Josh Richards: The TikTok Phenom Turned Gen-Z Business Mogul
Josh Richards is a rare breed in a time when social media fame can fade as quickly as it starts. He’s a 23-year-old Canadian entrepreneur who has turned viral dances and lip-syncs into a diverse empire that includes content creation, venture capital, and consumer goods. Richards was born in the digital age and grew up as platforms like TikTok became popular. He embodies the bold spirit of Gen-Z hustlers, using algorithms to gain influence while building businesses that last beyond trends. With a net worth of between $22.5 million and $40 million, he’s not just getting by in the creator economy; he’s changing it. Richards’s journey from a small town in Ontario to boardrooms near Hollywood as the CEO of CrossCheck Studios and a co-founder of several businesses is a masterclass in ambition and adaptability.
Starting Out Small in the North
In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 31, 2002, Joshua Kenneth Richards was born. This was the same year that the first iPod came out and reality TV changed the way people watch TV. He grew up in Cobourg, a small town about an hour east of Toronto, where life moved at a much slower pace than it does for social media stars. Richards was the oldest child in a Christian family of white Caucasian descent. His father was a businessman and his mother was a homemaker. He had two siblings, Olivia and William, who made up the rest of the family. He loved hockey as a child, and he would later work in the sport, but it was the smartphone in his hand that made him famous around the world.
Richards started making content in a simple way when he was in high school. When they were bored, they tried out TikTok and made funny skits, dance challenges, and relatable teen vignettes that went viral and reached millions of people. He had more than 25 million followers on his @joshrichards account by 2019, and that number is still growing. His charm, which was often self-deprecating and always magnetic, got him into the infamous Sway House in Los Angeles, where influencers like Jaden Hossler and Anthony Reeves live. Richards started to see beyond the likes and views here, in the middle of the chaos of content farms and celebrity cameos. He told Forbes in 2021, “TikTok was my entry point, but I always knew it couldn’t be the endgame.”
From viral videos to venture capital
Richards’s quick and smart switch to business sense was quick. At the age of 18, he co-founded TalentX Entertainment, a digital management company that finds and promotes up-and-coming creators. This is basically the opposite of what the platforms that made him famous did. That year, he signed a recording contract with Warner Records and became the first artist to work with TalentX. His songs combined pop music with his own unique sense of humor. Music was just a side quest for him; his main goal was production and investment.
CrossCheck Studios, a multimedia production company he co-founded with Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg, is the most important thing in his portfolio. Richards is in charge of everything from scripted shows to branded content as CEO. Recently, he made a historic first-look deal with Amazon Studios. Wahlberg, who has reinvented himself many times, praised Richards’s precocity: “I am impressed with Josh and all of the things he’s already accomplished.” Richards is a strategist for brands that want to reach Gen-Z, which is a niche where his insider knowledge really shines.
Richards has gone beyond Hollywood glam and gotten into consumer goods and technology. He helped start Ani Energy, a line of functional energy drinks for health-conscious creators, and DogforDog, a line of pet clothes that gives money to animal shelters. He used to be the chief strategy officer at the short-video app Triller, where he helped fight TikTok’s dominance. What was his most daring financial move? As a general partner at Animal Capital, he helped start a $15 million venture capital fund that invests in early-stage startups in Web3, creator tools, and lifestyle tech.
Forbes said that in 2021, he made $5 million from sponsorships alone, making him the fourth highest-paid TikTok user at the time. By 2025, that number has grown a lot because of money from podcasts and equity stakes. He is number 39 on the 2025 Top Creators list. He spends his days “podcasting, investing in businesses, and making clothes—all in a day’s work.”
The Multi-Hyphenate Grows On-Screen and On-Air
Richards’s charm goes beyond the office. He has acted in Under the Stadium Lights (2021) and Summertime Dropouts (2022), and his 6’3″ frame and boyish grin work well on screen. He co-hosts Barstool Sports’ popular podcast BFFs (formerly with Dave Portnoy, now with Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia), where they talk about sports, pop culture, and the weird things that happen in the lives of influencers. A lot of the time, the episodes turn into hockey debates, which makes sense since the host is Canadian and used to work with the NHL on getting kids interested in the sport.
His personal life also adds to the story. Richards is open about his Christian faith and has had high-profile relationships, like with singer Nessa Barrett, and viral memes, like one that called him the “smallest man” even though he is tall, which is a reference to his big personality. He is now a dual citizen of Canada and the United States and lives in both L.A. and Toronto. He often talks about his roots on X and Instagram.
A Creator Classic Win and New Horizons Ahead
Richards has had both personal and professional successes in 2025. In May, he worked with Erik Anders Lang and Brad Dalke to win the third Creator Classic golf tournament at Philadelphia’s Cricket Club. This was a celebrity-filled event that combined sports and socializing. It’s a fitting end to a year in which CrossCheck signed more deals and Ani Energy expanded its distribution.
Richards doesn’t show any signs of slowing down in the future. With Animal Capital’s fund backing bets on AI-powered content tools and eco-friendly brands, he’s putting himself in the middle of old Hollywood and new media. He told Forbes recently, “The creator economy is just the beginning.” “Owning the IP, the data, and the distribution is what it’s all about.” Richards is more than just a TikTok star at 23; he’s a model for how digital natives can leave a lasting legacy. In a world where fame is short-lived, his story is a reminder: Get famous, then go out and do something.