Seán William "Jack" McLoughlin (born February 7, 1990), better known by his online name jacksepticeye, is an Irish YouTuber who creates videos about gaming, comedy, and vlogging. He was raised in Cloghan, County Offaly, Ireland, and played video games from a young age. He began uploading videos to YouTube in December 2012, and his channel grew quickly in the following years, reaching one million subscribers in 2014 and 10 million by 2016. In 2017, he appeared on Disney XD and Irish national television. He also toured Europe and the United States in 2017 and 2018 as part of his How Did We Get Here tour and the Game Grumps' Ready Player 3 tour.
In 2018, he started streaming exclusive content on Twitch as part of a long-term agreement with Disney Digital Network. He continued making YouTube videos and appearing at live events, such as Summer Game Fest in 2020. In 2021, he appeared in the movie Free Guy, which stars Ryan Reynolds. The next year, he released a documentary called How Did We Get Here?, which included footage from his tour with the same name. In 2025, he voiced a character in the video game Dispatch.
He is the founder and owner of Top of The Mornin' Coffee. He also co-founded the clothing brand Cloak with another YouTuber, Markiplier, but he is no longer involved with the brand. He is an active philanthropist who has participated in fundraisers that have raised tens of millions of dollars for charitable organizations.
Early life and education
Seán William McLoughlin was born on February 7, 1990, as the youngest of five children to John (born around 1936, died January 27, 2021) and Florrie McLoughlin. He was born in Ballinasloe and grew up in Cloghan, County Offaly, Ireland. He also lived in Banagher for a time. His father worked for the Electricity Supply Board, and his mother held several jobs before becoming a caregiver for his grandmother. McLoughlin began playing video games at age seven. As a child, he often played Nintendo Game Boy games in a neighborhood treehouse and later said he felt a sense of belonging through gaming. He was frequently called "Jack," a common nickname for Seán in Ireland. He earned the nickname "Jack Septic Eye" after an injury to his eye during a football match when he was young.
At age 18, McLoughlin and his family moved to a cabin in Ballycumber. He studied music technology and production at Limerick Institute of Technology. In his third year of the program, he left the school and returned home to Ballycumber. In 2014, he moved to an apartment in Athlone, County Westmeath, where he studied hotel management at the Athlone Institute of Technology and earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree. He lived in Athlone until 2017, when he moved to Brighton, England. Reasons for the move included Brighton’s strong LGBTQ and vegan communities, as well as concerns about privacy after fans discovered his home in Athlone.
Internet career
In December 2012, McLoughlin began uploading videos to YouTube under the name "jacksepticeye." He first created videos of people speaking, then changed to making videos about playing games. In 2013, he was mentioned in a video by PewDiePie, which caused his YouTube channel to grow from 2,500 subscribers to 15,000 in four days. Because his channel became popular, McLoughlin was able to work on YouTube full-time by May 2014. In August 2014, his channel reached one million subscribers, and by the end of the year, it had 1.5 million subscribers. By February 2015, the channel had one billion views and 3.2 million subscribers. The next year, he gained six million more subscribers. In January 2016, he was one of the first YouTubers to join PewDiePie’s network called Revelmode. That year, he helped host the SXSW Gaming Awards and appeared in the 2016 YouTube Rewind video.
McLoughlin acted as the main villain in the second season of the YouTube Red show Scare PewDiePie. The season was planned to start on March 9, 2017, but it was canceled before it began because of controversy involving PewDiePie and the use of anti-semitic imagery on his channel. After the controversy, the Revelmode network was shut down by Disney. Later, McLoughlin signed with Disney’s Digital Network. In June 2017, a part of Disney called Polaris announced that McLoughlin would appear in a TV show called Polaris: Player Select on Disney XD. That same year, he was featured in an Irish documentary called Ireland’s Rich List, which listed him as one of the top 30 earners under 30. This brought more attention to him in Ireland.
