Lewis Hilsenteger
Born 1985 · Age 40
Canadian technology YouTuber known as Unbox Therapy; creator of the Unbox Therapy channel (founded 2010) and podcast-style channel Lew Later. Gained global recognition for viral iPhone 'Bend Test' video in 2014.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Lewis Hilsenteger and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Toronto area
Lewis George Hilsenteger was born on May 6, 1985 in the Toronto area, Canada.
Attended Toronto School of Art (Digital Arts)
Studied Digital Arts, Photography and Video Editing at the Toronto School of Art (attendance years not specified; placed here as early-2000s post-secondary period).
Owned an Apple repair store near Ryerson University
Operated an Apple repair/repair-adjacent shop close to Ryerson University; used to make video tutorials to help customers (pre-YouTube growth).
Founded YouTube channel 'Unbox Therapy'
Hilsenteger and Jack McCann created the Unbox Therapy YouTube channel (December 2010). Channel focuses on unboxing and tech reviews.
Early unboxing/review videos (breathalyzer, 'unspillable cup')
Uploaded early Unbox Therapy videos including a smartphone-integrated breathalyzer and an 'unspillable cup' demonstration; began uploading multiple videos per week.
Gained traction in unboxing niche
Through iterative content and community building Unbox Therapy became a leading voice in the unboxing/review niche prior to the viral 2014 Bend Test.
Collaborated on videos featuring his son
By 2014 Hilsenteger was collaborating on Unbox Therapy videos with his son (Tubefilter profile references 'adorable son' collaborations); family involvement contributed to channel personality.
Reached 100,000 subscribers (Silver Play Button)
Unbox Therapy passed 100k subscribers and earned YouTube's Silver Creator Award in 2014 (Wikipedia creator awards list).
Bend Test recognized as launching 'Bendgate' controversy
Multiple outlets and later histories of Apple credit Unbox Therapy's Sept 2014 Bend Test with launching the 'Bendgate' conversation about iPhone 6 Plus structural issues.
Reached 1,000,000 subscribers (Gold Play Button)
Unbox Therapy passed 1 million subscribers in 2014 and received YouTube's Gold Creator Award (both 100k and 1M listed as 2014 in creator awards).
Bend Test video goes viral in days
The Bend Test was watched tens of millions of times within days and was at one point the fifth highest-trending upload on YouTube globally.
Profiled by Tubefilter after reaching 1M
Tubefilter published a 'YouTube Millionaires' profile (Aug 14, 2014) shortly after Unbox Therapy crossed ~1M subscribers; interview discusses channel growth and future plans.
Uploaded 'iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test' (Bendgate)
Uploaded the viral video showing Hilsenteger bending an iPhone 6 Plus using only his hands. The clip sparked the widely publicized 'Bendgate' controversy about iPhone bendability.
Major media coverage of Unbox Therapy's popularity
Multiple mainstream outlets (Global News, Seattle Times, The Canadian Press) featured Unbox Therapy and the unboxing trend in December 2014, citing its viral reach.
Unbox Therapy established regular upload cadence (several per week)
By the mid-2010s the channel had a production cadence of several videos per week; this consistency helped channel growth and monetization.
Public pledge to reveal 'Jack' at 10M subscribers (pledge made earlier)
Hilsenteger pledged publicly that he would reveal the identity of cameraman 'Jack' once the Unbox Therapy channel reached 10 million subscribers (pledge discussed over several years prior to 2018).
Awarded Diamond Creator Award (10,000,000 subscribers)
YouTube Diamond Creator Award listed for 10 million subscribers in 2018 (Wikipedia creator awards). Hilsenteger had pledged to reveal Jack once the channel hit this milestone.
Channel surpassed 1 billion total views
By February 2018 Unbox Therapy's cumulative channel views exceeded 1 billion.
Uploaded 'Jack' — identity face reveal of Jack McCann
Unbox Therapy published a face-reveal video titled 'Jack' that disclosed the identity and background of the longtime off-camera collaborator Jack McCann (Feb 21, 2018).
Published 'The ULTIMATE $30,000 Gaming PC Setup' video
Posted a high-profile video showcasing a $30,000 gaming rig and setup; widely covered in tech media for its over-the-top presentation (Outline piece June 2, 2018).
Bend Test video had 71 million views by August 2019
Unbox Therapy's iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test was the channel's most-watched video and had amassed ~71 million views by Aug 2019.
Lew Later content: 'Apple Is No Longer A Growth Company' video
Lew Later (Hilsenteger's secondary/podcast-style channel) posted an episode referencing tech industry analysis (example dated Nov 6, 2019).
Made Escobar review video unlisted and posted a public response
Following controversy over the Escobar Fold review, Hilsenteger later made the original review unlisted and published a defense/response saying he had no ties to Escobar Inc and hadn't known product provenance prior to review.
Controversial review of 'Escobar Fold 2' (rebadged Galaxy Fold)
In March 2020 Hilsenteger posted a positive-feeling review for the Escobar Fold 2 (allegedly a rebadged Galaxy Fold). The video and product became controversial amid reports of scams and non-delivery to customers.
Escobar company alleged lawsuits and refurbished iPhone release
In May 2020 Escobar Inc. released a refurbished iPhone 11 Pro and allegedly claimed to sue Apple for $2.6 billion; broader allegations of scams surfaced and Hilsenteger defended his original review.
Channel exceeded 4 billion total views
By April 2021 Unbox Therapy's cumulative views exceeded 4 billion views across the channel.
Average view count and Social Blade ranking (April 2023)
As of April 2023 the average view count of Unbox Therapy videos was reported as more than 2 million; Social Blade ranked the channel 7th in the tech category.
Combined subscribers for Unbox Therapy and Lew Later >19M
As of August 2023 the two channels (Unbox Therapy + Lew Later) had more than 19 million subscribers combined (per Wikipedia / Social Blade references).
Estimated net worth (2024) reported in 2025 profile
An April 2025 profile estimated Unbox Therapy's 2024 net worth at approximately $36 million, attributing earnings to YouTube ad revenue, sponsorships and affiliate marketing.
Subscriber and view counts as of Jan 2025
As of January 2025 Unbox Therapy had 24.8 million subscribers and the channel's videos had received over 4.79 billion cumulative views (Wikipedia entry update).
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Lewis Hilsenteger and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Zoe Sugg
Born 1990 · Age 35
English media personality, entrepreneur and author (aka Zoella). Began blogging/YouTube in 2009; built beauty/homeware brands; bestselling novelist and co-author of YA duology.
John Collison
Born 1990 · Age 35
Irish entrepreneur; co‑founder and president of Stripe. Co-founded multiple startups with brother Patrick Collison; became the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 2016.
Bowen Yang
Born 1990 · Age 35
Bowen Yang (b. Nov 6, 1990) is a Chinese-American comedian, actor, writer and podcaster known for Saturday Night Live, the podcast Las Culturistas, and film roles including Fire Island, Bros and Wicked.
Evan Spiegel
Born 1990 · Age 35
American entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., creator of Snapchat. Known for founding Snapchat as a Stanford class project, leading Snap through fundraises and IPO, philanthropy (Snap Foundation) and high-profile personal life (marriage to Miranda Kerr).
Daniel Sloss
Born 1990 · Age 35
Scottish comedian, actor and writer known for dark, socially incisive stand-up; multi‑special Netflix and HBO performer and international touring artist.
Graham Stephan
Born 1990 · Age 35
American real estate investor, YouTuber, and financial commentator known for content on real estate investing, frugal living, and personal finance.