Some fans believe the Chinese government is paying for IShowSpeed’s current tour in China.
However, a manager from Speed’s team, Slipz, has dismissed the rumor.
“Fact: amount of money IShowspeed has received from Chinese Government = $0,” Slipz tweeted on Thursday.
When a user called people “dumbasses” for thinking China paid Speed, Slipz wrote, “Posting so it can be used as an actual source. Hi I am internal with the IShowspeed team. He is in China at his own expense, and will likely take a net loss.”
Another fan chimed in, asking if a net loss is coming during Speed’s international streams.
“Do it for the love of the game, not monetary gain,” Slipz wrote.
He then clarified what he meant by net loss, writing that he’s referring to “stream income” and the “cost of travel.”
He continued, “[Year to year], speed is not at a net loss by doing tours because of things like influence, overall growth, and what comes with that in the long run. But majority of the time on tours itself speed breaks even or loses.”
Slipz also gave some insight into how they travel: “Traveling every other day with 6 people + himself in first class & 5 star hotels adds up rather quickly. The amount he spent on travel in 2024 is an insane number that I don’t think anyone here would guess or expect."
Earlier this week, the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper, reported that the popular streamer is "being hailed by Chinese government officials and state media as evidence of a growing desire for mutual understanding between Americans and Chinese amid escalating trade frictions."
IShowSpeed kicked off his China tour on March 24. In the days since, the streamer showcased some of his talents, including his backflip. Clips emerged earlier this week, showing the 20-year-old surrounded by locals when he did a backflip on the Great Wall of China. He later pulled off six consecutive backflips while in the Forbidden City in Beijing.