A moment of internet fame can catapult almost anyone from anonymity to a household name. But is there a way to transform all that newfound fame into cold, hard cash? Follow me as I track Haliey Welch’s one-year journey from obscurity to internet sensation to potential crypto villain.
It’s that time of the year again: a time when we find ourselves taking stock of the preceding 11 months and assessing the highs and lows of 2024. And while I don’t know much about you or the year that you’ve had, I’m guessing that few of us lived the rollercoaster ride that was 2024 for Haliey Welch.
Let’s start at the beginning
If the name is unfamiliar to you (and yes, that is the correct spelling), then you might recognise her better by her online moniker, “Hawk Tuah Girl”, which she earned thanks to her appearance in a viral street interview.
On the 11th of June this year, Tim Dickerson and DeArius Marlow were in Nashville’s Broadway district, filming vox pop interviews for their YouTube channel, Tim & Dee TV. Welch and a friend noticed the duo filming and approached them, asking to participate in the interviews. What started as a fairly tame Q&A session – think questions like “What makes you wifey material?” – soon took a turn as Welch encouraged Marlow to spice up the questions. Marlow delivered, asking, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?” Welch didn’t hesitate, and in her thick Southern accent answered: “You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang.”
Due to the fact that my mother reads this column every week (hi, mom), I won’t be going into any more detail about what that means, but in case you didn’t quite get it and want to hear it from the horse’s mouth, you can view the original video clip here.
The meaning of the phrase is not as important as its wildfire effect. On the 12th of June, Marlow uploaded the now-infamous video clip to TikTok, and social media did what social media does best: took it and ran. Reposts of the video, often scrubbed clean of the “Tim & Dee TV” watermark, started popping up everywhere. Dickerson and Marlow later revealed they had to file at least fifty copyright claims in the chaotic aftermath.
Meanwhile, the original video exploded, racking up millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. It didn’t stop there – remixes, memes, and remakes of the audio flooded timelines, cementing Haliey Welch as the internet’s latest folk hero: “Hawk Tuah Girl”. The clip and her now-iconic phrase had officially gone viral, birthing a meme empire in record time.
Onward to fame and fortune
Welch’s life took a sharp turn after her viral moment, rocketing her from a minimum-wage factory worker to a full-fledged internet personality and entrepreneur practically overnight. Riding the wave of her newfound fame, Welch created an Instagram account that quickly amassed a significant following, attracting both media attention and brand opportunities.
Not content to let her 15 minutes fade, Welch went all in. She founded her own company, trademarked several phrases (yes, including that one), and signed with an agent to help manage her growing career. Soon, she was selling merchandise themed around her iconic line and making paid appearances.
On the 15th of August, she stepped onto the field at a New York Mets game to throw the ceremonial first pitch. On the 3rd of September, she launched a podcast called Talk Tuah in partnership with Betr, the media company co-founded by Jake Paul. The podcast had thirteen episodes in its first season and featured a variety of guests, including comedian Whitney Cummings, dancer Jojo Siwa, boxer Jake Paul and businessman Mark Cuban.
It wasn’t long before an app followed (of course). On the 14th of November, Welch debuted an AI-driven dating advice app called Pookie Tools. To bring her vision to life, she teamed up with Ben Ganz, the founder of Ultimate AI Studio, an AI automation platform. The app promised to combine Welch’s signature charm and real-talk advice with cutting-edge tech, helping users to “navigate the wild world of modern dating”. At the time of writing this article, Pookie Tools had an average of 3.5 out of 5 stars across 49 reviews on the Apple Store.
And then, of course, there was the meme coin.
Meme coin? Please explain.
A meme coin is a type of cryptocurrency that prioritises fun and hype over functionality. Instead of focusing on real-world applications, meme coins are designed to attract attention – and investors – through their quirky branding, viral appeal, and an enthusiastic online community. As the name suggests, they’re frequently tied to animated characters or popular meme images. Meme stocks are also a thing, where stocks like Robinhood went ballistic during the pandemic. At least there’s an actual company underneath that hype though! The same can’t be said for these coins.
