What is FaZe Banks' real name? Parents, net worth and more about YouTuber as he steps down as FaZe CEO

FaZe Banks, 33, whose real name is Richard "Ricky" Bengtson, is the CEO and one of the co-founders of FaZe Clan, a famous esports and entertainment group. In a recent development, he is stepping away from the organization as controversy continues to mount over his alleged involvement in cryptocurrency scams.

Despite establishing its name as a reputed firm in the industry, FaZe Clan often makes headlines for dramas centering on its members. The decision of Banks leaving his company comes amid intensifying scrutiny over past projects promoted by him. Though he refrained from agreeing to these accusations, he confirmed his intention to leave, as Win.gg reported.

With the news of the streamer stepping down as CEO breaking the internet, his fans are curious to take a peek at his personal life and get to know him beyond what he shares on social media platforms. 

From losing his parents at a young age to amassing an impressive net worth, here's all you need to know about Banks.

Everything we know about FaZe Banks stepping down as the CEO of FaZe Clan

The crypto scan controversy exceeded comprehension, leading to Banks deciding to leave his co-founded organization. Additionally, he confirmed stepping down from the internet as well, for the time being. According to a WIN.gg report, several members of FaZe Clan, including Banks, invested in the MLG crypto coin, further prompting a surge in its value. However, the significant uptick in its value did not last long. Instead, its worth took a dip after the publicity slowly ceased. People who invested in the coin suffered a huge loss, and the blame for the declining trajectory was targeted at Richard.

He and his team were criticized for running a "pump-and-dump" scheme by hyping the digital assets exponentially. Despite Banks denying these allegations, investors continued raising their voices and pointing fingers at the company for losing their hard-earned money. 

On July 29, 2025, FaZe addressed the accusations and set things straight by sharing his narrative on X. Assuring viewers that he has "never scammed anyone a day" is his life, he wrote for the netizens:

"The entire narrative is unfair and part of the reason it exists is cause my 'FaZe' name is so easily farmed and manipulated. The fact this is affecting the guys at all, is whack. So for the time being I’m gunna be stepping away from not only FaZe, but all this internet s*it. It’s destroying my life inside and out. Sucks my entire life gets ruined over something I didn’t even do. The real ones know. I wish I could say I’ll be back, but I really don’t know if I will."

Recently, a screenshot featuring Banks' remarks on Adin Ross went viral on social media, leading to the ongoing controversy. Reportedly, the FaZe Clan CEO pointed fingers at Ross and blamed him for the fiasco. His alleged text reads:

"Adin Ross f*cked this us, this community dumped on him buying. Used him as exit liquidity. His ego got hurt, blamed Frank. Him and Frank got into it privately. Adin despises Frank and spins and drives a narrative about Frank selling. Somehow this falls on me and threads to farm the whole situation spin it into me selling and dumping coins."

FaZe Banks blames Adin Ross for the failed and rugged launch of his MLG coin.

“Adin Ross fucked this up, this community dumped on him buying
Used him as exit liquidity
His ego got hurt, blamed Frank (…) Adin despises Frank and spins and drives a narative about Frank selling.” pic.twitter.com/HePw3yONPn

— Adin Reports (@AdinReports) July 28, 2025

Banks also spoke highly of himself, noting that he boosted the value from $3 million to $200 million "organically" and "top blasted multiple times." He also confirmed investing a ton of money in this cryptocurrency. While concluding his message, he asserted that the

"only bad actor in this entire thing is Adin. Point blank. Period."

Responding to the viral tweet, Ross tried to clarify the truth and present his truth to the world. The streamer replied,

"The banks screenshot is real. S*it sad asf , if you guys think that mlg being rugged was me im sorry to tell u it wasn’t. There’s a reason that entire house is silent, truth will come out eventually. I’m just more hurt on the fact someone I call my brother is behind my back"

The viral screenshot fueled drama and tension between the two streamers. Just two hours after the X post, FaZe Banks shared an update on having a conversation with Adin Ross, announcing,

"On the phone with Adin right now, we’re doing a stream together tonight to address ALL OF THIS. This whole thing has been wildly miscommunicated and destroyed my mental the last several months. I’ve wanted to more publicly talk about this situation for a while. Sucks any of this f*cked with me and Adins relationship. See you guys tonight."

