Who runs the world? Businessmen, politicians, women? The correct answer would be YouTubers! They have the world at their fingers (scrolling through content) and eyes glued to their channels. Even with the pandemic striking us this year, the atmosphere outside may be dull and sedentary, but not on YouTube, where the top-earning stars are garnering as many as 50-60 million views per video. Of course, the viewership has catapulted over the past few months, what with the world being confined indoors with only YouTube or Netflix to chill with. Business on YouTube is booming. People like Donaldson and the other highest-paid YouTubers securing an estimated $211 million in total earnings from June 1, 2019, to June 1, 2020, a 30% jump from the previous year. Surely seems like the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for YouTubers who are minting money like never before. Although top earner Ryan Kaji, a nine-year-old who clambered atop first place for the third year in a row, feels differently as he says: “I just can’t wait until we can go back outside.” Let’s take a look at how much these stars benefitted this year:
No 10- Jeffrey Star (Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr)- $15 million – 16.9 million subscribers
Eccentricities, controversies, and a hub of talent- that’s Jeffrey Star for you. Singer, makeup artist, you-tuber, and now the owner of a makeup line, which he sells direct-to-consumer, the beauty star is making loads of money through his business venture. His earnings through the makeup line are more than what the artist makes on YouTube. The popular Conspiracy Collection, launched last year, reportedly sold 1 million eye shadow palettes in 30 minutes.
No 9- David Dobrik- $15.5 million – 18 million subscribers
The 24-year-old YouTuber saw success early in his life when he starting making his vlogs on ‘Vine’. His YouTube journey started in 2015 and over the past 5 years, the YouTube personality has left no stone unturned to entertain his followers. From marrying his best friend’s mom as a prank and later amicably divorcing her to shaving someone’s entire body the man has done it all. His empire today includes corporate sponsorships with brands like EA, Bumble, and SeatGeek.
No 8- Blippi (Stevin John)- $17 million – 27.4 million subscribers
This American children’s entertainer and educator on YouTube is probably the only adult creating kids’ content on the list. His content consists of nursery rhymes, educational songs, and education videos. His channel has accumulated over 8.2 billion views so far and is also making money off a full-scale merchandise line at big box retailers.
No 7- Nastya (Anastasia Radzinskaya) – $18.5 million – 190.6 million subscribers
With her videos releasing in seven languages, Nastya is one of the world’s fastest-growing creators. Her videos usually feature her playing with her dad, doing chores, are expressive, and don’t feature advanced language, which appeals to tots globally. She is also hugely popular on TikTok with 3 million followers and will launch her licensing program next year.
No 6- Preston Arsement- $19 million – 33.4 million subscribers
In 2019 Preston was one of the highest-paid YouTube stars on the planet. He earned $14 million in the year and takes 6th place this year. His videos explore the animated cosmos and have since branched out to several other gaming-focused YouTube channels. He earns a bulk of his revenue from the Minecraft servers he runs for seven figures annually.
No 5-Markiplier (Mark Fischbach)- $19.5 million- 27.8 million subscribers
By posting ultra-popular breakdowns of video games, Markiplier has made a mark on the world. With over 7 billion total video views, and the 14th most subscribed channel on YouTube, Fischbach specializes in Let’s Play, gameplay commentary videos and indie games, commonly of survival horror and action video games, and some film production.
No 4-Rhett and Link- $20 million- 41.8 million subscribers
The dup together runs Mythical Entertainment Co which started with “Good Mythical Morning,” a friendly, nerdy talk show, back in 2012. By February 2019, they paid $10 million to acquire SMOSH, a sketch comedy YouTube channel which has 100 employees. Their videos garnered 2 billion views on YouTube in the past year, bringing in some $11 million in estimated revenue from YouTube’s ad-share program.
No 3-Dude Perfect- $23 million- 57.5 million subscribers
The world can’t get enough of watching Coby Cotton, Cory Cotton, Garret Hilbert, Cody Jones, and Tyler Toney play with lightsabers, Nerf Guns, and paintballs. Their documentary, Backstage Pass led to a national tour that earned about $6 million. The Five-man channel Dude Perfect has 2.77 billion views.
No 2- Mr. Beast (Jimmy Donaldson) – $24 million- 47.8 million subscribers
According to Forbes, Mr. Beast has 47.8 million subscribers and made an estimated $24 million by amassing 3 billion views. Undoubtedly YouTube’s biggest new star, the celebrity has won hearts and views by eccentric stunts like freezing himself in ice, gone around a Ferris wheel 1,000 times, and constructed the largest Lego tower ever. He keeps up to his nickname with extravagant giveaways and hugely expensive concepts (Mr. Beast, released a special holiday episode containing a $600,000 fireworks show).
No 1- Ryan Kaji- $29.5 million- 41.7 million subscribers
The star of his own channel ‘Ryans World’ the 9-year-old is minting money and also became the first YouTuber featured in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a float based on his superhero alter ego. Kaji has brought in millions by reviewing toys and gets billions of views. He started when he was only 3 years old.
