Reckless Ben

Benjamin Paul Schneider¹ (born December 30, 1995), better known as Reckless Ben, is an American YouTuber, independent filmmaker, entrepreneur, and slackliner. He is known for producing comedic investigative documentary videos about controversial organizations, businesses, internet personalities, and alleged scams.

Schneider is from Fairfield, Ohio. During his teenage years, he became involved in slacklining, and graduated from Fairfield High School in 2014. He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 967 at Sacred Heart Church in Fairfield.² He later studied engineering at the University of Cincinnati. While enrolled at the university, he continued participating in slacklining and began documenting many of his activities online. He dropped out of the University when he was three years into engineering school.³

In 2018, at age 22, Schneider founded Ascending Slacklines, a company specializing in equipment for slacklining and highlining.³

In 2021, Schneider appeared on the television competition series Go-Big Show, where he broke the world record for most flips on a slackline in 60 seconds, and ended up doubling the record at 27.⁴⁵⁶ That same year, Schneider appeared on the Italian reality television program Tú sí que vales.⁷⁸

In 2024, Schneider attracted media coverage after filming himself walking a tightrope between two unfinished towers at Oceanwide Plaza in Los Angeles.⁹ The stunt prompted an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department,¹⁰¹¹ and the video was subsequently removed from YouTube.¹² Schneider wore a duck mask during a later visit to the area.¹⁰

In 2019, Schneider received media attention after claiming to have obtained a painting rumored to be the work of street artist Banksy from the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.¹³ Schneider and two associates retrieved the painting through the museum's lost-and-found process after presenting documentation they had created themselves.¹⁴¹⁵

Schneider and his collaborators also created "Scientology Sucks", a real religious organization in the state of California and Oregon intended to protest the Church of Scientology.¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸

Schneider later investigated McKamey Manor, an attraction marketed as an extreme haunted-house experience. In a self-published video, he alleged that participants were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement containing a stated $50,000 penalty clause, with McKamey also discussing the requirement.¹⁹²⁰

In 2025, Trilogy Media released a video titled Exposing Hollywood's Most Sadistic Director on their streaming platform, TrilogyPlus. The video documents an investigation by Schneider into the filmmaker Lucifer Valentine, known for the Vomit Gore Trilogy. It includes discussion of online claims linking the director's identity to Shawn Fedorchuk.^{‡ 1}

In 2026, Schneider published a series of videos concerning a dispute involving a large Lego collection and a franchise of Bricks & Minifigs (BAM).²¹ The videos alleged that corporate personnel involved in terminating the franchise agreement later had ties to the incoming operators; however, those allegations have not been adjudicated in court.²² On March 27, Schneider was charged with stalking, classified as a Class A misdemeanor, and targeted residential picketing, classified as a Class B misdemeanor.²³ Schneider also alleged that he faced legal issues as a result of police corruption,²¹²⁴ including an incident in which he and members of his team were reportedly swatted in Utah. He further alleged that the franchise's operators, Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson, as well as Bricks & Minifigs chief executive Ammon McNeff, were large donors to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.²⁴ Schneider appeared on an episode of The H3 Podcast.²⁵ On June 3, 2026, Schneider appeared on WTTG;²⁶ two days later, Schneider appeared on NewsNation.²⁷