Redeem now - Twitch streamer Hasan Piker recently purchased a nearly $3 million Los Angeles home.
- Some are criticizing the self-described leftist for purchasing the expensive commodity.
- Piker has shrugged off the criticism, tweeting that "everyone needs to calm down."
Hasan Piker, one of Twitch's leading political commentators, is facing a wave of criticism after purchasing a home in West Hollywood, as followers accuse the self-described "leftist" of being hypocritical.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.The 3,800-square-foot home with five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms located in the Beverly Grove neighborhood cost $2.74 million, according to the real estate news website Dirt.
Piker's Twitch channel, which is called HasanAbi, has accumulated over 1.5 million followers since he started streaming in 2018. He's made a name for himself as one of Twitch's most popular pundits and in 2020 streamed "Among Us" with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Piker has promoted socialist views and publicly supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has called himself a "democratic socialist," in his presidential primary bids. In a 2020 interview with Mel Magazine, Piker answered affirmatively when asked whether he was trying to "create the persona of the hyper-masculine socialist" in his streams.
On August 13, Dirt broke the news that Piker had purchased the mansion in Los Angeles County. Four days later, it was picked up by the conservative news site Breitbart, which is known for spreading right-wing misinformation. Creator Steve Bannon described the site in a 2016 interview with Mother Jones as "the platform for the alt-right."
Social media users started to criticize Piker for the purchase, alleging that his purchase put him at odds with the socialist movement. The streamer's name began trending on Friday afternoon.
Alexis Isabel, a socialist activist, tweeted, "it's just flat out unethical to be profiting off of socialism and buying yourself a 3 million dollar home in a state that has one of the highest homelessness rates in the country." California has 28% of the entire US homeless population according to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The median home price for Los Angeles County is $775,000 according to the LA Times.
Conservative commentators like Tim Pool and Lauren Southern criticized Piker for identifying with socialism and owning an expensive piece of property.
Others like music critic Anthony Fantano, commentator Noel Miller, and podcaster Ethan Klein, defended Piker and his purchase on Twitter.
Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people tweeted about Piker's house, as memes also flooded Twitter.
—an actual goblin (@gobloid3) August 20, 2021—Dr Dave The Bronx Bull ⚒️ 🇩🇴 (@kingbullyo) August 20, 2021Piker tweeted about the situation on Friday, saying that "everyone collectively needs to calm down" and calling the housing market in Los Angeles "f-----." Piker also posted a few memes on the situation, as well as tweeting, "ONCE IM DONE BEING STUNLOCKED BY THE DUMBEST TAKES WE'LL GET BACK TO THE REAL NEWS."
—hasanabi (@hasanthehun) August 21, 2021A representative for Piker did not respond to an inquiry regarding the controversy.
Kieran Press-Reynolds contributed reporting.
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