Advertisement
Indonesia’s biggest YouTube star Atta Halilintar on fame, fortune, his mistakes – and why he’s not happy any more
- Atta Halilintar has 25.5 million subscribers on a channel that earns him up to an estimated US$1.6 million a month
- But he says being number one comes at a price and that at his lowest he has thought of famous people who had committed suicide
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Atta Halilintar is Indonesia’s biggest YouTuber – but he isn’t as happy as you might think.
Advertisement
With 25.5 million subscribers on his channel, Muhammad Attamimi Halilintar is a self-made celebrity whose every move makes the gossip columns. From his ever-changing hair colour and his trademark headband to his current romantic relationship with fiancée Aurel Hermansyah (the daughter of one of Indonesia’s biggest music producers), Halilintar lives his life under a spotlight.
A brand ambassador for companies as diverse as telecommunication giant Smartfren and Japan’s The Pokemon Company, Halilintar is a constant presence on all types of advertising platforms. No Indonesian can escape his dark shades and luminous hair.
It’s a reality that’s given him fame and fortune, but it can be constricting for someone who considers himself more of a businessman than a content creator of prank and celebrity home visit videos.
“On YouTube, you can’t be too serious, have too much [pranking], or be too educational,” the 25-year-old says. “You have to be fun and entertaining.”
Advertisement
Advertisement