The Unlikely Rise of a Spicy Interview Empire

In 2015, Sean Evans, a journalist from suburban Chicago with a calm demeanor and a keen interest in pop culture, received an unusual pitch from Chris Schonberger, the founder of First We Feast: What if we interviewed celebrities while they ate wings slathered in increasingly hot sauces?

Evans didn’t flinch. In fact, he saw something in the idea—something deeper than shock value or viral bait. What followed was the creation of Hot Ones, a deceptively simple YouTube series that would evolve into one of the platform’s most resilient and lucrative content franchises.

Fast forward a decade:

• Hot Ones has racked up over 1 billion views
• It counts Barack Obama, Ed Sheeran, and Gordon Ramsay as fans and guests
• It spawned an empire of merchandise—hot sauces, T-shirts, a board game, and even a TV show

Now, in a power move few digital creators ever achieve, Evans and Schonberger bought back Hot Ones and First We Feast from BuzzFeed, backed by Soros Fund Management to the tune of $82.5 million.

Despite all this, Evans says he’d leave it all tomorrow. “If it’s no longer fun,” he told reporters recently, “I’m gone.”

This is the inside story of how a guy with a bald head, mild manner, and an iron stomach built the internet’s most addictive interview format—and why his calm detachment from fame might be the secret to his lasting influence.

The Recipe for Viral Gold

A Format That Doesn’t Flinch

The magic of Hot Ones lies in its structure—part talk show, part social experiment. The format is as follows:

• 10 wings, each doused in a hotter sauce than the last
• A-list guests answer questions while their pain threshold crumbles
• No breaks, no cuts, no escape

The result? Pure, unfiltered vulnerability. Where traditional interviews are polished and rehearsed, Hot Ones thrives in the rawness of discomfort.

Who can forget Shaq chugging milk mid-interview? Or DJ Khaled quitting halfway through, declaring himself the winner anyway? These moments go viral not because of gimmicks, but because they break the celebrity fourth wall.

Research That Hits Harder Than the Sauce

Evans is not your average YouTube host. His prep is legendary.

“I read everything they’ve ever done,” he explained. “If I’m asking Scarlett Johansson about Lost in Translation, I better have a new angle.”

This effort pays off. Guests are routinely stunned by his specific, often obscure questions, which crack open real conversations. The wings soften the edges—but it’s the research that cuts deep.

The Vulnerability Advantage

Evans doesn’t try to upstage his guests. Instead, he joins them in the spice-induced spiral, turning the interview into a shared experience.

“When you’re crying over a wing, you’re not thinking about PR talking points,” he said in a 2024 Q&A. “You’re in survival mode. And that’s where the honesty lives.”

It’s this dynamic that gives the show emotional gravity. It’s not just content—it’s connection.

A Billion-View Business Model

The BuzzFeed Era—and the Breakaway

Initially hosted under BuzzFeed’s Complex Network, Hot Ones found its footing thanks to low-budget production and high-profile bookings. By 2020, BuzzFeed officially acquired Complex and First We Feast, making Hot Ones one of its most valuable digital properties.

But creators don’t always want to be employees. And in 2025, Evans and Schonberger—supported by Soros Fund Management—purchased the Hot Ones IP and its parent brand outright for $82.5 million.

This move places them among an elite tier of creators who have successfully reclaimed ownership of their content. It means full control over branding, monetization, and future expansion.

The Hot Ones Universe

Hot Ones is now an ecosystem:

• Hot Sauce Empire: Their line with Heatonist frequently sells out in minutes. The Last Dab is a cult classic.
• Apparel & Merch: From flame-licked t-shirts to full-blown limited-edition streetwear collabs.
• Board Game: Truth or Dab, a party game that gamifies the wing-burning experience.
• Television Spin-offs: Hot Ones: The Game Show aired on Peacock, bringing the format to a wider audience.

Meanwhile, brand sponsors have ranged from Old Spice to Rocket Mortgage, helping the show maintain financial autonomy beyond YouTube’s ever-shifting ad revenue model.

The Creator Who Doesn’t Crave the Spotlight

One of the most fascinating things about Sean Evans is how uninterested he seems in fame.

Despite hosting one of the most viewed shows online, he still lives quietly in Chicago, far from the Hollywood scene. There are no flashy cars, no paparazzi shots, no viral feuds. His public image is consistent: focused, friendly, and never trying too hard.

“If it’s not fun, I’ll stop,” he told Fast Company in 2025. “I didn’t build this because I needed to be famous. I built it because I wanted to make something interesting.”

Craft Over Clout

Unlike many digital personalities, Evans doesn’t chase the algorithm. He doesn’t post personal vlogs, sell NFTs, or beef on Twitter. Instead, he treats Hot Ones like a craft.

His team still manually edits episodes. The pacing is still slow, deliberate. The thumbnails don’t scream. It’s a masterclass in playing the long game—proving that attention spans aren’t dead, they’re just tired of being underestimated.

The Future of Hot Ones—and Its Exit Strategy

So what happens now?

With ownership in hand, Evans and Schonberger are poised to take Hot Ones beyond YouTube. Plans reportedly include:

• A full-length feature documentary about spice culture and celebrity
• An international tour, featuring regional wings and local stars
• Pop-up experiences in New York, Tokyo, and Berlin
• A streaming platform docu-series focusing on behind-the-scenes creativity

But at the center of it all is the same principle: keep it grounded, keep it weird, keep it honest.

“I’m not trying to build the next Marvel Universe,” Evans joked. “I just want to keep making something people genuinely love.”

Final Takeaway: Authenticity Wins the Long Game

In a digital world that rewards chaos, Hot Ones is an unlikely beacon of patience, precision, and personality. It didn’t explode overnight. It grew gradually—fueled by real effort, real preparation, and a real sense of curiosity.

Evans hacked virality not with gimmicks, but with integrity. And the fact that he’s willing to walk away at any moment is perhaps the biggest flex of all. Because when you build something out of love instead of need, you never have to cling to it out of fear.

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