UF Accent Speakers Bureau will pay Youtube celebrities Cody Ko, Noel Miller and David Dobrik $120,000 total in student fees to speak virtually on Wednesday, according to event contracts.
The “A Night of Youtube” event will feature two shows: Ko and Miller will present at 6 p.m. and Dobrik at 8 p.m. Together, Ko and Miller will be paid $60,000, and Dobrik will also be paid $60,000.
Accent has a fiscal yearly budget of nearly $500,000, which comes from student fees. After hosting high-profile speakers such as Malala Yousafzai, who was paid $100,000 for her virtual event in November, Accent will have less than $100,000 left to fund future events for Spring and Summer A.
Women’s rights activist Anita Hill was paid $30,000 to speak virtually at a Fall event, which commemorated the hundred year anniversary of women’s right to vote. Accent paid Black Lives Matter movement founders, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, $10,000 each for their virtual event over the Summer.
When asked why Accent was paying the trio more money compared to past speakers, Wolf said the YouTubers’ payments were determined by their respective agents’ established fees.
Accent still hopes to have an in-person event before the end of the semester, Wolf said.
The Youtubers will discuss their rises to fame, their motivations and influences in becoming creators, life during the pandemic and what’s to come in 2021, Wolf said.
“I hope students will be able to take a break from the daily stress of school to enjoy a night full of joy, laughter and entertainment,” Wolf wrote in an email.
The virtual event will allow for 3,000 attendees. As of Monday afternoon, nearly 1,200 people have shown interest in the event's Facebook page.
Although Accent has hosted entertainment speakers in the past, there's been a recent focus on speakers who discuss social issues and leadership. This event will have a lighter message, with a purpose of entertaining students and responding to their popular requests to host these YouTubers.
Contact Carolina Ilvento at cilvento@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @CarolinaIlvento.
Carolina is a second-year journalism major with a minor in sustainability. In the past, she covered stories and events for WUFT, and she is now reporting on Student Government for The Alligator. Carolina loves to do yoga and go to the beach whenever she isn't writing.
