Nelk (stylized as NELK), also referred to as the Nelk Boys,[2] is a Canadian-American YouTube channel and entertainment company. Originally known for their prank videos, vlogs, and their brand Full Send Entertainment, they have since shifted to promoting right-wing political causes.[3][4] The group's founders, Kyle Forgeard and Jesse Sebastiani, have been referred to as "two of the most recognizable personalities for young people in North America".[5]
| Nelk | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||
| Origin | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | |||||||||
| Occupation | Online Entertainment | |||||||||
| Website | www | |||||||||
| YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Location | Miami, Florida, U.S. | |||||||||
| Years active | 2010–present | |||||||||
| Genre(s) | Pranks, lifestyle | |||||||||
| Subscribers | 8.17 million[1] | |||||||||
| Total views | 1.72 billion[1] | |||||||||
| Network | Full Send Entertainment | |||||||||
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Last updated: 8 Sept 2024 | ||||||||||
History
editIn 2010, Kyle Forgeard created the YouTube channel, at the time called NelkFilmz, along with other founding members Braden Macdonald, Niko and Marko Martinovic, and Lucas Gasparini. In 2014, Forgeard met Jesse Sebastiani at an MTV Canada conference, who would soon after become a prominent member of the group.[6] All four besides Forgeard ended up leaving the group at some point thereafter.
In October 2020, members of the group met with President Donald Trump on Air Force One during one of his 2020 presidential election rallies.[7] They were also seen to dance to the "Y.M.C.A." song with President Trump onstage following his rally.[8] They met Trump again in July 2021 at UFC 264, and he appeared on the Full Send Podcast in March 2022.[9] The episode went viral, receiving 5 million views in 24 hours, at which time it was removed by YouTube. Following the podcast, Full Send Podcast became the second most popular podcast in the US on Spotify.[10]
On September 8, 2021, Nelk uploaded the first episode of their "Full Send Podcast", exclusive to YouTube and Apple Podcasts.[11]
In February 2022, Forgeard was officially added to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for social media influencers.[12]
Content and brand
editNelk's videos, in addition to pranks, are themed around North American college culture. The group's videos combine vlogs of their party lifestyle with footage of their actual pranks.
Nelk is known for popularizing and later trademarking the slang term "Full Send" (stylized as FULL SEND) which Forgeard defined as meaning "any activity you do, give it your absolute best".[13] The group has also popularized a number of other terms, including "Rona Season," a reference to the group's constant consumption of Corona beer. Sebastiani has referred to the group's trademark words as "Canadian-influenced slang".[14]
Nelk operates the Full Send clothing brand. The clothing is sold in one-time Supreme-style "drops", where each style of clothing has limited availability and is only available once.[15] Once the entire drop is sold out, no Full Send clothing can be purchased until the next drop, when new styles will become available. Nelk sells almost $100 million worth of apparel every year.[16]
Nelk owns a hard seltzer brand called Happy Dad,[17][18] which is produced and packaged at Minhas Breweries & Distillery in Monroe, WI.[19][20] In 2023, Happy Dad became a top five hard seltzer brand according to IRI data.[21]
The group hosts a podcast called the Full Send Podcast.[22] Notable guests have included Donald Trump, Mike Tyson, Elon Musk, Andrew Tate, OJ Simpson, Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, and others. The podcast was created in partnership with Shots Podcast Network.
