“They owe me about like $150,000.”
Once internet sensations, the Island Boys’ rapid rise to fame quickly spiraled into a cautionary tale.

What was once the glittering allure of quick fame turned into a storm of poor choices, arrests, and failed attempts to remain relevant.

Despite their millions of followers, they’ve become examples of what happens when you forget to build substance beyond the viral moment.

From flexing riches to facing legal trouble, the Island Boys are struggling to stay afloat.

How did they go from $40,000 a day to sinking in debt? Let’s dive in.

The Island Boys’ Rapid Rise and the Costs of Fame
Alex “Fly Soldier” and Frankie “Kodiak Red” Venegas had it all, but it didn’t last.

The twins skyrocketed to fame after their viral “Island Boy” song took over TikTok in 2021, and the money came in fast.

“$40,000 a day…More than that,” they boasted about their earnings.

They were living the dream—until they weren’t.

Their fame was built on memes and the viral power of the internet, but it lacked the substance needed for long-term success.

In the blink of an eye, their empire crumbled.

Instead of capitalizing on their newfound fame to secure a future in hip-hop, they made one critical mistake after another.

One could argue that it was their own inflated egos and failure to see themselves as the meme that ultimately led to their downfall.

“I’m a star,” they claimed, yet the world quickly learned that viral moments alone don’t guarantee longevity.

A Life of Struggles Before the Fame
Before they became infamous, Alex and Frankie’s lives were riddled with difficulties.

Their father passed away when they were just five years old, leaving the twins to fend for themselves.

With no father figure to guide them, they quickly found themselves drawn into a life of crime.

From burglary to assault, their teenage years were marked by brushes with the law and a constant battle for control.

Their mother, despite her best efforts, couldn’t contain their rebellious streak, and by the time they were 18, they were kicked out of their home.

With nowhere else to go, the twins decided to take a gamble on social media.

The duo spent what little money they had left on tattoos to emulate the style of popular SoundCloud rappers and began posting videos on Instagram and TikTok.

But it wasn’t until they posted their infamous “Island Boy” video in a pool that everything changed.

The video exploded, and the twins were suddenly famous.

But fame, as they quickly learned, doesn’t come with stability.

The Meme Success and Missed Opportunities
Their “Island Boy” song became an overnight sensation, racking up millions of views and memes across the internet.

But as quickly as the video went viral, the backlash came.

While some people found the song catchy, others, including Snoop Dogg, mocked it mercilessly.

“Two goofballs in the pool,” Snoop said in an iconic response.

Yet, the twins, oblivious to the fact that they were part of a joke, took the viral success as a sign that they were the next big thing in hip-hop.

They couldn’t have been more wrong.

Their attempt at a live performance in Miami ended with them being booed off the stage, and the music video for their viral song received a flood of negative comments, mocking the duo for their lack of talent.

Instead of taking this as a sign to pivot, the Island Boys doubled down, clinging to the hope that they could continue to cash in on their meme status.

The Downfall Begins
At the height of their fame, the Island Boys were making $40,000 a day.

The money poured in, but so did the poor decisions.

Their most significant mistake came when they turned down a deal with Kodak Black, a rapper whose image they had modeled themselves after.

Kodak offered to sign them, but they refused, insisting they could stay independent.

“I feel like labels just take my money,” Fly Soldier explained, not realizing that his refusal could be the start of their downfall.

This inflated sense of self-worth permeated their careers, most notably during their appearance on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast.

When George Janko suggested that they might need to invest their money in something for their future, the twins responded with hostility.

“Stop talking.

We make more money than you,” they snapped, refusing to even entertain the idea that they could go broke.

This confrontation would be just one example of their ego derailing their chances at a sustainable career.

Desperate Times and Desperate Measures
As the money started to dry up, the twins became desperate to stay relevant.

They continued posting videos, but the views were no longer as high as they once were.

They made another drastic move, selling the rights to their viral song to a man named Check the Star.

But this decision only hastened their financial decline.

Without the steady income they had once relied on, they turned to increasingly reckless behaviors.

In an attempt to get attention, they even started a fake feud with each other, each brother trying to claim credit for their viral success.

But even that wasn’t enough.

By April 2023, the Island Boys’ antics reached an all-time low when they launched a joint OnlyFans account.

It seemed like a joke at first, but soon the twins were posting more and more explicit content to try to capitalize on whatever fame they had left.

When a video of them making out circulated the internet, they went viral once again—but for all the wrong reasons.

Hitting Rock Bottom: No Turning Back
Despite their desperation, the Island Boys couldn’t regain the fame they once had.

As their meme status died down, they were left without any true source of income.

Even their OnlyFans account couldn’t save them, and the brothers were left floundering.

Their reputation was in tatters, and the public had long moved on from their antics.

In the end, the Island Boys were left with nothing but regret and a tarnished legacy.

No amount of jewelry, cars, or flexing on social media could hide the fact that they had squandered their chance at a real career.

“This is why you don’t start an OnlyFans with your twin brother,” one comment read, summing up the fall from grace perfectly.