From September to October 2017, McLoughlin toured the United States with his show How Did We Get Here, which shared stories about his childhood in Ireland and his rise as a YouTuber. He also played games with fans during the show. In February 2018, he announced new dates for the How Did We Get Here tour in the United States and Canada. That July, he performed at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. In 2018, he signed a deal with Disney’s Digital Network to create exclusive content for Twitch, a livestreaming platform.
In January 2019, McLoughlin signed with the talent agency WME and later joined the multi-channel network Studio71. He was scheduled to appear at the Metarama Gaming + Music Festival in October 2019 with other performers like Marshmello and Ninja, but the event was canceled due to lack of money. In 2020, he took part in Summer Game Fest, an event that happened from May to August after E3 2020 was canceled. In July 2021, he released a short film called 15 MONTHS on YouTube, which described his experiences during the pandemic. Later that year, he signed with the talent agency CAA.
McLoughlin made a brief appearance in the movie Free Guy, which came out in August 2021. He also gave advice to the director about making the film authentic to video game culture. Earlier, Ryan Reynolds, the movie’s star, had appeared in one of McLoughlin’s videos where they played the game Deadpool together. In February 2022, he announced a documentary called How Did We Get Here? would premiere on February 28 on Moment House, a platform for online events. The documentary covers his life from childhood to his career as a YouTuber and includes footage from his tour of the same name.
In July 2022, McLoughlin said on the Trash Taste podcast that he might stop streaming on Twitch to focus more on edited YouTube videos. In 2023, he co-hosted The Gamer and the Mouth, a show that brought together gaming creators and comedians. In 2025, he voiced a character named "Punch Up" in the video game Dispatch, which stars Aaron Paul. In 2026, he appeared in Markiplier’s horror film Iron Lung. In addition to acting, he worked behind the scenes on projects like a canceled animated show based on the game Soma, an independent horror movie called Godmother, and a movie adaptation of the game Bloodborne.
McLoughlin’s influence and income have been listed in several media rankings. In September 2017, he was included in Forbes’ list of the Top Gaming Influencers of 2017. In 2018, he was estimated to be the eighth highest-paid YouTuber, earning about $16 million. In 2019, he was the eighth highest-paid gamer, earning $11 million, and the third most talked about gaming personality on Twitter. In 2020, he was listed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list under "Sports & Games" as "Ireland’s most popular YouTuber."
According to research by the electronics store Currys, McLoughlin was the sixth most popular gaming streamer in 2021. In 2022, he was listed at number 15 on Forbes’ Top Creators list. That same year, he was the seventh highest-earning gaming YouTuber, with an estimated income of €7.3 million. In 2023, he was listed at number 15 on Forbes’ Top Creators list and was the eighth highest-paid creator, earning about $27 million. In 2024 and 2025, he was listed at number 23 on Forbes’ Top Creators list, with estimated earnings of $18 million each year.
In June 2014, McLoughlin’s YouTube channel entered the top 100 most-subscribed channels on YouTube and was the most-subscribed Irish channel, according to Tubefilter. Since then, multiple publications, including the Irish Examiner, The Irish Times, The Times, and The Guardian, have noted that his channel remains the most-subscribed in Ireland.
YouTube content
Jacksepticeye's YouTube videos mostly include Let's Plays, which are recordings of him playing video games, as well as comedy gaming clips and vlogs. According to TheJournal.ie, the games he plays on his channel are "a mix of both common and unusual titles." His videos often include collaborations with other famous YouTubers, such as Markiplier and PewDiePie, who are close friends with Jacksepticeye. His channel has also featured interviews with well-known celebrities, including Tom Holland, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Brad Pitt, Chris Hemsworth, and Margot Robbie. Other content on his channel includes comedy sketches, short films, charity livestreams, and Q&A sessions with his audience.
His videos usually start with an introduction where he gives a high five to the camera and says, "Top of the morning to ya, laddies." By 2023, he used this phrase less often. He chose this catchphrase and wore a flat cap to show his Irish identity. He has said that his Irish accent and identity helped him become popular, explaining that people enjoy hearing him speak with an Irish accent and use strong language. His videos often end with a message encouraging viewers to "punch the 'like' button in the face, like a boss!" The color green, which represents his Irish heritage, appears in his YouTube logo, "Septic Eye Sam."
