Unfortunately, there were already ASMR videos back in 2009 when I started watching. The early YouTube conversations seemed to pop with massage videos (Lita), spa videos, medical examinations, product walkthroughs, Bob Ross, and Baba on one end while the other involved holophonic/binaural audio demonstrations (which included whispers) that people found relaxing. Eventually people started intentionally recreating some of these and began exploring triggers.
I can't think of a major male figure who surged to popularity around 2014 from a nerve exam. I would've guessed someone like Dmitri. Even back then, a lot of ASMRtists would suddenly disappear, and channels were much smaller back then.