These are the top-earning YouTube stars

These days, millionaires don’t all work at big companies or ride yachts — many are right here on the Internet. You know this, because you probably watch them. They’re living awesome lives and that’s why we can’t look away. While having a YouTube channel has gone from side hobby to viable career, there are still those who go truly above and beyond with their income, and Forbes has compiled the first-ever list of who makes the most in the YouTube community.

Let’s start at the bottom. Well, “bottom.” We’re still talking about millionaires after all. The number five spot is tied between Rhett & Link and KSI, both earning a nice $4.5 million. Rhett & Link, the comedy duo, and KSI, the video game commenters, amass most of their money through sponsors.

Then there’s Lindsey Stirling, the musician who joined YouTube way back in 2007, and since then has grown a following of over seven million (!!!).

Moving up the list, there’s Smosh and Fine Brothers coming in a tie for second place with a cool $8.5 million in earnings. This makes sense, since Smosh runs more than five YouTube channels (as well as having produced their own movie), and the Fine Brothers make those reaction videos that go viral literally every time they’re posted.

But the number one spot goes to PewDiePie, the Swedish video-gamer who boasts over 40 million subscribers, ten billion views, and twelve million dollars. Those are a lot of numbers, but Felix Kjellberg doesn’t need to pay attention to those things. He just has to keep his funny video game commentary coming, and his subscribers will do the rest.

Take a look at one of his videos below, and maybe dust off your own camera and tripod. An extra twelve million dollars never hurt anybody.

(Image via YouTube)

Filed Under
 •  •