YouTube now has over 2.6 billion users, which means there are over a billion sets of eyes that can take in pre-roll ads and sponsored content -- earning serious money for the creators of popular content and the video platform. And, many of the creators reaping the benefits of this YouTube money are millennials, defined by Pew Research as those ages 27 to 42.
Some of the top-paid content creators earn millions in YouTube money just from views -- which translate to ad dollars -- though many pad their income with lucrative endorsem*nt deals, sponsored posts, tours and merchandise. Many of the biggest YouTube stars have become millionaires before their 30th birthdays.
These Are the World's Highest-Paid Celebrities: See How Much They Make
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Click through to see the young stars who went viral and made bank.
Adam Dahlberg
Age:30
Adam Dahlberg, better known as SkyDoesMinecraft, has made millions playing video games. He joined YouTube in 2011 and has accumulated more than 11.1 million followers of his videos that show him playing Minecraft while providing commentary. He no longer regularly posts to his channel but according to Wealthy Genius, he as a net worth $3.5 million as of 2023.
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Alia 'Lia' Shelesh (SSSniperWolf)
Age:30
Since joining YouTube in 2013, Alia "Lia" Shelesh, aka SSSniperWolf, has grown her following to 33.5 million subscribers who tune into her channel for gaming videos, vlogs and reaction videos. The U.K.-born YouTube influencer has partnered with Activision, EA, Ubisoft and Disney, according to Forbes. Her net worth is now $16 million.
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Anthony Padilla
Age:35
Anthony Padilla is one of the co-creators of the YouTube comedy channel Smosh, and he's since broken out to grow his own following. His personal YouTube page -- which he started in 2006 -- now has 7.1 million subscribers. Padilla's net worth is 3 million dollars.
Always be sure your channel is set up for making money with ads, or you could lose out on one of the easiestways to make money on YouTube.
Bethany Mota
Age:27
Bethany Mota has turned her huge YouTube audience into mega cash. Her 9.53 million subscribers tune in to see her shopping hauls, travel vlogs and cooking tips. Since she started the channel in 2009, she has gone on to partner with Aeropostale on a clothing line, accessories and a fragrance, and with Target for a line of DIY school supplies. Mota has also appeared on "Dancing With the Stars" and "Project Runway." Although she doesn't post regularly as of 2023, her net worth is still $7 million.
Bo Burnham
Age:32
Comedian Bo Burnham was a YouTube sensation before he even graduated high school, and became best-known for his satirical songs. Although he doesn't post regularly, he has 3.49 million subscribers on his page, which he started back in 2006. Burnham has transitioned from the digital screen to the big screen, appearing in "The Big Sick," writing and directing "Eighth Grade," and creating and starring in a critically acclaimed Netflix special over the pandemic. He has amassed a net worth of $4 million along the way.
Collins Key
Age: 26
Collins Key has 23.9 million subscribers on his YouTube page, where he shares comedy bits, DIY hacks and pranks (although, as of 2023, he is not posting regularly). He also has a line of merchandise that includes $55 hoodies, $28 T-shirts, and even games. Since joining YouTube in 2011, he's grown his net worth to $22.5 million, according to Nailbuzz.
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Daniel Middleton (DanTDM)
Age:31
Dan Middleton, better known as DanTDM, began posting his daily gaming videos to his YouTube page in 2012. He now has 26.8 million followers and his income comes from video ad dollars, his graphic novel and tours. He has a net worth of $35 million.
Getting paid for ad views on your creative content is a clever way to make money online.
Eva Gutowski (MyLifeAsEva)
Age:28
Eva Gutowski started her MyLifeAsEva YouTube page back in 2011 as a way to share her mix of beauty, style and comedy content. She now has 11.3 million subscribers, and has released a memoir. One of the biggest ways she's amassed her $6 million fortune, according to Nailbuzz, is through sponsored posts, Business Insider reported. Incorporating affiliate or product marketing into videos is how a lot of YouTubers really rake it in.
