You Will Cry When You Learn How Much Top YouTubers Make

While a few look on at the success of YouTube stars with a sense of bewilderment, the level of fame these stars share with Hollywood celebrities is arguably now comparable, if not more so with the younger generations today.

Chances are these YouTube stars are already familiar faces, but did you know how much money they’re making from their videos? List-topper Felix Kjellberg (aka PewDiePie), is a 25-year-old Swede who earned an estimated $12 million a year ago as the most watched video gamer in the world, with about 40 million viewers subscribing to his hilarious (aka annoying?) play-through videos, rife with boisterous comments and Millenial catch-phrases. And videogames commentary and tomfoolery clearly pays as the UK’s own KSI has also been revealed to earn around $4.5 million. Second place was a tie between comedy act Smosh and the Fine Brothers, producers of the React video series.

This talented musician found a following on YouTube. “It’s a very loyal fan base that wants you to succeed because they found you”, she recently said of her YouTube fans.

Dancing violinist Lindsey Stirling ranked fourth with $6 million. “It wasn’t a few big radio station or record label that shoved art down someone’s throat and said this is what’s cool”. The minimum needed to make the list is $2.5 million and 10 “stars” fit the category.

The top ten list of highest earning YouTube channels (which includes 13 people in all) combined for an astounding $54 million dollars past year, according to Forbes’ first ever tally of the group.