YouTuber Markiplier says he'd vote against GoPro's merger, though he stands to get a $15 million check from it
YouTuber Markiplier, GoPro's largest external shareholder, has publicly stated he would vote against the company's proposed merger with Starman Optical. Despite standing to gain approximately $15 million from the deal, he expressed disappointment with the strategic direction of the merger.
Why it matters
The situation highlights the influence of retail and celebrity investors in corporate governance and the volatility of meme-stock dynamics.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI YouTube creator Markiplier became the center of a meme-stock bonanza around camera company GoPro. He bought an 8.5% stake in GoPro and is now poised to get a cash payment from its planned merger. Markiplier said he finds the proposed deal disappointing and would vote against it. YouTube creator Markiplier doesn't like GoPro's plans to merge with an optical transceiver company, though he stands to get a $15 million check from the deal. "I'm not going to lie, I'm disappointed," he told Business Insider. "I would vote against the deal." Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, runs a YouTube channel with nearly 40 million subscribers. He's also a filmmaker who wrote, directed, and starred in the early 2026 box-office hit "Iron Lung." A self-described lens obsessive, his stake in GoPro reached 8.5% in July.
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