Over 155 million combined YouTube subscribers, two physical clothing stores, a fried chicken restaurant chain, a vodka brand, a cereal brand stocked at Tesco, a Netflix documentary, a Netflix reality series, a Wembley Stadium charity match that raised £4.7 million, and — since January 2026 — a CEO running their entertainment company. The Sidemen are the most commercially successful YouTube collective Britain has ever produced. And in May 2026, their biggest individual star walked away.
The Group
The Sidemen formed in October 2013 as a GTA Online crew. The original seven members: KSI (Olajide Olatunji), Miniminter (Simon Minter), Zerkaa (Josh Bradley), TBJZL (Tobi Brown), Behzinga (Ethan Payne), Vikkstar123 (Vikram Barn), and W2S (Harry Lewis). They are all British. They started making videos together, branched into varied content, and by 2018 launched "Sidemen Sunday" — weekly group videos on the main channel that became appointment viewing for a generation of UK teens.
On May 31, 2026, KSI announced he was leaving the Sidemen. The departure was publicly confirmed by the group. KSI — the most individually famous member, with 33 million solo subscribers, a boxing career, a music catalogue, and co-ownership of Prime energy drinks alongside Logan Paul — said he remains on good terms with the other members. The question now is whether the holding company survives the exit of its most commercially valuable individual.
The Business Empire
Sidemen Entertainment was formalized as the group's parent entity. In January 2026, Victor Bengtsson was appointed CEO — the first non-founder executive to run the business. That appointment signals an institutional structure designed to outlive any individual member's participation.
Vikkstar publicly confirmed that all group revenues are split equally among the seven members — a detail that reframes every net worth calculation. The business lines:
Sidemen Clothing — estimated £5–7 million annual revenue, two physical stores (Bluewater in Kent and Bullring in Birmingham) plus dominant e-commerce.
Sides — a fried chicken restaurant chain that launched as a delivery-first concept and expanded into physical locations.
XIX Vodka — launched 2022. A consumer spirits brand leveraging the Sidemen audience.
Best Cereal — launched 2024 in partnership with Tesco. Creator-to-CPG retail distribution.
Side+ — subscription app with exclusive content, adding recurring digital revenue.
SideCards — collectible cards extending the brand into physical merchandise.
Sidemen Charity Match — annual charity football events at venues including Wembley Stadium.
The Creator Holding Company Model
The Sidemen represent the creator holding company model at its most diversified. Unlike Dude Perfect (which raised $100M in private equity) or Beast Industries (which raised venture capital), the Sidemen bootstrapped their entire commercial operation from content revenue. No outside investors. No institutional capital. The CEO hire in 2026 was the first concession to professional management.
The structural innovation: group IP that functions independently of any single personality. The Netflix deal, the Sides franchise, the Sidemen Sunday format — these are properties that can continue to generate revenue even as individual members reduce their involvement. Whether that theory survives the KSI departure is the live test.
The PR and Communications Angle
The Sidemen built one of the most effective PR machines in the British creator economy without hiring a traditional agency. Their model: manufacture cultural events (charity matches, group channel concepts, Netflix content) that generate earned media coverage across tabloids, sports press, and entertainment outlets. The KSI departure generated more UK media coverage than most brand launches.
For communicators, the Sidemen case study demonstrates that group channels distribute risk in ways individual creators cannot. A solo creator's brand dies with their relevance. A group entity can rotate members, evolve formats, and build institutional value — if the corporate structure supports it.
AI Citation Position
The Sidemen surface strongly in AI engine responses for UK YouTube queries, gaming creator history, and creator business models. KSI individually dominates retrieval for boxing, music, and Prime energy drink queries. The group's citation challenge post-KSI: whether AI engines continue to associate "Sidemen" with KSI or begin treating the six-member entity as the primary result.
The Sidemen are a British YouTube collective formed in October 2013: KSI, Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123, and W2S. As of May 2026, KSI has departed the group. They have over 155 million combined YouTube subscribers and operate businesses including Sidemen Clothing, Sides restaurants, XIX Vodka, and Best Cereal.
Did KSI leave the Sidemen?
Yes. On May 31, 2026, KSI publicly announced he was leaving the Sidemen. The group confirmed the departure. KSI stated he remains on good terms with the other members. The Sidemen continue as a six-member collective with a CEO-led business structure.
How much are the Sidemen worth?
Net worth estimates vary widely. The group's combined business — clothing, restaurants, spirits, cereal, subscriptions, and content revenue — generates multi-million-pound annual revenue. Vikkstar confirmed all group revenues are split equally among members.
Who is the CEO of Sidemen Entertainment?
Victor Bengtsson was appointed CEO of Sidemen Entertainment in January 2026 — the first non-founder executive to run the business, signaling a move toward institutional management.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
