YouTube: PewDiePie earns over $4 million each year

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If you're contemplating a career change, you may want to look into playing video games and shouting into a camera, as doing just that has made Felix Kjellberg a millionaire.

Better known by his phonetically troublesome online handle "PewDiePie," Kjellberg has turned online video game streaming into a massively lucrative venture. According to the Wall Street Journal, the PewDiePie brand now attracts more than $4 million each year in ad revenue, thanks to the 27 million subscribers who follow Kjellberg's YouTube channel, where the 24-year-old frequently uploads videos of himself playing (and swearing at) various games.

Kjellberg attributes his success not to dumb luck or having capitalized on the streaming games trend at the exact right moment, but to a more personal touch that comes through in his videos. "Unlike many professionally produced shows, I think I've established a much closer contact with my viewers, breaking the wall between the viewer and what's behind the screen," he told the Wall Street Journal. "What I and other YouTubers do is a very different thing, it's almost like hanging around and watching your pal play games."

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2014/06/17/youtube-wunderkind-pewdiepie-earns-over-4-million-each-year/

Comments

"YouTube: PewDiePie earns over $4 million each year" :: Login/Create an Account :: 119 comments

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LBK117Posted:

I'm not hating on the fact that he's making that much from what he does, I'd be pretty happy too if I was making money like that. I just don't know what people see in content like his. He plays and game, records, talks, and edits. I see people on YouTube all the time that do extraordinary things yet aren't anywhere near as famous. Some are much more creative too, they'll actually make something themself. Definitely the right place at the right time, I don't care what he says. Him personalizing can only do so much for a "watch me play and listen to me" type of gig.

TomPosted:

Vauxhall Crazy amount of money each year i surprisinly thought it would have been more though


I thought it would be lower. Never new a youtuber can make 4 mil a year!

USCGPosted:

Thats the low side of his estimated earnings


Social Blade puts it at $2.3M - $18.9M per year

fever308Posted:

360MoTioN
Latias
360MoTioN He definitely makes more than 4million, I think he makes closer to the 10million mark.


No way 4 million is pretty accurate. You honestly don't make that much off views, and then UT takes their massive cut. Merchandise is where he makes most of his moneym


If you search on socialblade then you'll see how much he makes as he's a big youtuber he'll earn more to the top figure. I've asked youtubers before how much they make and then searched on socialblade it seems pretty accurate.


youtube takes a massive cut from what he makes...

fever308Posted:

BOV
One-X I think he's full of sh*t and will never watch his videos. IDK why so many people enjoy watching this butt hole but hey whatever flows thru them. It's dumb how anyone can do this and not even get recognize but since everyone just LOVES watching dumb idiots like him are just pathetic. I WILL NEVER support or watch any of these "famous" youtubers. YouTube is to show UNRECOGNIZED TALENTED people out there and now just stupid online TV. YouTube just went downhill and just plainly sucks with a lot of garbage videos of pointless **** like this guy.

if it's supposed to be "unrecognized talent" what happens when they do get recognized. Should they just disappear?

BapPosted:

I'd be willing to bet that number is an understatement. I've worked with and owned numerous YouTube networks and have seen earnings reports of his. It's unreal. As to him as a person, I got a chance to speak with him casually twice in a group call with a few other colleagues. He's not one of the many larger people who have let success get to him (at least from what I've seen). Was a nice chat. I may not be the biggest fan of his content when it comes down to it, but he's a deserving guy in my mind.

RSPosted:

One-X I think he's full of sh*t and will never watch his videos. IDK why so many people enjoy watching this butt hole but hey whatever flows thru them. It's dumb how anyone can do this and not even get recognize but since everyone just LOVES watching dumb idiots like him are just pathetic. I WILL NEVER support or watch any of these "famous" youtubers. YouTube is to show UNRECOGNIZED TALENTED people out there and now just stupid online TV. YouTube just went downhill and just plainly sucks with a lot of garbage videos of pointless **** like this guy.


I take it you claim you're a "unrecognized talent" of YouTube? There is a reason they're famous. They put more time and are a lot better than other YouTubers. PewDiePie is beyond funny in my opinion. He comes out with videos daily when other people on YouTube come out with one a week. There are so many reasons why he is so much better than most and deserves it in my opinion.

One-XPosted:

I think he's full of sh*t and will never watch his videos. IDK why so many people enjoy watching this butt hole but hey whatever flows thru them. It's dumb how anyone can do this and not even get recognize but since everyone just LOVES watching dumb idiots like him are just pathetic. I WILL NEVER support or watch any of these "famous" youtubers. YouTube is to show UNRECOGNIZED TALENTED people out there and now just stupid online TV. YouTube just went downhill and just plainly sucks with a lot of garbage videos of pointless shit like this guy.

ItalianPosted:

Don't think he deserves it either, but the guy iamEticxe is right. It isn't PewDiePie's fault. He probably never expected to grow that big. This probably started as a fun thing for him and the people that watched these videos just gave him enough good feedback for companies to want to sponsor him and advertise on his videos.

Goodjob for him. He might not deserve but I'd trade my seat with him anyway for that kind of money, sheesh.

iamEticxePosted:

People complaining about how much he earns and saying "He doesn't deserve it" Do you really think that Pewds thinks he deserves it? It's not like he forced people to sub to him. If anyone is to blame and get hate, it's the subscribers, not Pewds.