also helps the underprivileged.
Along with the series' mind-boggling success on YouTube, Ryan has raised more than a million dollars for charity through his daily uploads.
Why is Ryan Trahan traveling across USA with just a penny?
Ryan started his YouTube career in tandem with the intention of being a professional runner for his school. His entrepreneurial sensibilites found an early outlet in a Water Bottle company he started called Neptune.
Unfortunately, he had to give up his running aspirations and dropped out of college because of sports regulations. On the plus side, he could now focus on his YouTube career.
Rising through the YouTube ranks
Ryan started his YouTube channel by making videos on running and sports. His channel became a niche for running enthusiasts but couldn't really break through the charts. So in early 2018, he changed tactics to create content for a wider audience.
His new strategy includes lifestyle videos, vlogs and commentaries. This paid dividends as the budding YouTuber reached the million subscriber landmark within a year.
His IRL challenge videos were especially popular with viewers and even allowed him to interact with YouTube superstars like Mr Beast. His videos boast good retention by blending shock value and intense challenges to appeal to a wider viewer base. His viral videos include "I spent 100 days in Metaverse" and "I Survived the World's Loudest room."
Explaining the viral "One penny One million meals" video series
Ryan Trahan's YouTube channel is full of absurd challenges and interestingly, this is not his first penny challenge. Last year, he made a three-part video series about living on a penny for three days. He also created a series where he traded one penny till he could afford a house.
A big reason the recent challenge is going viral is because of its absurd stipulation: Ryan has to trade $0.01, work odd jobs and try to barter until he can afford to get all the way across the country without seeking monetary help.
And to make it more interesting, if people donate $50,000, be it individually or if the donation pool reaches the target, Ryan has to start over from one penny and work his way up from that point.
Furthermore, the integration of viewer interaction into the series in such a way helps him raise money for charity. This is a big reason why Ryan Trahan's popularity has exploded, netting him over 1.5 million subscribers over the last 30 days as per Social Blade. His fundraiser has crossed 1.2 million US dollars as of writing the video.
The YouTuber even has an interesting back story behind delivering a penny to Mr Beast. Apparently, Trahan recently came across a study which theorises that the penny will go extinct by next year. This prompted him to deliver one to raise awareness.
In conclusion, Ryan Trahan's burst in popularity is due to several factors. All of which comes together perfectly into his One Penny One Million Meals challenge. The challenge appeals to a global audience by not only providing engrossing content, but also supporting philanthropic efforts.
Not to mention Ryan's daily vlogs and personality are big factors as to why so many viewers have flocked to the channel.
