Is Jake Paul Puerto Rican? Nationality, Ethnicity, and Religion

Jake Paul‘s rise to boxing stardom has been rapid, albeit a controversial one. Transitioning from content creation to boxing, and earning the community’s wrath by challenging the bigwigs of the sport despite being a “rookie who debuted just four years ago”, the 29-year-old certainly knew how to capitalize on negativity. I mean, who doesn’t remember when Paul’s upcoming opponent Mike Tyson called him “fat”. And what did Paul do? He turned it into a never-seen-before marketing strategy by donning a fatsuit.

So one thing’s clear: Love him or hate him, but as Forbes’ Justin Birnbaum opined, the star is successfully “riding his brashness to seven-figure paydays as a fighter and a promoter—with more to come”. But as interesting as his professional life has become, the boxer’s personal life takes the cake too…Some think he’s Puerto Rican, while others know he’s American. So what’s the truth? Read on to find out all about his bizarre Puerto Rican connection…

Where is Jake Paul from? What is his ethnicity and nationality?

“I’m moving to Puerto Rico,” Logan Paul had announced in 2021, saying he needed to focus on training after squaring it off in the ring against Floyd Mayweather. The then-26-year old moved into a swanky $13 million mansion owned by content creator Kevin Thobias, for a whopping $55,000 per month. Located in the Dorado Beach East Community at the Ritz Carlton Reserve, the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom abode was complete with more than 5,200 square feet of house space, a fully equipped kitchen, an open-space living area, high ceilings, a pool and a gazebo, among other things. And, well, what do you know? His younger brother followed soon after…

That same year, Jake Paul moved to the island nation, citing the same reason as Logan. So are the brothers really that dedicated to their careers, or is there a hidden agenda? Well, as per Forbes, the country’s tax system make it an alluring option—if US citizens become a bona-fide Puerto Rican resident and move their business there (thus, generating Puerto Rico sourced income), they are allowed to pay a 4% income tax, as opposed to the 37% federal rate and the 13.3% in California (or other state). Additionally, there is no tax on dividends, and no capital gain tax. But, the move also means they’ve relinquished their right to vote for presidential elections in the country.

Interestingly, none of the brothers have addressed the tax situation as the reason for their move till date. In fact, as per Logan Paul, “Puerto Rico makes sense because you enter training camp for 2-3 months straight at a time where you can’t do anything anyways. I can’t go out and enjoy the nightlife. I can’t go out and enjoy the LA nightlife. Zoning in twice a year for four-six months is nice. And it’s nice to do it in Dorado, f*** heaven on earth.” 

Having said that, Jake Paul was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. And as far as his ethnicity goes, his mother has revealed that both she and his father, Greg, have significant amounts of Irish heritage in their bloodline. “You’re a very large percentage Irish. I’m 71 percent Irish, and if you cut that in half then your dad has Irish in him so you have to add that, I don’t know his percentage,” Paul’s mother, Pamela Ann Stepnick told him once.

But now that we know all about their residency and nationality, let’s look at the Jake Paul’s faith…

Is Jake Paul a Christian?

‘The Problem Child’ grew up in a Christian household in Cleveland, Ohio. Jake went to the West Lake High School in Ohio, following which he enrolled at the Cleveland State University. It is unclear whether he graduated or dropped out, but since no mention could be found of any degree he holds, it seems plausible that he, in fact, didn’t finish college.

High school was a consequential time for the celebrity boxer, as it was the seeds planted here that would determine his future. It was in high school he got a taste of combat sports—since both he and his brother, Logan took a liking to wrestling. Not to mention, it was also in high school that he started his YouTube career at the age of 17, and subsequently launched his Vine channel, which became his claim to fame after he started going viral a few years later.

His parents, Gregory Allan Paul and mother Pamela Ann Stepnick (who are now divorced) supported their kids when they made the fateful decision to become internet personalities, which started them off in show business, which remains their bread and butter to this day. 

Do you think the Paul brothers made a wise move by shifting to Puerto Rico? Let us know about your thoughts in the comments, as ‘The Problem Child’ prepares to get knocked out by Mike Tyson.