‘I’m making near £2k a month selling Fortnite-themed art’, says Birmingham schoolboy

15-year-old Shakir Hussain already has his own design agency based around the popular video game Fortnite. He creates artwork and customers pay into a PayPal account set up in his dad Amjad’s name. His proud parents have praised his entrepreneurial spirit – and say he’s always had a passion for cash. Shakir, from Birmingham, fits in the graphic work around his schooling and has not spent much of the money. He said: “It’s amazing that I’m making so much money. I love playing Fortnite and it’s awesome that this hobby has given me a business as well as lots of fun. I love seeing the money come in and piling up in my savings.” Charity worker Amjad, 38, said: “We’re incredibly proud of him. He’s always had a passion for making money and been good at it. He’s helped me with charity fundraising since he was very young. “I certainly wasn’t earning that at his age and I still don’t – he’s earned more in a day than I do in a week.” Shakir, who lives with Amjad, mum Rifat Bibi, a nursery worker, and his younger sister, created Fortnite-themed graphics on an old computer and started selling on freeance platform Fiverr when he was 14. He made a couple of pounds a piece. The youngster then set up his own agency, Akito Media, when he was given his first iPhone for his 15th birthday, in November. The cash started rolling in when he began taking commissions and paying other artists to create the Fortnite pieces for him, via a platform called Discord. Shakir made over £2,000 in January and February, and has nearly made £2,000 this month (March).

Shakir has no immediate plans for his money and puts it all into his savings account. His dad said: “I get a message every time he’s payed. “He used to get a message here and there, earning a couple of pounds, then after we got him the iPhone it went crazy. Suddenly I was getting messages all the time, and the figures went up. “The biggest single sale so far is £280. “He just has the mindset for making money but he’s not bothered about spending it: I’m proud of him for earning it and for saving up.”