4 5 ▁million ▁views ▁in ▁total . ▁From ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁hosts ▁of ▁The ▁D run ken ▁Pe as ants , ▁a ▁YouTube ▁news ▁pod cast ▁focused ▁on ▁current ▁events ▁and ▁inter views . ▁He ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁" most ▁controvers ial ▁You T ub ers " ▁by ▁Watch Mo jo . com . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Kirk ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Pas ad ena , ▁California , ▁though ▁he ▁was ▁primarily ▁raised ▁in ▁Man dev ille , ▁Louisiana . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁Thomas ▁James ▁Kirk ▁Jr . ▁( J uly ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁– ▁January ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 ), ▁who ▁operated ▁several ▁fra ud ul ent ▁higher ▁education ▁organizations ▁and ▁served ▁three ▁years ▁in ▁U . S . ▁federal ▁prison ▁following ▁a ▁ple a ▁deal . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁six teen , ▁Kirk ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁high ▁school ▁with ▁asp ir ations ▁of ▁being ▁an ▁author . ▁ ▁Kirk ▁began ▁posting ▁videos ▁on ▁YouTube ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Kirk ▁posted ▁a ▁video ▁which ▁included ▁a ▁warning ▁about ▁the ▁mental ▁inst ability ▁of ▁ 1 8 - year - old ▁P ek ka - Er ic ▁Au vin en , ▁who ▁would ▁later ▁perpet rate ▁the ▁J ok ela ▁school ▁shooting . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Kirk