Sammy Griner, Known as Success Kid, Turns 18: His Look Now with Long Hair & Stubble Goes Viral

The Success Child is now an adult. People are thinking back on how far he’s come, and his latest makeover has rekindled interest in the meme.

The infant from the well-known “Success Kid” meme, Sammy Griner, is no longer a baby. Sammy’s most recent image, which features him sporting some beard and shoulder-length hair, has gone viral on the internet very fast.

Reminiscent remarks erupted when this new photo was juxtaposed with the original “Success Kid” meme, in which baby Sammy is seen famously clenching a mouthful of sand while sporting a determined expression on his face.

Fans have expressed surprise at how much he has grown, saying they can’t believe he is already eighteen. One fan wrote on Reddit, “Amazing. He remains endearing.” As someone else remarked, “Wow… still has the same smile.”

Sammy’s mother posted the updated picture to Instagram, where her admirers showered her with congratulations. “What a mature guy! One person said, “You raised such a beautiful boy,” and another said, “You did such a good job, mama!”

The excitement persisted on X as fans expressed their shock at how much Sammy had matured. “It’s unbelievable this baby is all grown up,” one user tweeted, while another questioned “How did this happen?” Another added, “What a transformation!” to the group.

However, the most recent viral image also caused others to reexamine the original meme. Some fans spotted the sand in Sammy’s mouth and tiny hand for the first time.

One commenter admitted, “This is the first time I’ve noticed the sand in his mouth and fists,” and another joked, “Lol, never realized the little success baby was eating sand.”

“All these years, what we thought was the look of success was ironically the look of a kid experiencing instant regret,” joked one user, while another said, “Ah, just realized he’s eating sand.”

Nothing planned at all went into the viral shot that made Sammy an online star. Sammy’s mother, Laney Griner, took a photo of her kid at the beach in 2007 when he was attempting to eat sand.

She never thought the picture would go viral when she posted it to Flickr. The picture, which first became popular in 2011 as the “I Hate Sandcastles” meme, shows Sammy as a cheeky youngster who has just tipped over a fellow child’s sandcastle.

But Laney didn’t like that interpretation since she thought it negatively portrayed her kid. Sammy loved making sandcastles, after all! However, attention quickly turned to a more optimistic angle, turning the picture into the “Success Kid” meme.

Clutched fists and resolute facial expressions became to be associated with minor triumphs, and congratulations for individual achievements poured in. From small achievements to lucky breaks, “Success Kid” evolved into a platform for sharing realistic triumphs.

Sammy’s family has adopted the “Success Kid” meme throughout time, utilizing it to commemorate special occasions and even for charitable purposes. In order to gather money for Sammy’s father’s kidney transplant, the Griner family started a GoFundMe campaign in 2015.

The “Success Kid” meme was used to increase awareness, and the campaign gained momentum fast, raising enough money for the surgery. The meme had evolved from being a representation of minor triumphs to one that was crucial to the Griner family’s actual success.

Over the years, Laney, Sammy’s mother, and I have experienced a number of special times together. She shared a picture of Sammy in 2017 who was reenacting the meme, complete with same outfit and closed-fist salute.

“Exactly 10 years later and still the best Success Kid ever! #HappySuccessKidDay,” was the caption for the picture, offering admirers a nostalgic look back.

In 2016, she shared a picture of Sammy with his parents and captioned it “Success Family,” employing the same fist-pump motion that made him famous for going viral. This was another family moment.