YouTube’s top earner is a 7-year-old who made $22 million this year—and we need a minute
It’s no secret that YouTubers can earn a fortune from their videos. But 2018’s highest-paid YouTube star is remarkable for an extremely specific reason: he’s a 7-year-old who reviews toys. Yesterday, December 3rd, Forbes released its annual list of the top 10 highest-paid YouTubers, which the outlet based on earnings from June 1st, 2017 to June 1st, 2018. While most of the list was comprised of gamers and vloggers (like the divisive Jake and Logan Paul), little Ryan ToysReview snagged the top spot.
Forbes noted that in the span of 365 days, Ryan raked in a jaw-dropping $22 million. According to NBC News, he ranked eighth in 2017, with an income of $11 million. The budding mogul has been making videos with his parents since 2015 (when he was just 3-year-old), and his YouTube channel has more than 17 million subscribers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JioevN0PPEY?feature=oembed
Forbes reports that Ryan recently launched a toy and apparel line at Walmart called Ryan’s World, which will likely cause his earnings to increase. However, because he’s still a minor, some of his money is being stored in an account that he’ll only be able to access as an adult. According to the magazine, the rest probably pays for the toys he reviews, as well as production costs.
When NBC News asked Ryan why he thought he was so popular, he simply said “because I’m entertaining and I’m funny.”
All of this would be impressive for anyone, but Ryan has accomplished it all while still in elementary school.
The world's highest-paid YouTube star: Ryan ToysReview has generated 26B views and earned $22M in the last year thanks to his signature line of stuffed animals, collectibles and apparel now selling at Walmarthttps://t.co/59Pvme6gae pic.twitter.com/4KlR3CJcgQ
— Forbes (@Forbes) December 3, 2018
BBC notes that this year’s rankings also saw makeup guru Jeffree Star make the list for the first time. Meanwhile, vlogger Logan Paul fell to 10th place from fourth place, after YouTube pulled him from the Google Premier ad service due to a highly insensitive video he filmed in Japan’s “suicide forest.”
We’re seriously so impressed with Ryan’s business acumen, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he grows and develops as a young entrepreneur. And um, maybe he can even share some money-making tips with the rest of us.