Jacksepticeye's videos are highly edited. They include spontaneous commentary about the games he plays, using humor, funny voices, laughter, and strong language. His commentary has been described as "genuine" and "authentic" by TheJournal.ie, and as "talking-head, stream-of-consciousness comedy" by the Star Tribune. He calls himself the "most energetic video-game commentator on YouTube" and has described his content as an "assault on the senses" that people "either love or hate." In an interview with the Irish Independent, he explained that his videos involve playing games while talking over them with a lot of swearing. He has said that swearing is a key part of his success, stating, "The more you swear, the better. People react very positively to that apparently." He has also said that his success comes from "an overall package of a lot of things; energy, positivity, honesty, and consistency." He has emphasized that creating an inclusive community is important on his channel, stating, "One of the main things I wanted to do on YouTube is to keep people together." He has promoted positivity online with the slogan "positive mental attitude," using it in videos, campaigns, and merchandise.
Elements of dark and mysterious storytelling have been noticed in his Let's Plays of horror games and in the character Antisepticeye, which he portrays as an evil presence on his channel. This character was created in response to a similar character called Darkiplier from Markiplier's fanbase. The character interacts with the audience through direct addresses and social media platforms like Twitter. His audience also creates fan fiction based on his content. In addition to his YouTube videos, Jacksepticeye also makes short-form videos for TikTok, which focus more on personal topics than his YouTube content.
For the first five years of his career, Jacksepticeye uploaded two videos every day, later reducing this to one video per day. In July 2018, he announced in a YouTube video that he would take a short break from uploading, explaining that he was struggling with mental health and burnout. This video was part of a larger trend among online content creators discussing burnout and was praised by fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson, who said he had felt similar feelings.
In the following years, he continued to speak openly about overwork and burnout, taking multiple breaks from uploading. In July 2020, he took a break from uploading until August, saying he was exhausted from his daily schedule and would no longer upload daily videos when he returned. His first video after this break was viewed over 2 million times in one day and became the top trending clip on YouTube. In January 2021, he took a break from recording and streaming due to personal grief after his father's death. In July 2021, he took another break from releasing videos, lasting over a month, and explained in an interview with Polygon, "I feel like I’ve done it so often for so long that I just burnt myself out on it. I feel like if I’m not putting the energy that I’m known for; the energy that I like to put into my content, then I’d rather just take a step back from it and do something else."
Other ventures
In October 2018, McLoughlin shared a video introducing Cloak, a clothing brand for gamers that he created with Markiplier. In June 2020, Cloak added Pokimane, a Twitch streamer, as a partner and creative director for the brand. The brand has made special collections with groups like Minecraft Dungeons, Five Nights at Freddy's, and Rhett & Link, as well as with internet personalities. Cloak donates part of its sales to charities, such as the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and The Trevor Project. McLoughlin left the company in 2023.
On June 15, 2020, McLoughlin announced a new coffee company called Top of The Mornin' Coffee. Pre-orders began the same day, and the company partnered with the Feya Foundation, a charity that helps fight world hunger. In April 2023, he started a podcast with YouTuber Ethan Nestor called Brain Leak. He also announced a comic book series with Bad Egg, a comic publisher, inspired by their collaboration with YouTuber MoistCr1TiKaL. The comic, named Altrverse, includes characters from his YouTube videos. The first issue was released in December 2023.
Business Insider described McLoughlin as one of YouTube's most active helpers. In 2019, he received a Humanitarian Stream Team award from Save the Children for his fundraising work. In 2021, he was named one of Junior Chamber International Ireland's "Ten Outstanding Young Persons" for raising over $6 million for charity between 2017 and 2021. In 2022, he won Best Philanthropic Streamer at The Streamer Awards.
In December 2016, McLoughlin joined a charity livestream called #Cringemas with PewDiePie, Markiplier, Emma Blackery, and PJ Liguori. The group raised over $1.3 million under the hashtag #EndAIDS, with matching donations from the Gates Foundation and YouTube. In December 2017, he hosted two charity streams with Blackery and Liguori to support Save The Children, raising over $260,000 for the charity.
