PewDiePie Tops the Forbes List of Highest-Paid YouTube Stars

According to Forbes, there are a dozen YouTubers who are raking in at least $2.5 million a year through their online video channels.

Kjellberg has also topped Variety’s list of Famechangers, the digital world’s 12 most influential stars. Some also star in movies, write books, go on tour, sell music or cut endorsement deals. The barrier to entry is low, meaning just about anyone could become a YouTube star if they are dedicated and willing to work at expanding their own unique brand.

Recently, Forbes magazine listed the world’s highest earning YouTube with a combined worth of $54.5 million. He is known for making commentaries as he plays video games. “Our figures are based on data from Nielsen, IMDB and other sources, as well as on interviews with agents, managers, lawyers, industry insiders and the stars themselves”. Video games seems to be the most popular path to making it big on YouTube, but comedians have also found YouTube to be a lucrative calling.

Dancing violinist Lindsey Stirling comes in third place with a paycheck of US$6mil (RM25mil), and had released two albums under the name Lindsey Stirling and Shatter Me. Considering Rhett and Link have a YouTube subscriber base of over 11 million people (8 million on their Good Mythical Morning channel and 3 million on their Rhett & Link channel), this is an advertising ploy that would likely have both the businesses and the YouTube duo laughing all the way to the bank.

Yet another videogame commentator and musician and singer, Olajide Olatunji has close to 11 million subscribers and his famous hip-hop single “Lamborghini” has clocked a record number 30 on the UK charts in April. She has an Indian background as her parents came to Canada from India.

Roman Atwood is a popular prank comedian who has over 7 million followers on YouTube.

Michelle Phan is a self-taught makeup artist, who gained popularity by teaching viewers how to replicate celebrity looks.

After working in corporate America, Rhett McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln Neal stormed YouTube with their comedy videos.

For more see Forbes… His videos had collectively garnered more than 10 billion views, topping pop icon Rihanna at the time. The filmmakers won a Daytime Emmy Award for their React video series and adapted their web series into a Nickelodeon show in 2014.