The life of Turkish social media sensation Zayn Sofuoğlu is anything but ordinary. The four-year-old son of five-time Supersport World Championship title-winner, Kenan Sofuoğlu, young Zayn has taken the internet by storm for living a lifestyle more closely suited to that of an extreme sports star rather than a regular kid.
His Instagram page (@zaynsofuoglu), which is co-run by his father Kenan and mother Julia Looman, is not your typical wholesome family social media account, mainly because Zayn has taken particular inspiration from in his father’s life and career as a racer.
In just a short space of time, Zayn has amassed millions of followers and views as a result of videos featuring the youngster handling high powered motorcycles and superstars better than most adults at just the age of four.
Though many are entertained by, and no doubt envious of, Zayn living out his dreams, his content remains divisive as a result of his antics, with some believing his parents are using him for social media clout and others acknowledging him as just a young kid embracing his wealthy upbringing. Either way, we wanted to look at exactly how Zayn turned into one of the most-followed accounts in sports influencing.
In this Zayn Sofuoğlu Story…
Zayn Sofuoğlu Quick Facts
| Name: | Zayn Sofuoğlu |
| Age: | 4 |
| Date of Birth: | 11 April 2019 |
| Nationality: | Turkish |
| Parents: | Kenan Sofuoğlu & Julia Looman Sofuoğlu |
| Net Worth: | $5 million (estimated) |
| Instagram: | @zaynsofuoglu – 1.3M followers |
Who Is Zayn Sofuoğlu?
Zayn Sofuoğlu is a Turkish social media influencer and sports car enthusiast. Born on April 11, 2019, to a Dutch-Algerian mother, Julia Looman, and a Turkish former motorcyclist and five-time Supersport World Championship title-winner, Kenan Sofuoğlu, Zayn is the youngest son of three siblings. From early on, Zayn was exposed to powerful motorcycles and supercars and as a result, was seemingly born into a life of burning rubber.
Why Is Zayn Sofuoğlu Famous?
Despite being just four-years-old, Zayn Sofuoğlu has spent a greater amount of time inside the glamorous high-end vehicles of the world than most do in a single lifetime. His Instagram page has steadily grown to become one of the leading young sports influencer pages on the platform, with his wholesome and potentially dangerous antics seemingly igniting the inner child in many of his fans.
Moreover, the progress he’s made since the first post on his Instagram page, to now, is staggering. Initially, his Instagram page featured clips of then two-year-old Zayn zipping around in go-karts and miniature motocross bikes, but it has since grown to feature Zayn expertly manoeuvring, parking and racing various supercars in spite of the fact he can barely reach the pedals of a car or even see past the steering wheel.
Zayn’s time in the limelight has been largely steered by his parents, Kenan and Julia, who co-run his Instagram page and put him in increasingly ridiculous situations – many of which no ordinary child would ever be able to experience. Part of Zayn’s fame also stems from the fact he appears to be a natural behind the steering wheel, waterski, handlebars… you name it.
Zayn Sofuoğlu: Future Driver?
Ever since his father started posting videos of him riding a motorcycle in the driveway of their family home, Zayn Sofuoğlu has been touted as a child prodigy with huge potential to make a name in the racing world. Considering his father’s talent, it is far from a poor prediction to estimate a future in sports racing for middle child Zayn.
Zayn’s father Kenan is a Turkish sporting legend in his own right. As the first Turk to compete in world championship level motorsport, Kenan is revered in his home country and around the globe as the most successful World Supersport rider of all time, with his record of five world championships as difficult a feat as any in the sporting world to beat or even replicate.
That’d be a big set of boots for anyone to fill, let alone a child prodigy who is apparently more comfortable in front of his parents’ $550,000 Ferrari SF 90 Stradale than a LEGO set. But Zayn seemingly has the makings of a future driver, although at the moment he understandably needs the pedals raised and a booster seat to see over the steering wheel. And whilst his lap times are nothing to write home about, Zayn’s precision and control behind the wheel is stronger than some adults.
Plus, Zayn consistently has the fit to go along the lifestyle, with the youngster sporting his own personalised racing overalls, boots, gloves, and helmet in his videos. Furthermore, Zayn’s natural feel for the wheel has without a doubt left plenty of racing fans anticipating what the future holds for the young racing prodigy.
Zayn Sofuoğlu’s Favourite Cars
It wouldn’t be the worst thing to wake up everyday as the child of a former five-time motorcycling champion, particularly with a wealth of vehicles and toys at your disposal. Although, even with such an expansive array of vehicles to choose from, young Zayn Sofuoğlu cannot help but show his adoration for a certain classic red Ferrari SF 90 Stradale that features in many of his videos. But Zayn doesn’t just drive supercars, he’s also mastering the motorcycle. And one in particular, the 1800 CC motorbike, consistently leaves Zayn smiling from ear to ear. In a sign of a potentially multifaceted racing future, Zayn’s flair for all things vehicles also extends to waterskiing and off-road racing.
