Kyle Forgeard's net worth reached $25 million in 2024. His decision to leave Ryerson University led him toward entrepreneurial success. He co-founded the NELK Boys YouTube channel that grew to 7 million subscribers. Kyle's business ventures flourished with Full Send merchandise and Happy Dad seltzer brand rapidly.
Early Life and YouTube Beginnings
Kyle John Forgeard started his trip on July 12, 1994, in the suburban neighborhoods of Mississauga, Ontario. Rick and Gayle Forgeard raised Kyle and his sister Chantal in the same house, where he discovered his passion for filmmaking early.
Growing up in Mississauga
Young Kyle's creative instincts emerged at Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School in Meadowvale, Mississauga. His classmates chose traditional career paths, but Kyle devoted himself to directing, editing, and creating videos - talents that would define his future.
Kyle enrolled in Ryerson University's film program, but his entrepreneurial drive pointed him elsewhere. YouTube success stories fascinated him and sparked his desire to build his own digital entertainment empire.
Starting the NELK channel
The YouTube channel "NelkFilmz" came to life in July 2010 through Kyle's ambitious vision. NELK stood as an acronym for its founding members - Nick, Elliot, Lucas, and Kyle, who were friends from Mississauga. Lucas Gasparini stayed with Kyle to create content after Nick and Elliot left.
Ad revenue brought in about $500 monthly during their early days. Simple skits like "What The **** Moments - The Business Meeting" marked their beginnings. Kyle produced various pranks, including the "Tim Hortons Roll Up the Rim" and "McDonald's Employee" pranks.
First viral success
Kyle met Jesse Sebastiani at an MTV Canada conference in 2014, changing everything. Their first video together, "Lit Me On Fire Prank," launched a powerful partnership. MTV and TBS passed on their TV show pitch, but better opportunities awaited.
The "Coke Prank on Cops" video in 2015 became their breakthrough moment. This clever prank showed police officers finding Coca-Cola in their trunk instead of expected illegal substances, and got over 44 million views. Major Canadian news outlets covered this soaring win, pushing NELK into the spotlight.
NELK grew faster afterward. The channel reached one million subscribers by January 2018 and earned YouTube's Gold Creator Award. This success verified Kyle's choice to leave university and chase his YouTube dreams full-time.
Building the NELK Empire
Kyle Forgeard turned YouTube's demonetization of NELK's channel into a chance to build a business empire of all types. His shift from content creation to entrepreneurship showed his exceptional business sense.
Creating Full Send Entertainment
Full Send Entertainment became NELK's parent company to manage ventures of all types under one roof. The brand's success comes from its real connection with fans, especially college-aged viewers who find their unfiltered content and party-hard lifestyle appealing.Â
Through strategic collaborations and brand growth, Full Send has grown beyond its original party image to represent giving your all to everything you do.
Launch of merchandise line
The merchandise division became NELK's main source of revenue after YouTube pulled their monetization. The brand took a page from Supreme's playbook by releasing limited-edition clothing drops with just 2,000 items per collection. These exclusive launches create massive demand, and site traffic hits 350,000 people at once. This approach has become a soaring win, bringing in about $70 million each year from merchandise alone.
Full Send stands out from typical influencer merchandise. Brand Central now represents them officially, which opens doors to retail collaborations. Their clothes feature unique designs made with premium materials that focus on comfort and lasting quality. Each item captures the brand's adventurous spirit with bold graphics and iconic logos.
Expanding into podcasting
Forgeard launched the Full Send Podcast in September 2021 to add variety to the brand's media presence. The show quickly rose to fame by bringing in big names like:
Elon Musk
Donald Trump
Mike Tyson
Post Malone
The podcast works as a powerful marketing tool, especially to promote Happy Dad Seltzer and other Full Send ventures. Forgeard's choice of guests and authentic conversations have made the podcast another successful part of his growing media empire.
Full Send now includes multiple ways to make money, from merchandise and beverages to digital content and podcasting. This variety has helped Kyle Forgeard build a business that doesn't depend only on YouTube money. The brand stays relevant by connecting with its loyal fans, creating a world where customers buy more than products – they buy into a lifestyle.
Major Revenue Streams
Kyle Forgeard's financial success comes from multiple revenue streams, even after YouTube demonetization. Let's take a closer look at where NELK makes its money.
YouTube earnings breakdown
NELK's YouTube channel was making good money from ads until demonetization hit in 2020. These days, the channel pulls in between $15,900 to $356,900 monthly. This could mean yearly earnings anywhere from $193,000 to $4.3 million. Their videos are still crushing it with an average of 271,041 likes per video.
