A 17-year-old player convinced his parents that he could drop out of school to play Fortnite professionally. On some days, he even earns more than his father.
This is the situation: The Australian teenager Alex “AleccAU” Mackechnie (17) has now dropped out of school to spend more time on Fortnite. He participates in tournaments there and has already earned $32,000 (approximately €27,000). He plays and practices for 6 hours a day.
In an interview with “A Current Affair”, the teenager said it has always been his dream to be a professional gamer. However, convincing his parents to let him drop out of school for that took some persuasion.
The fact that this decision is not easy was demonstrated by a mother who initially threw her son’s Xbox out so he could focus on school and now he has become a millionaire through Fortnite.
What does his father say about this decision? Alex Mackechnie’s father eventually agreed after some persuasion, even though he never thought he could do that with any of his children:
We never thought we would do this with one of our children. The expectation was that they would finish school up to 12th grade without any further compromises.
Alex’s father in an interview
However, the fact that his son is ranked 77th in the Fortnite world ranking convinced him of the potential. After all, millions of players play Fortnite, and that would be a great achievement of which he is also proud.
The teenager and his father sometimes hold a competition to compare how much earnings they made in a day. Alex’s father works as a podiatrist and admits: “On some days, he even earns more than I do.”
What could lie ahead for the teenager?
How is it going for AleccAU right now? Besides the tournaments that the Fortnite pro participates in and can earn money from, he also streams on Twitch. On the streaming platform, he has 22,600 followers. Through Twitch, AleccAU also earns money as a content creator:
- He receives donations there
- Makes money through advertising or possible sponsor deals
- Additionally, money comes in through subscriptions. A Twitch subscription costs at least $4.99 per month, of which the streamer receives at least half
- As a content creator for Fortnite, AleccAU also benefits from the “creator code”. When his fans spend money in Fortnite, he receives a share if they support him
Those who play well in Fortnite become even more well-known on streaming platforms. This is proven by the wonder kids Benjyfishy and MrSavage. The Fortnite pros who recently intentionally lost to 5-year-old fans can boast over 1 million followers on Twitch.
Not every player can make a living from Fortnite: Players and streamers often make headlines about how much they earn and how successful they are. But these are usually major exceptions.
A large part of the players and streamers do this as a hobby rather than a profession. For AleccAU, the career could also take another direction.
However, he has another huge opportunity to become a millionaire through the game: the Fortnite World Championship. If it takes place again and Alex Mackechnie qualifies for it, he could win a large sum.
At the Fortnite World Championship, 1st place: Bugha won $3 million. So, the Australian pro still has other paths open if this championship should take place again.