FaZe Banks' personal life explored

A look at his childhood and younger days

According to a report by National Today, Banks was born on October 18, 1991, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. After relocating to Lowell, Florida, at the age of seven, he spent his childhood there and completed his graduation from Lowell High School. After graduating from high school in 2010, he skipped attending college for further studies. Instead, he devoted his attention and time to his passion for gaming and built it into a full-time business.

Despite building a career on the internet for years, he rose to fame after co-launching FaZe Clan and operating the organization as its CEO. But before this major transition in his career trajectory, he spent glorious times leading the team SoaR and creating entertaining content on his YouTube channel. Apart from being a successful streamer, creator, and gamer, he also explored his creativity in different forms. He also dons the hat of being a vlogger, songwriter, composer, and producer. 

Net worth

Over the years, he has amassed a striking net worth of $13 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. With over 4.9 million subscribers and hundreds of millions of views on YouTube, Banks now has a loyal fanbase on the internet, creating a steady and reliable income stream. A major percentage of his wealth also comes from his tenure as the CEO of the FaZe Clan.

From releasing the first YouTube video titled The Single Greatest SoaRing In Style on October 5, 2011, to dropping engaging content on different platforms, FaZe has made a name for himself and gained prominence online. Apart from gaming videos, he often created content on fun niches, including reactions, challenges, and prank videos.

His parents are no more

Rest in Peace Mom, I’ll love you beyond my own human life. pic.twitter.com/db50SAXz6c

— Banks (@Banks) February 10, 2025

Earlier this year, FaZe Banks's mother passed away. Remembering her and her contributions in his life, he penned an emotional note dedicated to her. Expressing his grief over his loss, he wrote,

"Rest in peace BMB, my dear mother. To the woman that raised me, thank you for being in my Mom. The only reason I had anything remotely close to a natural life is because I had you. I love you. I'm grateful we got to have that last conversation. Tell Dad I love him and miss him very very much. (my heart is shattered)."

Overwhelmed with emotions and the shock of losing his mother, he shared a vulnerable note dedicated to God. Expressing his raw emotions, he recalled the heartbreaking experience of losing his dad and wrote,

"Dear God:
I lost my Dad 2 years ago at a very delicate time in my life. I was a mess. I was lonely, drug addicted, lost, sad. This could've easily killed me. I did everything in my power to be a better human after that. I got sober, I introduced regular therapy into my life, I started eating healthier, focused more on healthy relationships and sought out more wholesome fulfillment. My thought process. In this time I bought my company back and everything in my life got a lot better."

Recalling how he moved on from his father's death, Banks wrote:

"I've coped with the loss of my dad by chalking it up to his and Gods plan to set me and brother on a more righteous, healthy path so that we can live a happy, long, healthy like and take care of our Mother. Everything I hoped to do for him, at least I could focus that on his person, the love of his life, he could live the dream life I had planned for then through her. I'm struggling to understand what the f'ck gods point in this is. Why this is happening and how the f*ck I'm supposed to keep it together right now. Feeling obliterated. I have to tell myself there's a reason for all this. It's really really hard to sew how this is fair or makes sense."

Urging netizens to be affectionate towards their families, he concluded, saying,

"Please tell your families you love them while you still can. I'm sorry for anyone hurting right now, anyone that's ever experienced loss. I love you all. I'm sorry."

 

Meanwhile, FaZe Banks has been in a relationship with Alissa Violet since 2017, as National Today confirmed. The long-time couple often shares glimpses of their life story on Instagram.