Like other cryptocurrencies, meme coins are built on blockchain technology. Each token is essentially a hexadecimal number stored on a blockchain, with private keys to confirm ownership. While some meme coins achieve market value and can technically be used for transactions, many lack practical utility, such as rewarding blockchain participants for their efforts.
So what’s the point then? Many argue that meme coins offer an approachable way for people to learn about cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. They are generally more affordable than well-established cryptocurrencies, making them an accessible entry point for beginners. Additionally, they provide an opportunity to join active and enthusiastic trading and investing communities, which can be appealing for those who enjoy social engagement around their financial activities.
On the downside, meme coins come with extremely high risks and are notoriously volatile, making them a less stable investment option. They are often heavily hyped by their developers or communities, which can inflate expectations and lead to disappointment. Furthermore, many meme coins have little to no practical utility beyond being speculative tokens, limiting their functionality compared to other cryptocurrencies.
Enter the $HAWK
At their best, celebrity-backed meme coins are naive forays into the crypto world, where stars attempt to capitalise on an unfamiliar moneymaking trend. At their worst, they’re thinly veiled cash grabs designed to exploit fans through schemes like “pump-and-dumps” or “rug pulls.” Caitlyn Jenner, for example, is currently facing a lawsuit alleging she misled investors in her JENNER coin through one such scheme.
Haliey Welch, defending her own decision to launch a meme coin, told Fortune just hours before $HAWK hit the market that it wasn’t “just a cash grab.” However, the coin’s launch told a different story. Its value skyrocketed all the way to $500 million initially, only to plummet by over 95% within hours, landing at $25 million – a textbook sign of a “rug pull.” In such schemes, creators hype a coin’s launch to inflate its value, sell off their holdings at the peak, and leave unsuspecting investors holding worthless assets.
The fallout was swift. Internet sleuths, led by YouTuber and crypto investigator Stephen Findeisen (better known as Coffeezilla), quickly uncovered signs of misconduct. Findeisen compiled evidence after attending an X Spaces event where Welch and her team hosted a Q&A to address investor concerns. Instead of offering clarity, the session devolved into defensive posturing, with a man identified as Doc Hollywood deflecting blame and asserting the team’s innocence.
“This is one of the most miserable, horrible launches I’ve ever seen in my life,” Findeisen remarked when given the floor. He pressed the team about who benefited from the exorbitant transaction fees associated with the coin, only to receive evasive answers like, “Do you know how much it costs for lawyer fees to create a foundation in the Cayman Islands?”. Findeisen also highlighted findings from blockchain analyst Bubblemaps, which revealed that 96% of $HAWK’s supply was controlled by a single cluster of interconnected wallets; a hallmark of a coordinated “pump-and-dump”.
The call ended abruptly when Welch declared she was going to bed, leaving unanswered questions and rising skepticism in her wake. Since the event, Welch has largely remained silent, apart from statements issued by her lawyer to Coffeezilla. Whether she’s following legal advice to lay low or simply avoiding the public eye is unclear. One of the top online comments at the time advised Welch to Tawk Tuah lawyer – welcome to internet humour!
While being the public face of a failed cryptocurrency might not land Welch in prison, the situation could escalate if evidence shows she actively orchestrated the project. In that case, she could face serious fraud charges. For now, however, the most pressing question remains: was Welch just a pawn in a bigger game, or did she knowingly play her part in duping investors? Time will tell – but in the meantime, we can all agree that going from someone’s neighbour to a household name in the space of six months (all thanks to a 5-second soundbite going viral) makes Haliey the winner of the who-had-the-craziest-year award.
We can also agree that there isn’t much sympathy out there for people losing their life savings in meme coins. Be smarter than that this festive season.
About the author: Dominique Olivier
Dominique Olivier is the founder of human.writer, where she uses her love of storytelling and ideation to help brands solve problems.
She is a weekly columnist in Ghost Mail and collaborates with The Finance Ghost on Ghost Mail Weekender, a Sunday publication designed to help you be more interesting.
Dominique can be reached on LinkedIn here.
