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Blogosphere magazine is the offline guide to the online world for bloggers, influencers and brands. The June issue, which stars musician and YouTuber dodie on the cover, includes unmissable interviews with content creators and industry insiders as well as blogging how-tos and inspiration. You can subscribe here to get the dodie issue now. So, what’s…

All across the globe, people revere Casey Neistat.

Over the past two decades the 36-year-old, whose eponymous YouTube channel has almost 8 million subscribers and whose videos have more than 1.8 billion (yes, billion) views, has gone from a high-school dropout living in a trailer park to a multi-millionaire entrepreneur living in New York – truly fulfilling the American Dream.

Casey is renowned as ‘cool’, ‘game-changing’ and ‘inspirational’, and praise for his original videos flood social media streams; he ‘raises the bar’, ‘pushes boundaries’ and tells ‘compelling stories’. People describe him as ‘driven’, ‘ambitious’, and ‘a born leader’.
After spending just over two hours with him on a rainy day in Manhattan, I’d agree with the aforementioned, but I’d also add one more description into the mix – that of ‘high-functioning sociopath’.  

I realise I’ve just branded one of the most famous social media stars in the world with a personality disorder, so before the shit hits this fan, let me explain myself (full disclosure: I am not professionally trained in the study of sociopaths. I am just an avid reader on the subject).

Firstly, not all sociopaths are twisted, evil murderers unable to function within society. Some sociopaths, who according to recent estimates make up 1-4% of the population, are incredibly successful businessmen and women.
Known as ‘high-functioning sociopaths’, their character traits include confidence, fearlessness, intelligence and ruthlessness. They are known to be obsessive, competitive, impulsive and have a strong desire for power. Indeed, these ‘high-functioning sociopaths’ can often be found in top jobs – surgeons, politicians, editors, CEOs and entrepreneurs. Their exceptional drive and ruthless ambition, combined with their predatory spirit, risk-taking nature and lust for success and recognition give them a competitive advantage on the corporate ladder.

Fictional high-functioning sociopaths include Sherlock Holmes, Miranda Priestly [Runway magazine editor in The Devil Wears Prada], and Jay Gatsby [The Great Gatsby]. Real life suspected high-functioning sociopaths include Oscar award-winning writer and director Quentin Tarantino, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs… And now YouTuber and entrepreneur Casey Neistat.

So why do I think Casey – one of the most loved creators in the world – is a high-functioning sociopath? Let’s go back to New York. It starts at 3.49am. This is when…