A millionaire at 15, the Fortnite champion tells the other side of the coin

Jaden Ashman, known in the esports world as Volleys, reflected on his experience in a TikTok video.

Money cannot buy happiness. A saying that couldn’t be more true in Jaden Ashman’s case. Known as Wolfies in the esports world, he became a millionaire at the age of 15. Fortnite. “At the age of 15, I had already won $1.4 million, was on several news channels and was the best Fortnite player in the world,” he says in a video posted on TikTok.

If at first “everything seemed to be going well” – the money notably allowed him to buy a house for his mother – the youngest esports player to win a million dollars reveals that gaming has had a significant impact on his physical and mental health.

“I was fragile, in bad health. (…) My relationships with my friends and family were also suffering. I felt alone and I sank into depression,” says Jayden Ashman.

Neglect of mental and physical health

Former player in the video Fortnite, now 20 years old, reveals that his entire life back then revolved around Epic Games. “I got up, I didn’t even eat, I didn’t shower and I went straight to my PC.” Pain in one of his arms, “after a normal day of play”, however, forced him to take a break for a few days.

A break that made him realize he was unhappy in his life. “Mental and physical health is completely neglected in gaming and years of neglect have left my body and mind in terrible shape,” says Jayden Ashman.

Believing that “feeling sorry for you is nowhere to be found”, the former player decided to go to the gym and act. A return to the form that changed his life forever, is reassuring.

most read