<b>Markiplier set to make millions from GoPro investment after company announces $285m Starman merger</b>

Markiplier could be looking at a serious payday from a company he has quietly been backing. The YouTuber, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, owns more than 8.5% of GoPro, making him the largest individual shareholder in the company outside GoPro itself and investment firms. Now, with GoPro moving ahead with a merger involving Starman Optical, that investment could turn into millions for the creator. The deal comes after Fischbach had already revealed just how big his GoPro position was. Back in July, the stock was trading around $0.60 when he disclosed his stake. He said he believed the shares were “undervalued” and described the investment as something he had been “cooking in the background” while working on his other projects. His interest in the company also fits with his bigger push into filmmaking and higher-end productions.Markiplier’s GoPro investment was much bigger than expectedFischbach is not exactly new to projects outside YouTube. His movie Iron Lung helped push him further into Hollywood, with the success encouraging studios to look toward creators who could potentially bring audiences to feature films.But his GoPro investment gives another look at what he has been doing away from the camera.In July, Fischbach revealed that he held over 8.5% of GoPro stock. That made him the biggest individual shareholder who was not backed by an investment firm or GoPro itself. His stake is estimated at around $9 million, based on the reported share price around the time he disclosed it.The creator also explained why he was interested in the company. Speaking to Bloomberg, he said the stock appeared “undervalued.” He also connected his investment mindset to his plans for filmmaking.“One of the things I want to do is push my audience to the risky world of trying to make feature films and higher-end productions,” Fischbach said.GoPro’s Starman Optical merger could give Markiplier a paydayGoPro has now announced plans to merge with Starman Optical, a privately held photonics company. The deal is worth almost $300 million, putting Fischbach’s stake in an interesting position.GoPro shares reached $1.58 on September 1 before falling back to around $1.23. That movement came after the YouTuber had already disclosed his holdings, with Yahoo Finance crediting Fischbach for helping drive attention toward the stock’s performance.The numbers are especially interesting when compared with his reported purchase price. If his shares were bought around $0.60, the rise to above $1 per share represents a major increase on the investment.Under GoPro’s merger announcement, shareholders are expected to receive cash of around $1.14 per share. That means Markiplier is set for a payout based on the shares he owns, although the exact amount has not been disclosed yet.For now, the big question is simply how much the final payout will be. Fischbach has already made his interest in filmmaking clear. His GoPro investment now looks like another major move happening behind the scenes.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.