Zayn Sofuoğlu Age
Currently, as of April 11, Zayn Sofuoğlu is four years of age, meaning he isn’t even old enough to attend school in Turkey yet. Much of the controversy surrounding Zayn’s Instagram posts stems from his youth and the perceived recklessness of his parents to allow him plenty of freedom behind the wheel of some high-powered vehicles.
Significantly however, Zayn’s early introduction to supercars and motorcycles is not dissimilar to his father’s experiences growing up in the quiet countryside of his hometown, Adapazari. It was here where his father honed his driving skills alongside his brothers from an early age in his father’s (Zayn’s grandfather’s) garage. One could argue Zayn’s father Kenan is simply attempting to recreate the freedom he thrived in as a youngster to encourage his son’s talent, but with the added advantage of accumulating substantial wealth from his racing success and his role as a member of parliament for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), it allows his child the resources to live out the fantasy life of kids (and adults) worldwide.
Keep in mind, the current legal age for driving in Turkey is 18-years-old. So, we’re frankly not sure how Zayn’s parents are going unpunished for their lax approach.
Zayn Sofuoğlu’s Famous Family
Though Zayn Sofuoğlu is earning fame through his own extraordinary driving skills, his recent family history is a mix of immense success and unfortunate tragedy. As mentioned, his father Kenan Sofuoğlu was a legendary professional motorcyclist whose success has allowed for Zayn to live out his dreams from a young age. And although injuries cut short further chances of securing trophies, Kenan is historically the most successful rider in the sport.
Prior to his success as a motorcyclist, Kenan grew up in and around his own father’s garage for motorcycle repairs. He and his brothers made the surrounding serenity of their hometown of Adapazari their own learning ground as budding racers. Sadly, Kenan’s brothers (who were both local racers themselves) passed away in accidents. His eldest brother Bahattin, a domestic Turkish motorcycling champion, died in a traffic accident in 2002, whilst his next eldest brother Sinan died during a race training incident at the İzmit Körfez Circuit in May 2008.
During Kenan’s years as a rider, he met and married Julia Looman on September 3, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain, after a two-year engagement. Kenan and Julia’s first son, and Zayn’s oldest brother, Hamza, was born in the Netherlands in March 2015, but would endure a devastatingly short life after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage during a family holiday in Alanya barely two months later. Surgery in Istanbul was not enough to save Hamza, who sadly passed away in July 2015, aged four months.
Though the tragedy of losing a son would have severely affected Zayn’s parents, the couple have since welcomed three more children into the world: Mahir, born 19 April 2016, Zayn, born 4 November 2019, and Lila, born 26 May 2021.
Zayn and Family
Zayn, the not-so-legal young racer, has a unique bond with his father, which doesn’t come as a surprise, given that Kenan is a veteran racer.
He ice skates, bike races, and water skates alongside his father. He also takes cooking and swimming classes. The child, though talented, also has thoughtful parents who maximize his talents to the fullest potential at such a young age.
In June 2023, he visited Sapanca Lake, surfing with his dad. He also enjoys spending time with his siblings. In October 2023, he went to Marmaris with his siblings for a mini vacation.
Zayn Sofuoğlu, Instagram Sensation
With 1.3 million followers to his name on Instagram, Zayn Sofuoğlu is one of the most popular young sports influencers on the app. The account, which is run by his parents Kenan and Julia, is just 300,000 followers shy of his iconic motorcyclist father’s account. Zayn’s Instagram is compiled of videos and photos with the youngster in control of Ferraris, go-karts, motorcycles, and a whole stack of fantastical vehicles. There are also photos with Zayn alongside his parents and siblings, Mahir and Lila.
How much say Zayn has in the content is unknown, with neither parent acknowledging the criticism that comes with posting the content outside of the often tongue-in-cheek captions. The reality is, whilst the content utilising their son’s bliss behind the wheel is exploitative, it has done nothing but good things for the family in helping them to go viral for supporting their son’s talent.
His Feats
On Driver’s Day in 2023, he drove an 18-wheeler. He proceeded to co-fly a jet with a seasoned pilot, and they both brought it to a safe landing. He explored riding ATV/UTV in the fields and forests under the supervision of his father. He added more feathers to his little hat by running his first race towards the end of 2023, and as expected, he won. He wrapped up the year by attaining the title of the world’s smallest drifter.
Pure Business
The new year, 2024, was kicked off with the youngster signing a contract with the KTM brand, specialized in the creation of power bikes which he rode as a child in his diapers.
He took on a greater feat causing a bigger sensation for his fans by reversing the F1 into a parking garage without its reverse gear. Zayn’s life revolves around power bikes, trucks, and racing cars, all under careful supervision.
He is currently on the path of becoming the youngest racer in the Turkish championship as of March 2024, a feat to be attained by only one person, Zayn.
Zayn Sofuoğlu Net Worth
Zayn Sofuoğlu’s net worth is linked to the net worth of his parents, Kenan Sofuoğlu and Julia Looman. Kenan’s current net worth is estimated to be around $5 million, meaning Zayn has plenty of money to both inherit and use to the fullest. Just imagine having a financial benefactor on your side that supports any seemingly out-of-this-world idea you can imagine? A more ideal situation one could not ask for.