Hide the Pain Harold: From Stock Photo to Crypto Meme Millionaire

Meet András Arató, better known as Hide the Pain Harold, a Hungarian engineer who never planned to become an internet sensation. His journey from a simple stock photo session to a worldwide phenomenon is a testament to the power of memes in today's digital age.

Harold's rise to fame began when he snapped some casual vacation photos, which caught the attention of a photographer who invited him for a stock photo shoot. Little did he know that his forced smile, which seemed to hide a deeper pain, would become an internet sensation. Around 2011, online communities began to add funny captions and tragic backstories, and "Hide the Pain Harold" was born.

The meme quickly spread across various online platforms, including Facebook, Reddit, 4chan, and Imgur. By 2016, Harold had revealed his true self to the world, and in 2020, he was crowned Imgur's "Meme of the Decade," outshining other legendary memes like Grumpy Cat.

Initially, Harold wasn't too thrilled about his accidental fame. However, he soon embraced his role as an internet icon, appearing on TV shows, securing brand deals with companies like Coca-Cola and Vodafone, and even delivering a TED talk. His ability to turn a meme into a full-blown career is a remarkable feat in the digital age.

In 2025, Harold stepped into the crypto scene by launching $PAIN, the official memecoin inspired by his own meme legacy. Despite a major market shake-up, the $PAIN presale raised nearly 185,976 SOL (about $40M) in just 48 hours, setting a record for memecoin presales in USD value.