Amos Yee is a Singaporean YouTuber, blogger and political activist known for his outspoken and controversial views.
His fame initially stemmed from his career as a child actor and filmmaker, where he won an award for a short film at a local film festival.
However, his provocative social media posts, particularly criticism of Singapore’s leaders and inflammatory videos about religion, have attracted wider attention.
Amos’s activism and provocative content led to numerous legal battles and ultimately his asylum in the United States.
File
- Full name: Amos Pang Sang Yee
- Date of birth: October 31, 1998
- Age: 25 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Singapore
- Nationality: Singaporean
- Occupation: YouTuber, Blogger, Political Activist
- Parents: Alphonsus Yee, Mary Toh Ai Buay
- Siblings: None
- Spouse: None
- Children: None
- Relationship status: None
- Religion: Formerly Catholic, currently atheist
- Ethnicity: Singaporean Chinese
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Amos Yee was born in Singapore on 31 October 1998 to Alphonsus Yee, a computer engineer, and Mary Toh Ai Buay, a mathematics teacher. Raised in a middle-class family, Yee attended Pei Chun Public School, where he excelled academically, especially in Mathematics, Science, English and Chinese.
He then enrolled in Zhonghua High School, but despite his good academic performance, he decided to drop out. Yee was raised Catholic, but later publicly declared that he had become an atheist.
His early education and family background were fairly typical. However, during his teenage years, he began to express more provocative opinions, especially on social media platforms like YouTube.
Personal life
Details about Amos Yee’s personal life remain scarce, especially regarding his romantic relationships. There is no public information about whether Yee is married, has children, or is in a long-term relationship. Instead, his personal life is largely defined by his public image and the legal controversies he has been involved in.
His family relationships were also strained by his actions, with his mother having to publicly apologise on his behalf following his infamous video of late Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
As his mother admits, his lack of control over his behavior shows that his controversial actions have had a profound impact on his personal and family life.
Career
Amos Yee’s career began in the entertainment industry, specifically filmmaking, where he gained recognition at the age of 13. His short film “Jan” won him an award at the 2011 New Paper FiRST Film Festival.
He also appeared in the Singaporean film “We Not Naughty” directed by Jack Neo, in which he played a role and even wrote some of the dialogue. However, it was his controversial and provocative YouTube videos that made him famous internationally.
He became notorious for his criticism of Singapore’s leaders and his comments on religion, which often landed him in legal trouble. In particular, his 2015 video, “Finally Lee Kuan Yew is dead!” in which he insulted the recently deceased former Prime Minister of Singapore, attracted widespread attention and led to his arrest.
After repeated arrests in Singapore, Yee sought political asylum in the United States in 2017, where he continued to post controversial content, albeit with much less frequency than before.
Prize
- – Best Short Film – New Paper FiRST Film Festival (2011)
- – Best Actor – New Paper FiRST Film Festival (2011)
Net worth
Amos Yee’s net worth is estimated to be around $5 million. His income likely comes from his early acting roles, YouTube videos, and possibly other online platforms. Given his controversial status and frequent legal troubles, estimating his overall financial situation is challenging.
Argumentative
A series of highly publicized controversies have rocked public opinion, most notably the major Amos Yee scandal that occurred in 2015, after a video mocking the death of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was released.
The video, which compared Lee to Jesus Christ and included vulgar imagery, led to widespread outrage in Singapore. Several police reports were filed against him, including one by his mother. Yee was arrested and faces charges of hurting religious sentiments and distributing obscene material.
He was briefly detained after his arrest, but continued to produce controversial content upon his release. One of the most notorious incidents was his false accusations against his bailiff, Vincent Law, whom he accused of harassment, an allegation he later admitted was fabricated.
Despite these legal troubles, Yee maintained an outspoken stance against the Singapore government and continued to criticize religious groups, leading to further arrests in 2016. In December 2016, Yee traveled to the United States to seek political asylum.
Upon arrival, US immigration officials detained him, but in 2017 a judge granted him asylum, citing his persecution in Singapore as a result of his political views. His legal troubles did not occur there, however. In the US, he was involved in a major controversy when he was charged with soliciting child pornography.
This led to his arrest and in 2021 he was sentenced to six years in prison. His controversial actions in Singapore and the United States have ensured that he remains a divisive and infamous figure on the international stage.
Social media
- – Instagram: None
- – Twitter: None
List of movies played
- We Are Not Naughty (2012)
