Biography
Carl Benjamin, known online as Sargon of Akkad, is a British political commentator who built a large following on YouTube through long-form video commentary on politics and media. His online name references the ancient Mesopotamian ruler Sargon of Akkad.
Online Commentary Career
Early YouTube Presence (2013–2016) Benjamin began posting political commentary videos on YouTube around 2013, initially gaining attention through commentary on online cultural debates and media criticism. He rose to wider prominence during the GamerGate controversy in 2014 and subsequent online cultural discussions, building an audience through extended video analyses of current events.
Platform Growth (2016–2018) By the mid-2010s, Benjamin had become one of the more widely followed English-language political commentators on YouTube, producing regular content on UK and US politics, media criticism, and cultural commentary. His main channel accumulated over 900,000 subscribers.
Platform Governance Incidents
Patreon Removal (2018) In December 2018, Benjamin was removed from Patreon over content policy disputes. The decision prompted several other creators to leave the platform in protest and became a frequently cited example in broader debates about crowdfunding platform moderation policies. Benjamin subsequently moved to alternative funding platforms including SubscribeStar.
Multi-Platform Presence Following various platform policy actions, Benjamin expanded his presence to alternative platforms including Minds, Rumble, Odysee, and Locals, while continuing to operate YouTube channels including secondary channels under names such as “Akkad Daily.”
Political Candidacy
In April 2019, Benjamin joined UKIP and announced his candidacy for the European Parliament elections in the South West England constituency. The campaign, which drew significant media coverage, represented an early instance of an online political commentator transitioning to formal electoral politics. He was not elected.
Lotus Eaters
Benjamin co-founded the Lotus Eaters, a media outlet and podcast network, through which he continues to produce regular political commentary and podcast content alongside other commentators.