Neekolul opens up on leaving 100 Thieves & her content after TikTok fame

Neekolul spoke with us about the rumors surrounding her exit from 100 Thieves earlier this year and what life is like after her meteoric rise to TikTok fame in 2020.

Neekolul became the internet’s “it-girl” back in 2020, thanks to the super-viral ‘Okay Boomer’ video she created in support of former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The short clip morphed into a massively popular TikTok trend and skyrocketed the 25-year-old to online fame almost instantaneously.

It wasn’t long before she joined 100 Thieves later that year — but in 2023, Neeko parted ways with the org. She was beset on all sides with speculation as to why she left the group, and merely claimed that her decision to leave was brought about by a difference in agreements on “terms, conditions, and xyz.”

We got the chance to speak with Neekolul about her split from 100 Thieves at VidCon Anaheim — and she says her choice to part from the org was merely a “business decision,” nothing more, nothing less.

Neekolul says 100 Thieves exit was simply a “business decision”

“I don’t think it was anything crazy,” she began. “When I first joined 100 Thieves, for the first two years it was primarily in the [global health crisis]. Actually, I would see them very briefly for maybe two or three days once a month, and almost not at all for the first year.”

“So, I think when I finally moved here in LA, a lot of things were changing, and me leaving was more like a business decision, rather than anything transition-wise that was hard-hitting or anything. I’ve always been kind of doing my own thing, especially because I lived in Texas. It’s just not the same experience as living here in LA.”

Neekolul “uninterested” in speculation surrounding 100 Thieves exit

She also spoke about the speculation she received following her exit from 100 Thieves… and it’s safe to say she’s not worried about all the rumors from netizens pointing to a possible falling-out with the group. For Neeko, she’s feeling confident after “saying what she needed to say” about the situation when it first happened and isn’t bothered by the dithering of online trolls.

“Being in the gaming space for such a long time, people leaving and coming, going and returning, I definitely see that play out, and I can’t really control what other people think,” she said. “So, I kind of said what I needed to say immediately. I was just like, ‘Hey, it was a business decision. It’s nothing more, nothing less.’ And if you want to speculate, at the end of the day, I feel like a lot of the comments that I saw were most of the people that already didn’t like me. I just kind of said what I needed to say. Other than that, I was very uninterested in what people thought.”

Neekolul “open” to joining other organizations

We also asked Neeko if she has any interest in joining up with any other organizations… and although she didn’t name any names, she says she’s open to the right opportunities.

“I think first and foremost, my business comes first,” she told us. “I think if it makes sense on paper, and if it makes sense chemistry-wise, I would definitely be open to whatever amazing opportunity comes my way.”

“I can’t think of [a specific org] off the top of my head, but I think a lot of factors come into play —  business, chemistry, how we get along, and stuff. I think overall, as long as that all makes sense, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

Neekolul says being a role model is “a lot of responsibility” — but “nothing she can’t handle”

Being a massively popular creator does come with some measure of responsibility. We asked Neeko what it’s like being a role model for other women and girls online — and although she says it’s “intimidating,” it’s nothing she can’t handle.

“It’s definitely intimidating because I feel like I don’t wanna ever do or say the wrong thing,” she admitted. “I don’t want to let anyone down. But overall, it’s very gratifying. I feel like when I put something out, I’m hoping that I can inspire other people. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I don’t think it’s anything I can’t handle.”

From political content to cooking videos & “staying true” to her roots

Since her rise to TikTok fame, Neekolul has made good use of her stardom, creating successful Twitch and YouTube channels (on top of her massive presence on TikTok, where she boasts over a million followers). 

Although her earlier content was entrenched in politics, she has now transitioned into other avenues — more specifically, cooking. Neeko’s culinary expertise is just one facet of her overall presence as a creator, but it’s something she’s looking to balance alongside her beliefs and other content, all while staying true to her roots.

“I definitely want to pivot more into my personality and my cooking content, just because, being politically affiliated, as we have seen overall with anyone being politically affiliated — especially like in the gaming scene on Twitter, in the streaming space — it is definitely a double-edged sword,” she began. 

“Like, you think you’re doing the right thing, advocating for things. But you also get a lot of harassment, you get a lot of trolls. And I feel like I’m pivoting somewhere in that middle line between being myself, my content, and my cooking, but also being very vocal as an influential person. I’d like to be very vocal in things I believe in, and juggling all that. I think that’s kind of like my goal. Because, at the end of the day, from where I started, those are my true beliefs and my roots. And I always wanna stay true to that.”