The unlikely story of a 23-year-old Venezuelan who makes 6 figures playing video games in America

Two years ago, 21-year-old Diego “Quas” Ruiz flew from Venezuela to Los Angeles for a job playing video games. It was a drastic move. Ruiz had no friends or family in LA, and he didn’t know how long his newly formed team would last. But for him America promised more stability than his native country. “Back in Venezuela, you worry every day about what you are going to do, what job you will get, how you are going to keep yourself going,” Ruiz recently told Business Insider. “I thought life in the United States would be easier, more advanced, less stressful.” These days, Ruiz gets paid to play "League of Legends," the world’s most popular competitive video game. He’s a star on Team Liquid, a professional team in the North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). He earns about $100,000 a year from salary, sponsorships, and revenue from the streaming website Twitch. More…