Dan Clancy made waves during a recent livestream appearance when he stated that Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed would not make his personal “Mount Rushmore of streaming.”
The Twitch CEO was responding to a viewer question about which four streamers belong on his list of the most important figures in streaming history. His answer marked a notable shift from a previous interaction where he appeared to include Kai Cenat.
Clancy explained the discrepancy directly. He said he only mentioned Kai before because Kai himself had asked the question during a live segment. The implication was clear—he gave an answer tailored to that moment rather than sharing his genuine opinion.
The comments sparked immediate debate in the streaming community. Many pointed out that “Mount Rushmore” traditionally refers to foundational figures who built the medium, not necessarily today’s biggest stars.
Clancy has served as Twitch CEO since March 2023 after joining the company as President in 2019. He frequently appears on creator streams to discuss platform policies and community matters.
Kai Cenat’s exclusion is particularly striking given his historic achievements on Twitch. He set the platform’s all-time active subscriber record in September 2025 with over 1 million concurrent subs.
IShowSpeed’s case is different. He primarily streams on YouTube and remains banned from Twitch. His exclusion from a Twitch CEO’s list may reflect both platform loyalty and his limited connection to Twitch’s history.
Clancy did not provide his actual four-name list in the circulating clip. He focused solely on explaining why Kai and Speed wouldn’t make the cut and why he had mentioned Kai differently in the past.
The streaming community typically debates Mount Rushmore candidates between two schools of thought. Some argue for pioneers like Sodapoppin, Lirik, Summit1g, and the late Reckful who established donation culture and streaming formats. Others champion figures like Day9, who held Twitch subscriber number one and influenced the early subscription model.
Ninja often enters the conversation for bringing streaming to mainstream attention during the Fortnite boom. The debate ultimately hinges on whether “Mount Rushmore” means foundational impact or peak cultural reach.
As Twitch CEO, Clancy’s public assessments carry weight even when shared informally. His distinction between flattering a creator in the moment and his personal view of historical significance reveals how platform leadership thinks about streaming legacy versus current popularity.
