Ray (YouTuber)
30-Second Overview:
Born October 31, 2005, in Taiwan, Hsu Chen-Jui (Rayasianboy) was a high school student at Tamkang High School in New Taipei City. In July 2023, during a school trip to Japan, he boldly approached American streamer Kai Cenat outside a 7-Eleven and said, "My name is Ray, I'm from Taiwan," a moment that instantly went viral. He joined the AMP group and currently has over 2.7 million Twitch followers and 1.43 million YouTube subscribers (RAY LIVE). In 2025, he appeared in a GQ video showcasing Taiwan's passport and cuisine, signed with Adidas for his personal clothing brand RUEI, and won the "Best IRL Streamer" award at The Streamer Awards. He later announced his retirement to invest in a dental clinic in Atlanta.
Why It Matters
An ordinary Taiwanese high school student, without any talent agency or celebrity packaging, used just one English sentence and one moment of street courage to go from Tamkang High School to the American streaming scene, playing alongside Kai Cenat and AMP members while bringing Taiwan's daily life directly into international spotlight. This isn't just a personal success story—it shows us the real pathway for Taiwanese youth in the digital age: dare to step forward, and the world will respond.
Main Content
Origins: From Basketball Court to Tokyo Streets
Ray loved sports from childhood, first playing soccer then switching to basketball, serving as a guard on the Tamkang High School team. During a July 2023 school trip to Tokyo, Japan, he encountered Kai Cenat livestreaming outside a convenience store. He walked over to introduce himself, and their brief conversation was captured on stream, quickly going viral across Western social media. Kai later flew to Taiwan specifically to attend Ray's graduation ceremony in June 2024, a cross-border friendship dubbed by media as a modern-day "Rush Hour" partnership.
Key Turning Point: From Amateur to International Phenomenon
Starting in 2024, he officially launched his Twitch channel rayasianboy, featuring daily interactions, gaming, and vlogs, quickly joining the American streaming group AMP and becoming a Clover House member. Notable works include GQ Sports' "10 Things Ray Can't Live Without" (April 2025), where he showcased his Republic of China passport, Wei Lih instant noodles, and bubble tea, propelling the video to the top five trending on American YouTube.
In 2025, he signed a long-term partnership with Adidas Basketball, launching his personal clothing brand "RUEI" (taken from his real name Ruei), which sold out immediately upon release. He also collaborated with BAPE as a model. In June of the same year, he participated in a Houston creators' charity basketball game, nailing four three-pointers (including a logo shot from center court), with announcers repeatedly emphasizing he was "from Taiwan"—clips that spread widely across social media. By the end of 2025, he won the "Best IRL Streamer" award at The Streamer Awards, becoming the first Taiwanese creator to receive this honor.
Current Status: American Life and New Directions
Ray later moved to Atlanta, United States, living in a content house gifted by Kai. He continues streaming on Twitch and YouTube (RAY LIVE has accumulated over 4.3 billion views), while announcing in October 2025 his retirement from the streaming scene to invest in an Atlanta dental clinic, pursuing his dream of becoming a dentist. In early 2026, he purchased a Lamborghini Urus for approximately $300,000 in cash.
Challenges and Controversies
Rapid fame also brought pressure. In March 2025, he paused streaming, clarifying it was due to mental health reasons (mental break), not military service. Some language usage in streams influenced by AMP, as well as describing Taiwanese society as "like NPCs" on Logan Paul's show, sparked discussions within Taiwan's online community. His inquiry about VTuber Ironmouse's "real appearance" at the 2025 year-end awards ceremony also triggered privacy controversies, though Ray apologized afterward while expressing confusion. He typically responds to these incidents with "everyone has their own perspective."
Significance for Taiwan
Ray naturally mentions being from Taiwan whenever he appears on international screens, earning him the title "strongest diplomat" from netizens. From being "Taiwan's strongest high schooler" to bringing Taiwanese food and culture into trending American videos, he proves that Taiwan's youth don't need to wait for others to discover them—they can step forward and be seen by the world.
Further Reading
- Ray Twitch Channel
- RAY LIVE YouTube Official Channel
- Ray Instagram
- GQ Taiwan Interview and Videos
- [Taiwan YouTube Development History or Digital Creator Related Articles (future links if available)]
References
Wikipedia (Chinese) - Ray (Taiwanese YouTuber) (2026 latest version)
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/Ray_(%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3YouTuber)Wikipedia (English) - Rayasianboy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RayasianboyGQ Taiwan / GQ Sports 2025 Interview and Videos
https://www.gq.com.tw/article/gq-hype-ray-2025The Streamer Awards Official Records (2025 Winner List)
SocialCounts / Social Blade (March 2026 latest data)
Twitch: Over 2.7 million followers; YouTube RAY LIVE: 1.43 million subscribers, 4.36 billion views