Andrei Jikh

About Andrei Jikh

Andrei Jikh was born into a family of circus performers in Russia on January 4, 1989.^[3] When he was nine years old, he moved to the U.S. with his family after his father got a job with Cirque du Soleil.^[4] He began learning magic when he was 11, which became a lifelong interest.^[5] In 2009, Jikh attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas, studying business administration and management.^[6]

Professional Magic and Cardistry

Jikh began working in the professional magic industry soon after high school when he got a job with magic startup theory11. He told Business Insider, “When I was 19 years old, I was hired by a startup which was basically teaching people how to do magic online. I helped build the company, and we were working on movies and TV shows.”^[4] 

At theory11, Jikh created educational videos for people interested in learning cardistry.^[5] He soon became the head of the company’s production and creative division.^[7] According to Jikh, theory11 was the “iTunes of magic.” He explained, “Everything we do is basically about making magic modern and sophisticated and intellectual and, like, relevant.”^[8] 

In 2013, Jikh combined his interest in cardistry with his interest in filmmaking and editing by directing, shooting, and editing the special features content and iTunes extras for the Lionsgate film Now You See Me, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, and Isla Fisher. In addition to editing and filming the iTunes extras, Jikh also demonstrated his cardistry expertise and provided tips for beginners interested in learning card tricks.^[5]  

Working alongside renowned magician David Copperfield in 2016, Jikh served as the lead cardistry consultant in the Now You See Me sequel. He spent two months in London helping the cast prepare for the card tricks they would need to perform on film.^[8]  

He says, “I taught Dave Franco and Radcliffe how to do several of (their) moves. They were, like, super interested in learning. They did so well. I was blown away by how quickly they picked up some of the difficult concepts.”^[8] 

After working on the Now You See Me films, Jikh appeared in National Geographic’s Brain Games and a 2014 GoPro ad.^[2]  

Personal Finance YouTuber

Though his career started in magic and cardistry, Jikh says he developed an early passion for personal finance after his parents acquired significant debts.^[4] 

Jikh says that while working on Now You See Me 2, “I was obsessed with finance too,” he said. “I interviewed everybody I worked with on what they did with money, and what you are supposed to do.”^[4] 

Jikh began making personal finance YouTube videos in 2018, posting his first video in January 2019. He saved up $200,000 to support himself while building his YouTube platform. $10,000 of his savings went toward building a studio and buying camera equipment. But Jikh was grateful for the rest of his savings when he wasn’t sure if his new venture would work out because his videos did not initially gain traction.^[4]  

He explains, “I started in January, and I didn’t make anything for the first four months. It was so tough, but then, for some reason, the channel just took off, and I started exponentially growing and learned everything along the way.”^[4]  

After the initial slump, Jikh’s videos earned him over $100,000 within one year. By 2020, he had over 300,000 subscribers and typically spent between 18 and 28 hours each week researching, filming, and editing.^[4] As of 2023, Jikh has over 2.25 million subscribers on YouTube.^[1] 

Jikh’s videos typically include personal finance or investment advice. As an investor in the stock market, real estate, cryptocurrency, and NFTs, Jikh shares with his followers when his ventures succeed and when they fail.^[1] 

Jikh often works with other content creators, appearing on podcasts including The Iced Coffee Hour, Under The Skin with Russell Brand, and Impaulsive with Logan Paul.^{[9] [10] [11]} 

FTX Controversy

In 2022, Jikh was among one of several celebrities and influencers named in a lawsuit regarding the promotion of crypto exchange company FTX before the company went bankrupt. The lawsuit claims Jikh and other influencers promoted unregistered securities, causing harm to investors.^[12] 

Adam Moskowitz, the attorney representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, told Buzzfeed News, “Influencers are paid, just like all other promoters, and thus must be held accountable. They are paid so much because they play an important role today with social media, in making financial decisions.”^[13] 

After FTX’s collapse, Jikh posted a video explaining his disappointment with the company and the way it misrepresented itself. He explained that he didn’t know the financially dangerous state of the company before its collapse, saying, “I wish I knew. But I didn’t . . . I’m no longer taking finance sponsors unless they’re FDIC insured for banks and SIPC insured for exchanges. That’s the right thing to do.”^[14] 

He also expressed disappointment in himself, saying, “While I sometimes don’t take myself seriously in my videos, I take my work and my research extremely seriously. Because I understand that trust takes an extremely long time to build, and it is quickly lost. For that reason, I’m disappointed in myself, and I feel like I let you down.”^[14] 

Andrei Jikh Net Worth

Jikh’s net worth has fluctuated in recent years, but he has been transparent with his followers about his worth. In 2021, he stated that his total net worth was around $2.2 million, which included a mix of crypto assets, real estate, and stock holdings.^[15]  

However, in 2022, the value of Jikh’s crypto assets and his stock holdings plummeted. At its peak, his crypto portfolio was worth $1.16 million, but by June 2022, it was worth just over $600,000. Similarly, his NFT portfolio went from a peak of $312,000 to $65,000. At the same time, his portfolio of stocks lost $50,000 in value, leaving his net worth significantly lower than the previous year.^[16]  

Andrei Jikh Today

In 2022, Jikh started the podcast Don’t Sweat It with fellow magician Jen Kramer. Today, Jikh continues to create personal finance YouTube videos. In the podcast, Jikh and Kramer interview guests inside a sauna about investing and their careers.^[17] Jikh lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his girlfriend, Carrie Ortega, a client relations and sales professional,^{[18] [19]} and his dog, Rio.^[15]