With fame comes fortune. But before any of that can happen, the person must be able to know their audience, and know how to get their attention, and fulfill their demands.
In China, a vlogger who participated in an eating challenge, passed away after live-streaming himself eating poisonous bugs and also geckos, as well as centipedes, local media reported.
Known by the name Sun Jun, the 35-year-old man was found lifeless by his girlfriend in his apartment in the eastern city of Hefei, the capital and largest city of Anhui Province.
He was a popular influencer in China, and is known for uploading videos to his channel in DouYu, the Chinese-equivalent of YouTube.
According to local media, Sun died while live-streaming the stomach-churning challenge.
His method of challenge involved him spinning a wheel marked with items.
Then, Sun had to consume whatever item the wheel stopped at.
Not only that he consumed live and also poisonous animals, because Sun also guzzled a lot vinegar, and alcohol that included beer and baijiu, a colorless Chinese liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume.
It was in the middle of his live-stream, that Sun collapsed.
When his girlfriend came to check on him, Sun was no longer alive.
The police were informed, and a team was quickly dispatched to the location, who then realized that the camera was still on.
The authorities have ruled out foul play.
Following Sun's death, the video has been removed from DouYu.
Live-streaming has become hugely popular in China.
And due to the high demands for such content, some Chinese streamers have become nationwide famous, and also rich.
Many of these streamers are known for simply filming themselves going about their days, including singing, dancing, and eating.
In Sun's case, he tried to be different.
Instead of doing mukbangs or doing some "normal" eating, he opted to go to the extremes.
Before this, a number of social media content creators have died for doing stunts, death-defying activities.
For example, 26-year-old internet star Wu Yongning fell to his death from the top of a 62-storey skyscraper while filming a video. Then, a woman was injured after filming herself trying to eat a live octopus that latched its tentacles to her face.
There are hundreds of live-streaming platforms in China, and millions of live-streamers. Officials are trying to control their content not only to filter out what's not appropriate, but also for the sake of the people's safety and well-being.
Family members questioned whether the live broadcast platform DouYu has fulfilled its supervisory responsibilities.
Regarding Sun's experience, his father was sad and angry at the same time.
"The content of my son's live broadcast may be wrong, but doesn't the live broadcast platform have any responsibility? Is such content allowed to be broadcast live?"
Because of this, the father wanted to seek justice for his son through legal channels.
"The platform's supervision must be in place. Such behavior cannot be tolerated, and such tragedies should not happen again," he said.
According to Sun's father, Sun didn't continue his studies after graduating elementary school.
"After graduating from elementary school, Sun Jun did not continue his studies because of poor grades. Because he was still young, his family did not let him work. At the age of 18, Sun Jun started to venture out," he said.
He first went to Beijing to work, and stayed there for several years. It was during this time, that he met his girlfriend. Sun then lived in Hefei because his girlfriend is from there.
In Hefei, Sun worked as a delivery man, before finally becoming an live-streamer.
While Sun rarely visited his parents, the father said that he often called, and also sent them money.
"It was very difficult for him to be away, but he never complained to his family," the father said.
As for Sun's mother, she died when Sun was 24 years old.
"I was in my hometown when I heard the news. My mind went blank and I felt like the sky had fallen." Sun's father said, who recalled how his son was very opinionated and "kind, but a little introverted and stubborn.
When Sun passed, his girlfriend is pregnant, and the baby is due in October.
"She cried more sadly than me. They have been in love for nearly 8 years and she is pregnant with his child," the father said.
"They love each other very much. When my son is short of money, she will help him."
"I am very satisfied with my son's girlfriend. If this incident hadn't happened, they would have gotten the marriage certificate in a while."
It was at this point, Sun Jun's father burst into tears during the interview.
Sun was cremated, and his ash is put in an urn his father brought with him from Hefei Municipal Funeral Home.
