Viral Video Star Reported Dead

The name Aleksey Vayner might not ring a bell, but if you were surfing the Web in 2006, you might remember his “Impossible is Nothing” video, which went viral when its star’s hubris, thick Russian accent, and reported feats of strength were roundly mocked by all viewers, during the early days of YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P-NMygTekQ

The London Daily Mail reports today that Vayner died earlier this month at age 29, according to the New York City Medical Examiner:

Vayner had changed his name to Alex Stone after the video resume he sent to UBS for an investment banking job in 2006 went viral online.

In the video, titled ‘Impossible is Nothing,’ a gravely serious Vayner attempts to prove his mental and physical fitness by talking about the meaning of success while lifting 495-pound weights, smacking tennis balls faster than 140 miles per hour, ball-dancing with a scantily-clad woman and breaking seven bricks with his hand.

‘Ignore the losers, bring your A-game, your determination and your drive to the field, and the success will follow you,’ he says in the video.

The video was forwarded around Wall Street and quickly went viral.

According to the Daily Mail, A spokesperson for New York’s Medical Examiner said that a “man matching Vayner’s description under the name of Alex Stone died on the morning of Jan. 19. She said the cause of death was still unknown.”