Markiplier, the YouTube creator whose real name is Mark Fischbach, has become the single largest shareholder of GoPro, according to Bloomberg. His investment gives him an 8.5 percent stake in the action-camera maker.
Fischbach told Bloomberg that he considers GoPro to be undervalued and framed the move as part of a broader effort to make filmmaking more accessible. The investment follows the release of his debut feature film, Iron Lung, earlier this year.
A YouTuber turned major investor
Fischbach built his following through gaming and entertainment content, but his recent focus has shifted toward filmmaking. By acquiring a significant ownership position in a publicly traded hardware company, he has taken an unusual step for a content creator, aligning a personal creative mission with a direct financial stake in the tools he uses.
GoPro did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the investment.
Praise for the Mission 1 ILS camera
Last week, Fischbach published a video praising GoPro’s new Mission 1 ILS camera, comparing it favorably to the more expensive Red Komodo-X. He said he plans to use the Mission 1 ILS in future movies.
The video included an affiliate code for the new camera. However, neither the video itself nor its caption mentioned his ownership position in the company. That omission drew attention once his stake became public.
Reaction from the creator community
Fellow YouTuber Marques Brownlee weighed in on the news through a post on Threads, sharing a still from the camera video. He wrote, “This is not a line I see crossed very often, but to each their own,” pointing to the overlap between promoting a product and holding a major financial interest in the company that makes it.
The situation highlights an increasingly common tension as creators expand from producing content into investing in and shaping the hardware they showcase. Fischbach’s 8.5 percent stake now makes him the top shareholder in GoPro.
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Image: theverge.com