The channel's numbers are impressive:
8.12 million subscribers
1.6 billion total views
310 uploaded videos
Their social media game brings in some serious cash too:
Instagram income: $53,800 - $73,800
TikTok income: $4,100 - $6,500
Merchandise sales figures
Full Send merchandise is where NELK really makes its money. Their smart approach to selling merch has paid off big time.
The brand's limited-edition drops create such a buzz that 300,000 people hit the site at once. One of their most successful drops brought in $30 million in just 30 minutes.
Full Send merchandise made $50 million in 2020. The numbers kept climbing, and annual revenue reached $70 million from merchandise alone. This soaring win comes from their exclusive model - each drop has only 2,000 items.
Here's how their merchandise strategy works:
Time-limited releases to create a lack of supply
Premium branded clothing and accessories
Products sell out in minutes
Site traffic hits 350,000 users at once
The money doesn't stop at merchandise. Brand partnerships bring in about $2 million yearly. Their Happy Dad Seltzer business is valued at $250 million and serves 50 million customers.
Smart Investment Moves
Kyle Forgeard has built a solid financial foundation through smart investments beyond his content creation and merchandise business. His portfolio shows his sharp business sense through investments in real estate, beverages, and digital assets.
Real estate portfolio
Kyle made a smart move in April 2021. He bought a massive 9,713-square-foot property in Newport Beach, California worth $9 million. The property brings in $27,000 each month through rental agreements. This investment works two ways - he can write it off as a business expense and earn steady income.
Happy Dad Seltzer venture
Happy Dad Hard Seltzer stands out as one of Kyle's biggest wins since its launch in June 2021. The Orange County-based company, which he started with Sam Shahidi and John Shahidi, has seen incredible growth:
Sales jumped from 698,000 12-packs in 2021 to over 2.6 million in 2022
The brand ranks among Top 5 seltzer brands at Total Wine & More stores nationwide
Social media following has grown to over 1.5 million
The brand clicks with customers because it's gluten-free, contains 5% ABV, and has just 1g of sugar. Happy Dad now sells in 16 states and plans to expand into 6 new markets. The company's value sits at around $250 million, which means Kyle's 10% stake could be worth $25 million.
NFT projects
Kyle took a step into Web3 in January 2022 with the Full Send Metacard NFT collection. The launch was a soaring win:
All 10,000 NFTs sold out within minutes
Each NFT cost $2,300
Total sales hit $23 million
All the same, some challenges emerged. A lawsuit came up about unfulfilled promises regarding business ventures and investment opportunities. Full Send responded by offering dissatisfied holders a 30-day period to get refunds plus interest.
Kyle's mix of investments in real estate, beverages, and digital assets shows he knows how to spot and grab great business opportunities in a variety of markets.
Conclusion
Kyle Forgeard made bold decisions that transformed his life completely. His progress from YouTube content creator to business mogul shows his brilliant mind at work. He smartly expanded into merchandise, beverages, and mutually beneficial investments.Â
His entrepreneurial vision and willingness to take risks helped him build a $25 million net worth that confirms his unconventional approach works.
FAQs
Q1. How much is Kyle Forgeard's net worth?Â
Kyle Forgeard's net worth is estimated to be around $25 million as of 2024. This impressive figure stems from his successful YouTube career, business ventures, and strategic investments.
Q2. What are Kyle Forgeard's main sources of income?Â
Kyle's primary income sources include earnings from the NELK YouTube channel, revenue from Full Send merchandise sales, profits from the Happy Dad Seltzer venture, and income from various investments including real estate and NFT projects.
Q3. How did Kyle Forgeard start his career?Â
Kyle began his career by co-founding the NELK Boys YouTube channel in 2010. He gained significant popularity in 2015 with the viral "Coke Prank on Cops" video, which catapulted NELK into mainstream attention.
Q4. What business ventures has Kyle Forgeard been involved in?Â
Kyle has been involved in several business ventures, including Full Send Entertainment, the Full Send merchandise line, Happy Dad Seltzer, and various NFT projects. He has also invested in real estate and was an early investor in Birddogs clothing.
Q5. How has Kyle Forgeard diversified his income streams?Â
Kyle has diversified his income by expanding beyond YouTube content creation. He has launched successful merchandise lines, ventured into the beverage industry with Happy Dad Seltzer, invested in real estate, and explored digital assets through NFT projects. He also earns from brand partnerships and appearances.