Quitting 100K Job To Work For Jake Paul Tiktok — A clean side-by-side split image showing AJ Wallace appearing tearful in his car on the left and Logan Paul

Quitting 100K Job To Work For Jake Paul Tiktok

2021Viral TikTok video / cringe momentdead

Published March 30, 2026

Also known as: Guy Quits $100K Job to Work for Jake Paul · Austin Wallace Logan Paul TikTok

In August 2021, a 22-year-old Ohio welder named Austin Wallace quit his $100,000-a-year job, snuck backstage at a Jake Paul boxing event, and asked Logan Paul for a spot on his team. Logan turned him down, and Wallace posted the whole thing to TikTok while crying in his car. The video racked up over 12 million views, turning Wallace into a cautionary tale about influencer delusion and sparking widespread mockery across TikTok and Twitter.

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Overview

The meme centers on a TikTok video posted by Austin Wallace (@aj_wallace69) that splices together two scenes: Wallace confronting Logan Paul backstage at a boxing event and asking for a job, followed by Wallace sitting in his car, crying about being rejected. The contrast between Wallace's confidence going in and his tearful breakdown after created a perfect cringe-comedy arc that audiences latched onto. What made it especially memorable was Wallace's admission that he quit a six-figure welding job to pursue this plan, had no real skills to offer, and openly told Logan Paul he "didn't have what it takes"2.

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Origin & Background

Platform
TikTok (original video), Twitter (viral spread)
Key People
Austin Wallace
Date
2021

On August 29, 2021, TikToker @aj_wallace69 (Austin Wallace) showed up at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, where Jake Paul was set to fight former UFC champion Tyron Woodley4. Wallace, a welder from Ohio earning $100,000 a year, had quit his job with the goal of joining Jake Paul's team1. He managed to scam his way backstage at the event, which initially impressed people around him3.

Before posting the now-famous crying video, Wallace uploaded preliminary TikToks from the venue. In one, he declared he was going to be on Jake Paul's team "one way or another." In another, he ran into Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on the streets of Cleveland and asked random people if they thought his dreams were possible4.

That same day, Wallace uploaded his main video, which showed him talking not to Jake Paul but to Jake's older brother, Logan Paul2. In the backstage clip, Logan asked Wallace what he was good at. Wallace said TikTok dances. Logan pressed him: "So you really got what it takes?" Wallace replied, "I don't"2. Logan's response was blunt: "Then why would I give you a job?"7

Logan explained he couldn't be a mentor to anyone. "I'm a fuck up myself. I need a mentor," he said1. He acknowledged that quitting a stable job "takes balls" but told Wallace that "life isn't about handouts" and encouraged him to move to Los Angeles and start networking3. The video, which cut between the backstage exchange and Wallace crying in his car, hit roughly 12 million views and 1.5 million likes within five days4.

How It Spread

Wallace doubled down the next day. On August 30, 2021, he posted a follow-up TikTok wearing a t-shirt that read "Logan Can I Have a J.O.B.?" The video included a clip from a TikTok that Jake Paul had uploaded mocking Wallace, imitating him with "sad eyes and a pouty lip." Jake deleted his TikTok within a day2.

The meme hit peak engagement on September 1, 2021, when TikTok comments flooded in4. Users roasted Wallace for his entitlement and praised Logan Paul for handling the situation well. One commenter wrote, "Bro is 22 making 110K?????? And quit now is crying about Logan not wanting to work with him"7. Others noted the irony of Logan Paul, who had a history of controversy, coming across as the reasonable one in the exchange1.

That same day, Twitter user @40ATLAS reposted the TikTok, and the tweet picked up roughly 58,600 likes and 18,700 quote tweets in two days4. Twitter users piled on, calling out Wallace's sense of entitlement. One user wrote, "This guy makes 100K a year, and quit his job to be a media personality with no talent, and then got on Tik Tok to cry about it?"1

Wallace posted another TikTok defending himself, saying "money is nothing compared to your dreams" and that confronting Logan Paul took "some fucking balls, unlike some people that would never, ever confront Logan Paul"2. He appeared to have tried getting his old welding job back and returned home to Ohio5.

The story had a longer tail than most viral cringe moments. YouTuber GunnarTV uploaded a follow-up video in early 2022 documenting how Wallace had been "clout chasing a ton of different people" after being rejected by Paul, approaching Danny Duncan, Bryce Hall, and Dr. Phil6. GunnarTV's advice to Wallace was direct: "Wanting to be famous is not good enough. You need to also enjoy the content you're making"6.

By 2023, Wallace had actually built a real following, growing to nearly one million TikTok followers by consistently posting content on the platform6. His TikTok bio described him as a "23 year old from Ohio here doing me, having fun and doing influencing"6. In the end, the humiliating viral moment became the launchpad Wallace was looking for, just not in the way he originally planned.

How to Use This Meme

This meme doesn't function as a repeatable template. It's typically referenced as a cautionary example or punchline when someone makes an obviously bad career decision, gives up something stable for a long-shot dream without a plan, or approaches a famous person with misplaced confidence. People often share the original clip or screenshots with captions mocking similar behavior. The phrase "quit my $100K job" or variations of it get used sarcastically online when someone describes an ill-conceived life change.

Cultural Impact

The video became a flashpoint in the ongoing internet conversation about influencer culture and the "quit your 9-to-5" mindset popular on TikTok in the early 2020s. Wallace's story cut both ways: some saw it as proof that influencer dreams were delusional for most people, while others grudgingly respected his willingness to take a shot3.

Logan Paul's handling of the situation was widely praised, which was unusual for the YouTuber given his controversial history. Multiple outlets noted the irony of Paul being the voice of reason, telling a fan to stop looking for handouts and build something on his own1. Game Rant pointed out that while Wallace's drive was admirable, "it probably wasn't the smartest decision for him to quit his well-paying previous job for his dream before having more infrastructure in place"3.

The incident also fed into broader discussions about parasocial relationships between fans and creators. Wallace genuinely believed that approaching Logan Paul in person would result in a job offer, a mindset that commenters found both baffling and sad7.

Fun Facts

Wallace originally went to the event to work for Jake Paul, but ended up talking to Logan Paul instead. The meme's common name references Jake, but the actual interaction was entirely with Logan4.

Jake Paul posted his own TikTok mocking Wallace but deleted it within 24 hours2.

Wallace admitted on camera that he didn't have what it takes when Logan asked him directly, then still tried to negotiate a job7.

Despite the public humiliation, Wallace eventually grew his TikTok to nearly one million followers, essentially achieving the influencer career he originally begged for6.

Wallace even offered to work for free during the backstage conversation, but Logan still declined2.

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