Boxer and influencer Jake Paul has recruited multiple star athletes as partners in his new men’s care brand.
Recently, Paul signed LSU gymnastics star Livvy Dunne to a name, image, and likeness deal for his health product brand called W.
Dunne is a social media juggernaut in her own right, with over 13 million followers across platforms. She announced the new partnership on her Instagram page, which represents about 40% of her audience.
The NIL deal, first reported by On3, represents the strong crossover value that college athletes offer brands in different markets, along with international reach online.
Dunne is reportedly the third influencer brought on as a co-owner of the Walmart-exclusive brand, along with recent UFC champion Sean O’Malley and rapper Rubi Rose. All of these influencers have a strong following among young men, whom Paul is targeting with his new brand by strictly selling products for less than $10.
Paul launched W in June and reportedly brought Dunne on after meeting her at a party.
“We immediately hit it off,” Dunne told WWD. “Seeing how passionate he was in person really made me want to work with him. I know he grew up as an influencer and has always been in the spotlight, but he’s truly proven himself in other areas and shown that you can be successful beyond just being an influencer.”
Dunne added that she has garnered success by discovering her core values and aligning her brand deals and business opportunities with those ideals.
“I feel like there are so many things on people’s feeds that are not authentic. It’s very easy to detect,” she continued. “It’s a feeling you get when you talk to a brand and can tell your core values align. And that’s something I felt with W.”
‘I think that’s important, creating a substantial brand that will last post-college.’
The gymnast and NCAA champion has been trying to make honesty a big part of her brand, often providing remarks that are seldom heard in the sports world.
In September, she explained the importance for female college athletes to make money off their image while in college, due to lack of popularity of professional women’s sports leagues.
“It’s very important to capitalize on your NIL while you’re in college if you’re a female, because there’s not a lot of professional leagues after college for most women’s sports,” Dunne confessed.
“I think that’s important, creating a substantial brand that will last post-college.”
Dunne carries with her a $4 million NIL valuation, which ranks her No. 2 in the country among college athletes.
At the same time, Paul made an estimated $40 million from his recent boxing match against Mike Tyson.
The 27-year-old said he wanted to create a health brand free from artificial dyes, hormone disruptors, and sulfates and sought to bring a product to market that he said would help young men who are deficient in vitamin D and magnesium.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!