In 2018, McLoughlin held many livestreams to raise money for charities like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, GameChanger, and AbleGamers, which help gamers with disabilities. He also supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Crisis Text Line, raising over $1 million total that year. His Crisis Text Line stream in December was called "Thankmas," a name he used for future charity streams around Christmas.
In 2019, McLoughlin raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Charity: Water, Red Nose Day 2019, and SameYou, which helps people recover from brain injuries. His December 2019 Thankmas stream raised $300,000 for Child's Play. In 2020, he raised millions for wildfires in Australia, COVID-19 relief, MrBeast's Team Trees campaign, and Black Lives Matter groups like The Bail Project and the NAACP. His December 2020 Thankmas stream raised $1.4 million in 10 hours for Red Nose Day, which later raised over $4.6 million with help from others.
In December 2021, McLoughlin partnered with Tiltify, a fundraising platform, for his Thankmas stream to support New Story, a charity that helps homeless people by 3D printing homes. Tiltify helped influencers on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and TikTok host additional charity streams. The campaign raised $7.6 million total.
In November 2022, McLoughlin worked with Tiltify again for his Thankmas stream to support World Central Kitchen, aiming to raise $10 million. His 2023 Thankmas stream, also for World Central Kitchen, was held at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles and raised $6 million. This brought the total from his Thankmas streams to over $25 million. His 2024 Thankmas stream was also held at the Orpheum Theater and supported Crisis Text Line.
Views
McLoughlin has expressed concerns about changes to YouTube’s algorithms and policies. In November 2016, he reacted to YouTube removing ads from videos labeled as "unsuitable content," saying, "This affects people’s careers. Changing how things are done without informing others is an unfair action." Later that year, he accused YouTube of using "shady tactics" and "manipulating viewers" after algorithm updates in September led to fewer new views and subscribers for many channels. In May 2018, he criticized YouTube for testing a new algorithm that changed the order of videos in the subscription feed, stating, "People use the subscription tab to avoid algorithmic behavior. Please keep this feature on the home page and recommendations."
In March 2022, McLoughlin shared a video about an increase in scams and spam comments on his content. Similar videos were made by Linus Sebastian and Marques Brownlee, prompting YouTube to address the issue. New rules were added to prevent impersonation, including removing the ability for channels to hide subscriber counts and use special characters in their names. More content creators also gained access to improved comment moderation tools.
McLoughlin has criticized YouTube’s algorithm for pressuring creators to constantly produce content. He has discussed mental health challenges with YouTube, suggesting the company could hide video view counts or remove the dislike button. At the same time, he noted that YouTube helped reduce his loneliness and depression by giving him a sense of purpose. He believes YouTube’s success over television comes from its strong sense of community, saying, "People always seek out community. YouTube’s greatest strength is the feeling of coming together to watch content." He also praised YouTube Gaming after changes at Twitch reduced streamers’ revenue shares, stating, "It’s a mess. Owned by Amazon and acting like an amateur platform. No wonder many partners are leaving Twitch for YouTube." In 2023, McLoughlin claimed fellow YouTuber MrBeast had harmed YouTube by making it "more about views, money, and popularity than about having fun." MrBeast initially called the comments "insanely disrespectful," but later said he and McLoughlin had resolved their differences privately.
McLoughlin believes video game culture should be more inclusive. He has criticized companies like Activision Blizzard and the use of slurs or "gamer words" on Twitch, calling it a toxic "chad energy" in the industry. He linked these issues to broader cultural challenges, stating, "I hope we move toward a more accepting and open space. There is still much work to do, like with LGBTQ representation. But I think we are heading in the right direction."
Personal life
McLoughlin was in a relationship with Signe Hansen, a Danish social media influencer, from 2015 to 2018. He has been in a relationship with Evelien Smolders, a Dutch YouTuber, since 2019. McLoughlin has played the drums since he was young. He became a fan of heavy metal music after his older brother introduced him to it. He was part of a band called Raised to the Ground, which played a type of heavy metal music. McLoughlin has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).