Mike Chen

Background

Mike Chen was born on December 22, 1980, in Xian, China. His family moved to the U.S. when he was eight years old. Chen’s parents owned a Chinese buffet chain and traveled extensively. Young Chen routinely took trips with his father to execute various on-site projects and catering locations, which built his love for food and travel. Before diverting to a full-time YouTube career, Chen completed his undergraduate from Truman State University and took a job at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Following his brief stint as a federal agent, Chen joined Morgan Stanley as a financial analyst.

Chen’s life took a turn in 2006, when he adopted Falun Gong, a Chinese religious practice. In his exploration of the practice, Chen became keenly aware of the persistent human rights violations that take place in mainland China. Half a decade later, Chen joined the non-profit media company New Tang Dynasty Television as Head of Digital Strategy. In the following years, Chen worked at the firm and filmed weddings to earn extra cash on the side. In 2013, he combined his passion for food and filming and launched his first YouTube channel for personal vlogs.

Chen formed a formidable fanbase with his personal YouTube channel in just two short years. In 2015, he created his second channel with creative partner Dan Chen and started posting commentary on events in China. Chen’s YouTube channel has won international acclaim and the ire of the Chinese government. Counting among Dan’s fans are foodies, human rights activists, millions of Chinese immigrants, and critics of the Communist regime of China. With 11 channels, thousands of videos, and billions of views later, Chen is a YouTube force with millions of fans.