Kyle Craven, known online as Bad Luck Brian, became one of the internet's earliest meme icons after his deliberately awkward high school yearbook photo went viral in 2012. The photo featured him with braces, an exaggerated grin, and a thrift store vest—a prank intended to create the "ugliest" yearbook picture. Initially unnoticed, the image was posted on Reddit by a friend with the caption "Takes driving test… gets first DUI," quickly becoming a staple meme for unfortunate scenarios. Embracing his unexpected fame, Kyle engaged with fans, attended conventions, appeared in ad campaigns for brands like McDonald's and Volkswagen, and monetized his image through merchandise and licensing. In 2021, he sold a Bad Luck Brian NFT for approximately $36,000. Despite his internet stardom, Kyle leads a balanced life as the COO of his family's construction company, living with his wife and two children, proving that sometimes "bad luck" can lead to extraordinary opportunities.
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00:00Remember this face? It's Kyle Craven, better known as Bad Luck Brian, the face of hilarious
00:05catastrophic misfortune and one of the Internet's earliest meme icons.
00:08Back in 2012, a single high school yearbook photo propelled Kyle to viral fame. The picture
00:13featured his braces, an awkward smile, and a painfully unstylish thrift store vest, all
00:17set against a purple background. But unlike the unlucky character his meme portrayed,
00:22Kyle's story is one of ingenuity and success.
00:24Here's the truth behind that photo. It was all a joke. In a 2020 interview, Kyle revealed
00:28that the infamous yearbook photo was part of a prank he and his friends orchestrated
00:32to get the, quote, ugliest photos possible for the yearbook.
00:35Kyle picked up the vest at a thrift store, romped his face until it was swollen and red,
00:38and gave the photographer his worst smile. The result? Comedy gold. His high school principal
00:43caught on to the prank when the yearbook photos were distributed, and Kyle was forced to retake
00:47his picture.
00:48But before that happened, he took the original photo home and uploaded it onto his Facebook.
00:52It sat there for years unnoticed until early 2012 when his friend Ian Davies uploaded it
00:57to Reddit's r-slash-advice-animals with the caption,
00:59"'Takes driving test, gets first UI.'"
01:01What started as an inside joke quickly became an internet sensation. Kyle's goofy grin and
01:05awkward posts spread like wildfire, becoming the punchline for every facepalm-worthy worst-case
01:10scenario imaginable.
01:11Between 2012 and 2014, Bad Luck Brian became a staple of internet culture, and Kyle's life
01:16changed forever. At first, Kyle assumed the meme would fizzle out within a week. But as
01:20more and more people shared iterations of Bad Luck Brian, he began to realize the magnitude
01:24of his sudden internet fame.
01:26Like many meme figures who shy away from the spotlight, Kyle embraced it. He even created
01:30social media accounts under the name Bad Luck Brian to connect with his fans and engage
01:34with the growing phenomenon.
01:35His family, however, was confused by his newfound fame. Kyle's mother, a schoolteacher, didn't
01:40fully grasp the concept of memes until one of her students showed up wearing a Bad Luck
01:43Brian T-shirt. Meanwhile, Kyle explained that he had to remind his family that he wasn't
01:48writing the captions, he was just the face behind the character.
01:50Kyle's ability to laugh along with the meme helped him turn Bad Luck Brian into more than
01:54just an internet joke. He attended conventions like VidCon, where he rubbed shoulders with
01:58other meme legends like Overly Attached Girlfriend. He also made appearances in ad campaigns for
02:03brands like McDonald's and Volkswagen, capitalizing on his meme fame.
02:06In addition to brand deals, Kyle launched a line of merchandise, including T-shirts,
02:10stuffed animals, and even a short-lived board game. In a 2020 interview, Kyle explained
02:14that licensing the image was key to monetizing the meme, making Bad Luck Brian one of the
02:18first examples of a meme influencer.
02:21In 2021, Kyle sold a Bad Luck Brian NFT for 20 Ethereum, or approximately $36,000, during
02:27the height of the crypto art craze. This move inspired other early internet meme figures
02:31to explore NFTs as a way to preserve and profit from their digital legacies.
02:35Kyle has stayed connected with fellow meme icons, appearing at events like the 2024 Doge
02:39Day Crypto Celebration in Tokyo alongside Scumbag Steve and other viral personalities.
02:44He's also made cameo appearances in commercials, including a 2023 ad for The General Insurance
02:49with basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal. In another 2023 campaign, he joined pop star
02:53Rebecca Black to promote limited-edition Heinz condiments, proving his unlucky persona still
02:58resonates in modern marketing.
03:00Despite his ongoing internet fame, Kyle maintains a balanced life outside of the spotlight.
03:04He works as COO of his family's construction company and lives with his high school sweetheart,
03:08now his wife, and their two children. For Kyle, family has always been his anchor, helping
03:12him navigate the ups and downs of meme stardom.
03:15Kyle's journey from high school prankster to internet legend is a testament to his good
03:18humor. As he told fans,
03:20Don't take the internet too seriously. You never know, you might become a meme someday."
03:24Today, you can find Kyle online under the name Solid Bad Luck, where he continues to
03:28share his story and embrace his role as one of the internet's most beloved meme personalities.
03:32Kyle's story is proof that sometimes, even bad luck can lead to something extraordinary.