Biography
Who is Germán Garmendia?
Early life and background
Germán Alejandro Garmendia Aranis was born on April 25, 1990, in Copiapó, Chile. He spent his early childhood there until age 12. His father, Germán Luis Garmendia, passed away in a car accident on Christmas Eve in 1993. Following this loss, Germán relocated with his mother, Cecilia del Carmen Aranis, and his brother, Diego Garmendia, to settle in the coastal city of Los Vilos, located north of Santiago.
During his teenage years in Los Vilos, he formed a pop rock band named Zudex with his brother and friends. This musical endeavor involved performing at local schools and youth festivals. Later, in the early 2010s, he served as the vocalist for a group called Feeling Every Sunset. Although he initially considered pursuing studies in civil engineering, he did not proceed with that plan.
Rise to YouTube fame
Germán Garmendia launched his career on the platform by uploading videos of his band in 2006. On September 9, 2011, he posted the first video to his channel HolaSoyGerman, titled Las cosas obvias de la vida. This channel focused on humorous monologues about everyday situations. By the end of 2013, the channel reached 12 million subscribers, establishing him as one of the most subscribed creators on the platform behind PewDiePie.
In 2013, he expanded his digital footprint by creating a second channel, JuegaGerman. This channel primarily featured gameplay content. Over time, JuegaGerman grew to eventually surpass his original channel in subscriber count. In 2016, he became the first content creator to receive two Diamond Play Buttons. By May 2024, JuegaGerman reached the milestone of 50 million subscribers, making it the first Spanish-language channel to receive the Ruby Play Button.
Books and musical career
Beyond his online video success, Germán Garmendia pursued writing and music. He released his debut book, #ChupaElPerro, in April 2016. He followed this with a second book, Di Hola, in 2018. His musical activities included work with bands such as Zudex and Feeling Every Sunset, alongside the group Ancud. Also, he released several songs throughout his solo musical career.
Awards and controversies
Throughout his career, he has received various industry recognitions. At the MTV Millennial Awards, he won the Digital Icon category in 2014 and the Master Gamer category in 2015. He also secured the Favorite Gamer award at the 2018 Mexico Kids' Choice Awards and the Legend Award at the 2021 Eliot Awards. In 2023, he received the Best Lifetime Achievement award at the Premios ESLAND.
He faced various public challenges, including accusations regarding the use of bots to boost subscriber numbers in 2013, which he denied. In 2018, he issued an apology following the resurfacing of a 2014 video clip that contained comments criticized as sexist and misogynistic. In 2014, an event in Mexico City at the Telmex Aldea Digital was cancelled after overcrowding led to safety concerns.
Birthday and age
Germán Garmendia was born on April 25, 1990, which makes Germán 36 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Germán shares the date with 64 other famous people.