Subsidiaries
edit| Subsidiary | Type |
|---|---|
| Full Send | Main brand |
| NELK | Main YouTube channel |
| SalimtheDream | YouTube channel |
| SteveWillDoIt | Rumble channel |
| Full Send Podcast | Podcast and YouTube channel |
| Full Send Golf | YouTube channel |
| Full Send MMA | YouTube channel |
| FullSend.com | Merchandise and exclusive content website |
| Happy Dad | Hard seltzer brand |
| Full Send Supplements | Health and Fitness Supplement brand |
| Full Send Metacard | NFT |
| The Dream Squad | Instagram brand |
| Girls Love Artists | Merchandise |
YouTube Channels
edit| YouTube Channel | Subscriber Count |
|---|---|
| NELK | 8,120,000 |
| Full Send Podcast | 2,000,000 |
| Nelk 2 | 1,300,000 |
| SalimTheDream | 813,000 |
| Full Send Golf | 206,000 |
| Full Send Podcast Clips | 191,000 |
| Happy Dad | 116,000 |
| Money Buys Happiness | 105,000 |
| Full Send MMA | 46,700 |
| Full Send Metacard | 26,700 |
| One Night With Steiny | 62,300 |
Rumble Channels
edit| Rumble Channel | Subscriber Count |
|---|---|
| SteveWillDoIt | 639,000 |
Most Viewed Podcasts
edit| Guest | Views |
|---|---|
| Elon Musk | 21,838,883 |
| Mike Tyson | 13,095,066 |
| Donald Trump | 8,737,528 |
Members
editCurrent and recurring members include Kyle Forgeard, Stephen “SteveWillDoIt” Deleonardis (Mexican), Salim Sirur, Gabriel Poncio, Aaron "Steiny" Steinberg, "Jimmy Gambles" (Arthur Kulik),[23] and "Cousin Jay" (Jordan Nwanne).[24] Nelk Headquarters is located in Newport Beach, California.[25] Nelk also has an offshoot location in Miami, Florida under SteveWillDoIt LLC. The group previously resided in Ontario, Canada, and Los Angeles.[26]
Jesse Sebastiani was a founding member of the group. Prior to joining Nelk, was known for his self-published documentary, Saved by the Status,[27] and his role in the MTV show Careless Teens.[28] Years after joining, he expressed his displeasure with his and the group's lifestyle. In a tweet posted on January 29, 2020, he wrote, "I hate fame... I've lost almost everything I use to love about life".[29] He eventually became less active in Nelk videos, and in late 2020, he began primarily working on the Full Send brand. In 2022, he officially took distance from the group, bought out of the company, and started his own brand called “Sunday”.[30]
Other former members of the group include Niko and Marko Martinovic, Lucas Gasparini, and Jason Pagaduan. Niko and Marko, who are twins, were members of Nelk in the early development, but left in 2015 to pursue YouTube independently. Gasparini left in 2017 citing concerns of his association with the channel's content, which consisted of public misconduct which would affect his career outlook, as well as the pursuit of educational studies as a plumber.[31] He then returned in 2021 joining the rest of the team in Los Angeles.[32] Pagaduan, who was known by his Instagram handle "905shooter" or simply "9-0," was withdrawn from the group in October 2019 for behavioral misconduct from sexual harassment allegations stemming from Pagaduan sending direct messages of a graphic and sexual nature to fans, as well as not meeting standards.[33]
Nelk Boys
edit| Member | Hometown | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Forgeard | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Nelk Co-Founder and Owner
Co-Host of Full Send Podcast |
| Stephen "SteveWillDoIt" Deleonardis | Oviedo, Florida | Member; CEO of SteveWillDoIt LLC |
| Salim "Salim the Dream" Sirur | San Jose, California | Member; CEO of SalimTheDream |
| Aaron "Steiny" Steinberg | Denver, Colorado | Co-Host of Full Send Podcast |
| Arthur "Jimmy Gambles" Kulik | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Content Creator |
Crew
edit| Member | Hometown | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Poncio | Almores, Brazil | Executive Assistant |
| Jordan "Cousin Jay" Nwanne | Sacramento, California | Lead Videographer |
Former
edit| Member | Hometown | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Jesse Sebastiani | Orangeville, Ontario, Canada | Nelk Co-Founder |
| Jason "905shooter" Pagaduan | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Lead Videographer |
| Lucas Gasparini | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Content Creator |
Corporate
edit| Member | Hometown | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Forgeard | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Owner |
| John Shahidi | Orange County, California | President of all Ventures |
| Sam Shahidi | Orange County, California | CEO of Happy Dad Hard Seltzer |
| Austin "AusGod" Ermes | Oshawa, Ontario, Canada | Director of Content/Lead Editor |
| Drew Hill | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Nelk Manager |
Full Send Podcast
edit| Member | Hometown | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Forgeard | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Lead Podcast Host |
| Aaron "Steiny" Steinberg | Denver, Colorado | Podcast Host |
| Salim Sirur | Sacramento, California | Occasional Podcast Host |
| Gabriel Poncio | Almores, Brazil | Producer and Portuguese Translator |
Dream Squad
edit| Member | Hometown | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Salim Sirur | Sacramento, California | Chief Executive Officer |
| Jordan "Cousin Jay" Nwanne | Sacramento, California | Lead Videographer
CEO of Girls Love Artists |
| Nick Nayersina | Chicago, Illinois | Content Creator |
| Tyler Chafee | San Jose, California | Bird Coordinator |
| Jason Mejia | Los Angeles, California | Editor |
Full Send MMA
edit| Member | Hometown | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Shawny "The OG" Mack | Las Vegas, Nevada | Head Reporter |
| Sean "Sugar Sean" O'Malley | Phoenix, Arizona | Ambassador |
| Dana White | Las Vegas, Nevada | Honorary Nelk BigBoy |
Legal issues and controversies
editThroughout Nelk's career, they have been the subject of various legal issues and controversies.
