YouTube Comedy Star Pays Off Parents' $340,000 Mortgage
Timothy DeLaGhetto says his YouTube channel drives his six-figure income.
— -- How does a popular YouTube star who calls his six-figure comedy talents "obscene" spend his money?
Timothy DeLaGhetto typically entertains his 2.5 million subscribers with sex jokes and television parodies. By contrast, his latest video is a real tearjerker.
The comedian and rapper's real name is Tim Chantarangsu, and he's the son of parents who immigrated from Thailand. Chantarangsu said his income is primarily driven by advertisements from his YouTube channel Timothy DeLaGhetto.
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His videos include satire, including a raunchy take on the popular Snuggie blanket. He also writes and produces skits, including a recent video that mimics the MTV reality show "Catfish."
"Not a lot of people do what I do, especially as an Asian American guy. My comedy is pretty obscene and I’m pretty blunt with the jokes I make, so I stick out from the norm. I’ve built a pretty strong following of people who enjoy what I do," he said. "I try to have a strong message of positivity and spreading joy and love to the world."
This week, he posted a YouTube video in which he surprised his parents with $340,000 to pay off their home mortgage.
Chantarangsu, who lives not too far from his folks in Paramount, California, told ABC News that he cranks out YouTube videos, at least one a week, so that his parents don't have to work so hard. He also is a regular on MTV2's improvisation show, "Wild 'N Out," hosted by actor and television personality Nick Cannon.
In his newest video, he presents a check to his parents, who own a restaurant. The generous gift -- $210,000 to the loan company and $130,000 to the bank -- brings his mother to tears.
While his parents have always supported him, they were initially cautious, especially when he left college in 2010 to pursue a career in entertainment.
"I was going to college for my parents, but eventually I got to the point where I was doing all right at both – college and Internet stuff. I realized I needed to pick one if I wanted to excel at something, so I stopped going to school," he said.
He said his mother occasionally asks him if he is going to return to school.
"I would tell her, 'Do you want me to go back to school or pay your bills?'" Chantarangsu said with a chuckle.
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