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A 16-year-old started a sneaker company that will sell $1 million in shoes this year
(Instagram/benjaminkickz)
This teenager is making bank.
Benjamin Kapelushnik — who goes by Benjamin "Kickz" — is the wildly successful 16-year-old from Florida whose Instagram boasts a life of luxury.
He's the young entrepreneur behind the rare sneaker reselling website, Sneakerdon.com, Lauren Schwartzberg writes in a recent profile in New York Magazine.
He told New York Magazine that he's on track to make $1 million in sales this year.
New York Magazine notes that he carefully researched both the sneaker and reselling businesses, and sold a pair of shoes that he bought a pair of LeBron X MVPs for $400...for $4,000. He was in the eighth grade. He then moved to buying shoes in bulk, and he soon got the attention of the rich and famous. When he met DJ Khaled and started appearing in his Snapchat videos, his career really took off.
Further, he's not just any sneaker reseller: he's a sneaker dealer to the stars, like Rick Ross — who performed at his bar mitzvah, New York Magazine notes.
Schwartzberg calls him their "sneaker broker."
He's frequently seen hanging out with famous rappers.
A photo posted by Business Is Boomin 💥 (@benjaminkickz) on May 8, 2016 at 8:16am PDT on May 8, 2016 at 8:16am PDT
A photo posted by Business Is Boomin 💥 (@benjaminkickz) on Feb 14, 2016 at 9:58pm PST on Feb 14, 2016 at 9:58pm PST
For a while, some people wondered who he was, because he frequently appeared in DJ Khaled's Snapchat story. He'd tell Khaled that business was "booming."
"That was just the thing that came to my head. It’s, like, a word, you know? It’s like, Boomin'. It’s just a boomin' word. It’s just boomin'," he said to New York Magazine.
Happy to say I spent my New Years with the real ones only 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🔑🔑🔑 my brotha : @djkhaled
A photo posted by Business Is Boomin 💥 (@benjaminkickz) on Jan 1, 2016 at 1:32am PST on Jan 1, 2016 at 1:32am PST
A photo posted by Business Is Boomin 💥 (@benjaminkickz) on Jun 1, 2016 at 7:05pm PDT on Jun 1, 2016 at 7:05pm PDT
Shoutout my brother @djkhaled #dontplayyourself #wethebest #businessisbooming #BOOMIN #sneakerdon
A photo posted by Business Is Boomin 💥 (@benjaminkickz) on Jan 15, 2016 at 8:13pm PST on Jan 15, 2016 at 8:13pm PST
And it is. On Sneakerdon.com, these covetable sneakers go for very high prices. He told New York Magazine that he makes more money from his sales than from any deals he procures with famous folks.
"What I make in one day on the website I can’t make in a month with the rappers," he said to the magazine.
(Sneakerdon)
He likes to network heavily to make connections.
"Go with a girl to the movies, go with your brother to the movies — that’s cool, but I have no interest in going out to parties and not networking with anyone. Not only does it get boring, you’re not getting ahead," he said to New York Magazine.
He's also very cautious with how he forms relationships with celebrities.
"I don’t look at rappers like, 'Wow, that’s a rapper," he said to New York. "If every time you’re like, ‘Oh my God, can I get a picture?' you’ll never form a relationship
Hello Kanye, Can I get ... Another one ! - @djkhaled voice #yoursneakerplugaintshit
A photo posted by Business Is Boomin 💥 (@benjaminkickz) on Aug 21, 2015 at 5:55pm PDT on Aug 21, 2015 at 5:55pm PDT
A photo posted by Business Is Boomin 💥 (@benjaminkickz) on Dec 24, 2015 at 1:48pm PST on Dec 24, 2015 at 1:48pm PST
As for what's next for his business?
New York notes that he has a reality show potentially in the works, and that the goal to open up brick and mortar stores.
In December, he told Complex that he had bigger aspirations.
"I’m not going to be 26, 27 years old selling sneakers on Instagram. I’m doing this as a 'kid thing' right now; it’s going to be a lot wider scale," he said to Complex.
For the full New York Magazine story, click here.
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