Evan Fong (VanossGaming)
Age:30
Gamer Evan Fong joined YouTube in 2011, and has garnered 25.8 million subscribers. In addition to earning ad dollars from his videos that show him playing popular games like "Grand Theft Auto" and "Call of Duty," he can earn as much as $450,000 from a single sponsor for an appearance in one of his videos, Forbes reported. Creating sponsored content is a big money maker on YouTube.
Fong has a net worth of $25 million.
Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie)
Age:33
Swedish YouTuber Felix Kjellberg is better known as PewDiePie, and he's become famous for his gaming videos that reach an audience of 111 million subscribers. Kjellberg is worth $64 million according to Influencer Marketing Hug. Although he lost some endorsem*nts due to posting disturbing content, Forbes reported that he maintains some deals. Although no longer posting frequently, PewDiePie is still a popular page. If you stretch your influencer muscles and promote businesses on platforms like YouTube, you could make serious money without ever leaving the house.
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Gigi Gorgeous
Age:31
Beauty influencer and transgender YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous has 2.73 million followers on her page, which she has used to share beauty tips and personal stories since 2008. She's grown a $3 million net worth thanks to the hundreds of millions of views on her videos as well as deals with major brands like Pantene, Crest and Revlon.
Ian Hecox
Age:35
Along with Anthony Padilla, Ian Hecox is one of the co-creators of the YouTube comedy channel Smosh. Although Padilla has since left the comedy group, Hecox continues to create content for Smosh across its seven different YouTube channels. He has a net worth of $3 million.
Jenna Mourey (Jenna Marbles)
Age:36
Since joining YouTube in 2010Jenna Mourey, better known as Jenna Marbles, has grown her following to 19.8 million subscribers. Although she no longer posts regularly, she has a net worth of $8 million.
Jordan Maron (CaptainSparklez)
Age:31
"Minecraft"-playing YouTube star Jordan Maron, who goes by CaptainSparklez, shares his videos with his now 11.4 million subscribers on the channel he started in 2010. Maron has grown his net worth to $12 million thanks to his YouTube profits, mobile gaming franchise and $4.5 million Hollywood Hills home.
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Lele Pons
Age:26
Like Jake Paul, Latina comedian Lele Pons rose to fame on Vine before it was shut down. She now has 17.9 million subscribers on her YouTube page. Pons has also published a novel titled "Surviving High School." Her net worth is $3 million.
Lilly Singh (IISuperwomanII)
Age:34
Lilly Singh, aka IISuperwomanII, gained fame on YouTube with her comedic and inspirational videos, which she has been sharing with her now 20 million subscribers since 2010. She has since parlayed her YouTube fame into a book deal -- which scored her a six-figure advance, according to Forbes -- as well as a clothing line and Singh even had a late night show.
Lindsey Stirling
Age:36
Violinist Lindsey Stirling joined YouTube in 2010, and has grown her following to 13.6 million subscribers. Her music has become a hit off the video-sharing platform as well -- her single "Hallelujah" made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and two of her albums have been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Stirling's breakthrough success has allowed her to build a $12 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Liza Koshy
Age:27
Liza Koshy gained popularity on YouTube with her dollar store hauls and beauty hacks, and even has her own YouTube original series called "Liza on Demand." Outside of YouTube, she has also launched an acting career, starring in the Hulu series "Freakish." Koshy, who doesn't post much anymore, still has 17.2 million subscribers -- now has a net worth of $6 million.
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Logan Paul
Age:28
Logan Paul started his YouTube page in 2013 and now has 23.6 million followers. He's best-known for his comedy skits and his parrot Maverick, whom he named his clothing line after. His net worth is 45 million dollars.
Paul faced controversy in 2018 after he posted a YouTube video taken in Japan's "suicide forest" that showed the body of a young man who had hung himself. As a result, YouTube announced that it was removing him from its top-tier monetization system, which will likely affect his earnings for this year.
