Who is Max Fosh? British YouTuber and comedian forges death certificate and hosts his own funeral to get $50 refund from airline
-
Max Fosh (Photo: Everett Collection)British YouTuber Max Fosh recently revealed the lengths he went to in an attempt to get a refund from an airline. On Monday, June 30, 2025, the influencer shared a video on his eponymous channel detailing his elaborate scheme to be reimbursed, which included forging a death certificate and even hosting his funeral.
Fosh, whose real name is Maximilian Arthur Fosh, rose to fame in the late 2010s sharing videos on his interview-based YouTube show StreetSmart. This relatable and comedic content has earned him over 4.7 million subscribers on the platform.
In his video titled ,I Technically Died, Max Fosh explained that a couple of months ago, he had booked a flight that he ultimately couldn't take. When he tried to request a refund, he found out about "a cheeky legal clause" that "airlines use that lots of people fall foul of."
"I am embarking on this mission because I'm incredibly petty. The flight itself is £37.28, bloody good value to be fair. (But) it's the principle that I take issue with."
Fosh went on to claim in his research that he discovered that people had "lost thousands of pounds" because of these clauses.
Max Fosh eventually did not pursue getting the refund upon the advice of his lawyer, who called the scheme "fraudulent"
Max Fosh explained that while searching for a way to get his refund, he chanced upon a loophole—in order to get a refund, the passenger needed to be deceased. Notably, he needed to provide a death certificate, but the unnamed airline company did not specify where the document came from. This prompted the comedian on his journey to forge the certification from a different country.
Fosh explained that his search led him to Seborga, which he described as a "self-declared principality" that was "accidentally left out of the unification of Italy." The YouTuber elaborated that after reaching out to Seborga, its princess, Nina Menegatto, agreed to sign a "special one-off death certificate.
Max Fosh explained that he went on to the principality on a "state visit," and Menegatto took him around to see the local sights. Describing why she agreed, he stated:
"My fight with a big airline seemed to resonate with the Princess, and Seborga's fight for independence."
Notably, per Fosh, Seborga has operated as an "independent nation with its own flag, currency, and government." However, it has not been recognized as an "official independent nation," and its people continue to fight for the same.
A representative for Seborga confirmed Max Fosh's diplomatic visit to the principality, adding:
"As for the matter of the death certificate, we took part in the idea of Max Fosh and cooperated with him and his team for entertainment/content purposes only."
Fosh eventually died "metaphorically"—because his jokes did not land. To keep up with the ruse, he staged a funeral, complete with hired "mourners." The comedian even had his editor give a eulogy at the faux ceremony.
Eventually, the YouTuber sent the certification to the airline, which agreed to review his full refund application. However, upon the advice of his lawyer (he asserted it was "fraudulent"), Fosh decided to end his effort to be reimbursed. He concluded his video advising his viewers to not try the scheme themselves.
According to Fandom, Max Fosh was born in London to Helena and Matthew Fosh. Matthew is a cricketer and rugby player. The content creator studied English literature and business at Newcastle University in the U.K. There, he began presenting for Radio Tyneside. The stint earned him the 'Best Newcomer Award' at the 2016 National Hospital Radio Awards.
Mark Clattenburg getting hit by an 'Uno Reverse' after showing a yellow card to Max Fosh 🟨🔁
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) September 9, 2023
Can't believe Premier League players never tried this 🤨😂 pic.twitter.com/0N5vc6o7xPFosh began sharing videos on his YouTube channel, StreetSmart (now called Max Fosh), in 2017, his final year at university. His comedic interviews and silly pranks have earned him a loyal following. Back in May 2022, he jokingly placed a large sign reading "Welcome to Luton" near the Gatwick Airport. This, in turn, confused people into thinking they were at the Luton airport.
Max Fosh began doing stand-up comedy in the early 2020s. Per IMDb, he toured the U.K. as part of his show, Zocial Butterfly. Fosh also ran in the 2021 London mayoral election as an independent candidate, eventually coming in second from last.
According to LAD Bible, in September 2023, Fosh famously pulled an Uno Reverse card on a referee who yellow-carded him during the Sidemen Charity Match. In March 2023, the influencer married Sylvia for three minutes before getting a divorce, per his video, I Legally Had The World's Shortest Marriage.