In January 2015, Nelk posted a video titled "Coke Prank On Cops" in which they told police officers in Los Angeles that they had "coke" in the back of the car, leading the officers to think that they were referring to cocaine when in reality they were referring to Coca-Cola. In May 2016, the video became a subject of controversy.[34] The group received a warning, and the Los Angeles Police Department released a statement informing the public that the prank was illegal and warning potential copycat pranksters against doing so.[35] The video has received 49 million views and is currently their most viewed, having almost three times as many views as their second-most viewed video.
In January 2019, Sebastiani was arrested during a prank in which he walked into a Barnes & Noble store with fake blood smeared on a white jumpsuit and asked workers for books on covering up a crime scene. He was charged by Columbus, Ohio police department, and found guilty of disorderly conduct in the Ohio Court of Common Pleas.[28]
In August 2019, Nelk participated in a "spin the globe challenge", and ended up in Europe. In Ireland, Nelk planned a meetup in a public park, but failed to notify the local police. The meetup got out of control, with large mobs of fans swarming the area in an unsafe manner, causing the meetup to be cut short.[36] Afterward, Jason Pagaduan was removed from the group. In February 2020, Nelk moved into a residence in Los Angeles, California which they refer to as the "Full Send House". Salim Sirur and Cousin Jay also joined Nelk at this time.[citation needed]
In May 2020, Forgeard, Deleonardis, Sirur, along with several other members were arrested for disturbing the peace while filming a prank at a Target store in Mississippi. They were later released on bond.[37]
In September 2020, the police department in Normal, Illinois announced an investigation into Nelk after they hosted a flash mob of about 200 people on-campus at Illinois State University in violation of COVID-19 regulations.[38][39] Following this, YouTube announced a decision to totally demonetize the Nelk YouTube account in addition to most of their specific videos, so that no money could be earned from YouTube. They attributed the decision to the platform's Creator Responsibility Policy, which mandates that creators do not engage in “on- and/or off-platform behavior [that] harms our users, community, employees or ecosystem," claiming that Nelk had harmed YouTube users by hosting a group of people and thereby violating COVID-19 regulations.[40] Chris Koos, the town's mayor, also stated that he intends to pursue legal action against Nelk.[41] A week later, police in Seaside Heights, New Jersey broke up a gathering of about 1,500 people at a house being rented by Nelk, which violated New Jersey's COVID-19 restrictions. Nelk, despite no intentions to draw a crowd, was eventually kicked out of the house by the landlord and 8 fans were arrested.[41] Governor Phil Murphy called the event "knucklehead behavior".[42][43]
On March 23, 2021, Nelk was unable to upload a video due to suggestions by their attorney in relation to an arrest warrant filed against Forgeard in Texas.[44] That same month, CBS reported that Nelk was responsible for a series of physical assaults at a group meet in Fort Worth, Texas on March 15.[45]
Awards and nominations
editThe YouTube Streamy Awards, or commonly referred to as the Streamy's, are presented annually to recognize and honor excellence in online video, including directing, acting, producing, and writing.
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Creator Product | Happy Dad Hard Seltzer | Won | [46] |
References
edit- ^ a b "About NELK". YouTube.
- ^ "These Popular YouTubers Are Being Investigated For Allegedly Throwing College Parties And Encouraging Students To Ignore COVID Safety". BuzzFeed News. September 11, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Horowitz, Justin (February 21, 2024). "How the Nelk Boys went from viral pranksters to right-wing media stars". Media Matters for America. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Gilbert, Dave. "The Trump Campaign's Rhetoric About Women Sounds a Lot Like Andrew Tate's". Wired. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Fraser, Ted (August 10, 2020). "Canadian pranksters Nelk have millions of young followers. Their 'dangerous' decision to party during the pandemic is good for business". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "Who are the NELK boys? -". couchguysports.com. June 19, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Nolan, Emma (November 3, 2020). "NELK Boys and Donald Trump meet on Air Force One in viral YouTube video". Newsweek. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Page, Sam (October 23, 2020), "Donald Trump and the Potency of his Assemblage", Political Landscapes of Donald Trump, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 180–192, doi:10.4324/9780429242670-12, ISBN 978-0-429-24267-0, S2CID 225169714, retrieved November 3, 2020
- ^ Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "Who are the Nelk Boys? Why Donald Trump appeared on a frat prank podcast". Insider. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ "YouTube Pulls Donald Trump's Interview With 'Full Send' Podcast For Misinformation". HuffPost. March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ "FULL SEND PODCAST on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
- ^ "Kyle Forgeard". Forbes. February 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Lorenz, Taylor (June 29, 2021). "What Won't the Nelk Boys Do?". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- ^ Heck, Alexandra (July 22, 2019). "'It was a wake-up call': Shelburne's Jesse Sebastiani on the YouTube prank that landed him in jail". Orangeville.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Bluestein, Adam (March 3, 2021). "How Supreme-Style Merch Drops Took Over Corporate America". Medium. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Seessel, Adam (May 24, 2022). Where the Money Is: Value Investing in the Digital Age. Simon and Schuster. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-9821-8514-5.