Mariale Marrero
Age:32
Beauty influencer Mariale Marrero has built an empire thanks to her cross-cultural popularity on YouTube, where she has 15.1 million subscribers who tune in to see her beauty tips as well as glimpses into her personal life. Her YouTube fame has led to partnerships with major brands, including L'Oreal, and she also has her own line of cosmetics.
Mark Fischbach (Markiplier)
Age:33
Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, mixes gaming and comedy on his popular YouTube channel, which was started in 2012 and has 34.7 million followers. Fischbach has a net worth of $35 million dollars.
Michelle Phan
Age:36
Makeup guru Michelle Phan has been sharing her beauty videos on YouTube since 2006, where she now has 8.8 million subscribers. Phan has used her popularity in the space to launch a subscription beauty sampling business, Ipsy, which was valued at $500 million as of 2015, according to Forbes. She has also launched a makeup line with L'Oreal and partnered with Endemol Beyond USA to start the lifestyle network Icon. Phan herself is worth $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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Olajide Olatunji (KSI)
Age:29
British video game commentator Olajide Olatunji, known to his followers as JJ Olatunji, has 16.2 million subscribers on the YouTube channel he founded in 2009. He has since shifted his focus from gaming to music, and his EP "Keep Up" made it to No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 2016. His net worth is now $45 million.
Rachel Levin (RCLBeauty101)
Age:28
Rachel Levin shares beauty advice, comedy skits and lifestyle videos with her 15 million YouTube subscribers. Levin began posting videos back in 2015 when she was only 15 years old, and her popularity exploded over the course of that year from 1.7 million to 7.6 million subscribers, according to People. She's now worth $15 million, according to Nailbuzz.
Roi Fabito (Guava Juice)
Age:31
Roi Fabito, the man behind the popular Guava Juice YouTube page, has grown a massive following of 17 million by filling bathtubs with jello and doing "experiments" with Diet co*ke and household objects. He has built a net worth of $40 million, according to Nailbuzz, thanks to collaborations with major companies that include Target, which carried a line of Guava Toys.
Rosanna Pansino
Age:37
Rosanna Pansinohas turned her love of baking into a business. Pansino began sharing her cooking videos on YouTube in 2010, and has used her popularity on the platform tolaunch her own branded baking line of tools. She has also released a New York Times best-selling cookbook, and has amassed a net worth of $9 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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Ryan Higa (Nigahiga)
Age:32
Comedian and actor Ryan Higa has one of the most-followed comedy YouTube channels in the world, according to Forbes. Since starting his Nigahiga YouTube channel in 2006, he's gained 21.1 million subscribers. Adding to his $10 million net worth are his parody K-pop group, mobile app and book, "Ryan Higa's How to Write Good." He has also inked deals with major brands like Lenovo.
Shane Dawson
Age:34
Since starting his YouTube channel in 2005, Shane Dawson has grown his following to 19.3 million subscribers. But the comedian's fame has extended beyond the video-sharing platform: He has directed and starred in movies and TV shows, written two New York Times best-sellers and launched the podcast "Shane And Friends." His net worth is $12 million.
Tyler Oakley
Age:34
Tyler Oakley started his YouTube channel in 2007 to keep up with his friends while he was away at college, but his following has grown far beyond his circle of friends to 7.7 million subscribers. The lifestyle vlogger and LGBTQ advocate has turned his side gig into a major source of wealth, transitioning from YouTube star to all-out media mogul, with a book, documentary, talk show, podcast, worldwide tours, an eyewear collection and a production company, Forbes reported. Although he doesn't post regularly anymore, he has a net worth of $6.8 million.
Yousef Erakat (fouseyTUBE)
Age:33
Yousef Erakat describes himself as a motivational speaker and spiritual teacher, and his YouTube channel has 10.4 million followers and over 1.7 billion views. He has collaborated with brands like Quest Nutrition for sponsored content, and, even though he isn't posting regularly, his net worth has grown to $4 million.
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Laura Beck contributed to the reporting of this article.
All net worth figures are according to Celebrity Net Worth unless otherwise noted.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Richest Youtubers
