Alex Benabe has converted his father's garage into a gaming centre.
A teenager from Philadelphia, USA, is making over $2,00,000 a year by playing the video game Fortnite. Alex Benabe, 19, earns over 14 lakh rupees a year by playing and live-streaming the hugely popular game - and saves almost all the money he makes.
According to The Mirror, Alex plays for about ten hours a day in his father's garage, which the two have converted into a high-tech gaming center complete with seven gaming monitors.
The teenager - who goes by the name 'Destroyer' while gaming - specialises in Fortnite Battle Royale. He earns anywhere between 7,000 to 10,000 pounds a month on Twitch, a live streaming platform for gaming. On top of that, playing to live audiences in stadiums and a deal with the gaming software company Epic Games brings him additional revenue.
"I've been playing games since I was seven years old. To be honest I didn't have a plan B," said Alex, according to Ladbible. "I play every day for at least eight hours. Some days I play up to 12."
Alex Benabe's longest live-stream was 37 hours. "I eat on camera and take bathroom breaks as necessary," said the teenager.
His choice of profession does have some drawbacks.
"There are times when my back hurts. I get active and stay in shape to counteract the stress of sitting in a chair all day," he said, adding that he hits the gym four to five times a week.
Alex Benabe credits video games for helping with his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
He said: "Growing up I struggled, always getting in trouble and getting in fights. I was super hyper and had lacked self control.
"When I started taking gaming more seriously, I wanted to stop taking my [ADHD] medication. I didn't want to depend on medication to function.
"Gaming also kept me out of the streets. Philadelphia can be a really toxic place if you fall in with the wrong crowd. Gaming kept me from choosing the wrong friends."
Click for more
trending news