- ^ "Nelk Boys' Happy Dad Hard Seltzer Officially Hits Shelves in California". Brewbound. June 14, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Higgins, Daniel. "Wisco Hard Seltzer puts Stillmank Brewing in prime position grab a "little small fraction" of the market". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Edgy Prank Channel Nelk Launches 'Happy Dad' Hard Seltzer Brand". Tubefilter. June 1, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "We Made Our Own NELK Alcohol!". youtube.com. June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Ward, Tom. "From YouTube Pranks To Beverage Moguls: The Nelk Boys And Shahidi Brothers' Happy Dad Hard Seltzer Is A Huge Success". Forbes. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ Weiss, Geoff (August 5, 2021). "Nelk Launches 'Full Send' Podcast To Talk Business Ventures, Recount Legendary Antics". Tubefilter. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Devika (October 12, 2021). "Hilarious! Bryson DeChambeau Pranks People on a Golf Course". EssentiallySports. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ Mustafa, Filiz (October 29, 2020). "Celebs react to Donald Trump and Nelk Boys' video – "the funniest crossover in internet history"". HITC. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Bowling in Other People's Lanes!, retrieved March 21, 2021
- ^ AffiliateLabz (February 8, 2020). "Nelk Boys New Full Send House They Just Moved Into Is Huge". Famous Celebrity Homes. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ "Saved by the Status: across Canada in 100 days (exclusive)". BZ Film. February 17, 2014. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Halliday, Chris (January 11, 2019). "Shelburne prankster, NELK Boys YouTube star found guilty of amended charge in U.S. court". Orangeville.com. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jesse Sebastiani Tweet 6:42 AM 2019-01-29". Twitter. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Fowler, Kate (February 9, 2021). "What happened to Jesse from NELK? Fans confused by disappearance!". HITC. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Lloydi, Baloydi (January 15, 2018). "What/Who is NELK?". Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Pretending to be an Amazon Delivery Driver!, retrieved March 10, 2021
- ^ Kipling, Ella (September 9, 2021). "Nelk Boys explain brutal reason 905 Shooter left the group". HITC. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Rogers, Katie (May 19, 2016). "When YouTube Pranks Break the Law". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Del Ray, Marina (January 13, 2015). "LAPD Not Laughing Over Pranksters' Viral 'Coke' Gag On Officers". CBS. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- ^ O'Callaghan, Gavin (September 9, 2019). "Gardai speak to famous Youtube pranksters 'The Nelk Boys' after hundreds turn up to Phoenix Park meet up". Dublin Live. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- ^ "NELK on Instagram: "Its Jesse boys. Im out and good but the boys just got arrested. Keep you guys updated as soon as i know more #FREENELK"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ "Watch now: NELK Boys parties could bring consequences for Illinois State University students". The Pantagraph. September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ Schladebeck, Jessica (September 10, 2020). "Illinois State University students could face legal consequences for attending massive party thrown by YouTube stars The NELK Boys". nydailynews.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Gstalter, Morgan (September 12, 2020). "YouTube stars' account demonetized after they are accused of throwing parties amid pandemic". The Hill. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ a b "8 Arrested As YouTube Stars' Fans Get Unruly In Seaside Heights". Patch. September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ Yates, Toni (September 16, 2020). "Arrests made after police break up large party outside 'Jersey Shore' house". ABC News. 6ABC Philadelphia. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ "Murphy criticizes YouTube stars for 'Jersey Shore' gathering". Concho Valley Homepage. AP. September 16, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ "Nelk Boys' Kyle Forgeard Has Warrant Issued In Texas". Pro Sports Extra. March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "4 Suspects Sought for Assault at Nelk Boys Meetup in Fort Worth, Police Say". CBS News. April 2021.
- ^ Strause, Jackie (December 12, 2021). "Streamy Awards: MrBeast Wins 2021 Creator of the Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 28, 2022.