Boxer, YouTube superstar, social media influencer, and current WWE star Logan Paul could soon be under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration for promoting an energy drink that is seen as a serious health for children.
Despite not being a highly successful actor or a relevant boxer, Logan Paul is a seriously influential figure in the entertainment business. The Ohio native has grown a media empire that started on YouTube and social media, moved to spectacle fights in the world of boxing, and has now continued on to an impressive career over the last two years with WWE.
Related: Logan Pauls next fight – 3 fight options, including Anderson Silva
However, while Paul is a freak athlete his true gift is for self-promotion. He is excellent at his personal brand building and is a savvy businessman that has had success pushing various products and endeavors. Most recently, he has made Prime energy drink a prominent brand in that segment of the drink industry.
In just a year, the company he co-owns with fellow influencer KSI has grown in notoriety and now has sponsorship agreements with the UFC, Arsenal FC, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, because of his gift of promotion and reach with younger audiences, one prominent politician is targeting Paul and Prime over concerns for its popularity with children.
Logan Paul could soon be a target of the FDA
In a statement on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took aim at Prime and Logan Paul over the dangers of the drink for children.
“One of the summer’s hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit or a toy — it’s a beverage,” Schumer wrote in a statement. “But buyers and parents beware because it’s a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets.” The New York Democrat is pushing for the FDA to investigate Prime over the drink’s dangerous levels of caffeine and a promoting style that has lured in younger customers.
The company has labeling on it that warns it is not recommended for people under 18 and they also have Prime Hydration, which is a non-caffeine alternative to their primary product. However, Schumer does not feel the WWE wrestler and his company have done enough to avoid confusion with interested youngsters.
Prime is promoted as a vegan product and that has zero sugar. However, the drink contains 200 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounces. In comparison, that is the same amount of caffeine that is in half a dozen cans of Coca-Cola and nearly two can of Red Bull energy drink.