Social media platforms, especially TikTok, have given rise to some truly unique career paths, ones that did not even exist until a few years ago.
One TikTok user who has used this to his advantage is Jakey Boehm, 28, an Australian man from the Gold Coast who has cleverly created a way to make a fortune of R577 000 a month, according to reports by Insider.
How does he do this? Well, by simply letting his fans remotely control his sleep, or wake him up.
The influencer’s bedroom is now akin to a colourful torture chamber. It has become a kaleidoscope of flashing lights, lasers, music, a bubble machine and more.
Then, all Boehm does is livestream from his room for seven hours a night, and his fans -- or even strangers -- have the ability to control the elements in his room, essentially deciding whether he even sleeps or not.
Those watching pay for this truly peculiar form of entertainment through TikTok, and it seems the young man is not complaining, due to the sheer amount of money he is making.
“Join the live! Control my room while I sleep! Play loud sounds, turn on the lights, videos, bubble machines, and more,” he wrote.
Boehm has amassed over 1 million followers and 3.5 million likes on the platform. In one video he posted, he is loudly woken up by a wacky, waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man, repeatedly screaming, you guessed it, “Wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man”.
@jakeyboehm Thank You for a million followers on TikTok ❤️ This is such a surreal moment. When I started back in march I never expected this to take off like it has. I was in a extremely low/bad place mentally, and turned to TikTok as a way to meet new friends and to escape reality and I can genuinely say not only has it saved my life but I’ve created a brand new life for myself, and I’m genuinely happy and have found a purpose for the first time in many years. It’s crazy to think I have started one of the biggest live streaming trends on TikTok, and to be featured in hundreds of articles, and television/ radio interviews worldwide, in countries I’ve never even been before is a pinch myself moment on its own. My busiest period was just under 10 million viewers watching me sleep in under 60 days. TeamJakey has really made a dent on TikTok and proven just how strong we are with ranking top 10 most gifted nearly every week. We have also raised over $15,000 for mental health organisations along the way and I have been able to support hundreds of up and coming streamers and creators. Thanks to everyone for being apart of my journey so far! I’m super excited to keep entertaining you all! And thank you to @dessertboxes ♬ MOMENTS IN LIFE - Turreekk
In another clip, he gave people the opportunity to give him an electric shock while he tried to sleep -- for a fee, of course.
“This is a shock bracelet and lets off a harmless shock to people who sleep in and can’t wake up. But with a little bit of coding, I have managed to incorporate it into the sleep stream,” Boehm told TikTok users.
In a post, he thanked those who have supported him in his strange, yet lucrative path, and said he had started a huge trend.
“I can’t wait to share what’s next. Love you all for this amazing opportunity I have been given to entertain millions of people each month, and grateful for the friends I have made on this platform,” Boehm said.
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