Popular leftist Twitch streamer, progressive political commentator, and self-declared socialist Hasan Piker (AKA “HasanAbi”) has bought a house in the Los Angeles neighborhood of West Hollywood to the tune of $2.74 million.
Now cue the angry leftists who are up in arms over the fact that Piker, indeed, does make money.
Piker’s perceived class betrayal unleashed an online debate on Leftist Twitter over what some considered to be a “flat out unethical” practice of using income generated from videos that advocate socialism and working-class solidarity to purchase a house in, as one person said, “a state that has one of the highest homelessness rates in the country.” Another person argued, “if you have money for a 3 million dollar home you have money to redistribute [wealth].”
ADVERTISEMENT
While the debate has been largely reduced to political memes showing the homes Piker might have bought, other prominent accounts have voiced support for the streamer, perhaps to gain access to his new millionaire mansion.
Fellow YouTuber Ethan Klein tweeted that “there is a difference between making millions on Twitch and paying 50% in taxes, and Jeff Bezos being worth $150 billion and paying no taxes,” before adding that he was happy Piker is “crushing it.”
Piker also defended himself, writing on Twitter that the “housing market [in Los Angeles] is fucked” and asking why the argument is between “renting” or to “go gentrify somewhere else.” In response to another tweet, Piker said “listen if you’re mad at me tax the fuck out of people like me.”
The 3,800 square foot property, which he bought for himself and his family, boasts five bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and a pool.
Piker was formerly part of the show The Young Turks before starting a successful channel on Twitch, where he regularly provides progressive commentary on politics and has hosted members of The Squad, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). In 2020, Piker was one of the top 10 earners on Twitch, making close to $1.06 million off the streaming platform.
