The YouTube Rich List: Forbes publishes the earnings of top online stars who have become multi-millionaires on a par with Hollywood's finest... but do you recognize them?
- Forbes published list of YouTube personalities that earned most
- Fleix Kjellberg, 25, brought home $12million from 39million subscribers
- Other top earners include comedy groups, beauty vlogger and video chef
- Stars already make more than many Hollywood actors in ad revenue and sponsorship, but are now inking book deals and starting rap careers
After ten years of YouTube, the video sharing site has generated billions of views and dollars for the company as workers lose hours and hours of productivity.
While the site still plays host to amateurs looking to share grainy quality clips, some have turned their polished videos into an enterprise and become millionaires in the process.
A ranking by Forbes lists the site's top stars by pre-tax earnings, with Swedish video game vlogger Felix Kjellberg, or Pew Die Pie, taking the top spot with $12million in the year ending June 1.
Often times without leaving the comfort of their own homes, the young stars are now lapping up the rewards of their online success and turning it into books, movies and television shows.
1. Pew Die Pie $12million
Forbes compiled a list of YouTube's top earners led by Swedish vlogger Felix Kjellberg, 25, also known as PewDiePie. The owner of a 39million-subscriber channel, he has amassed fame by talking about video games
Kjellberg has been posting videos to his YouTube channel for five years, attracting the site's largest following with 39million subscribers and 10billion views.
The Swede shares clips of himself playing video games in his 'Let's Play' series, offering profanity-infused commentary and jokes to the 'bros' watching him across the world.
'It's like you're sitting with a friend on a couch,' he told Stephen Colbert in an interview earlier this month.
Besides his talk show appearance, the 25-year-old's fame has also led to a book called This Book Loves You.
Forbes's $12million figure comes as a big jump from the last reported figure of his income, which came earlier this year when Swedish paper Expressen said he made $7million in 2014.
2 (tied) Smosh $8.5million
Smosh, a comedy channel from best friends Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla, has gained 21million subscribers and was the subject of its own traditional movie earlier this year
Smosh, a pair of best friends from Sacramento, have taken their comedy to YouTube and, along with the Fine Brothers, are the site's highest earning duo.
Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla, in their late 20s, have more than 21million subscribers to their channel with humor videos such as 'Every birthday ever' and 'Tom Cruise is my roommate'.
While the team make money from ads on YouTube (from which the site also takes a chunk) they have also expanded into offline entertainment.
Smosh: The Movie was released this summer, though it was less successful than their Internet content and earned only 52 per cent positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
2 (tied) Fine Brothers $8.5million
Benny (left), 34, and Rafi (right), 32, Fine earned a Daytime Emmy for their videos of children reacting to YouTube videos. Above, they attend the Streamy Awards in Los Angeles last month
Like Smosh, the Fine Brothers are a comedy duo, and have posted videos on their 13million-subscriber channel since 2007.
However, Brooklyn natives Benny, 34, and Rafi Fine, 32, thought that people liked watching YouTube videos so much that audiences might like watching videos of people watching YouTube videos.
Their Gogglebox-style clips see children filmed as they react to videos such as movie trailers.
Though the series, which won a Daytime Emmy in 2012, started with kids, it has now expanded to other groups such as 'elders' and 'teens;.
The Fine Brothers also brought their talents to Nickelodeon at the end of last year, creating a show with the network called React to That.
4. Lindsey Stirling $6million
Violinist and dancer Lindsey Stirling was once rejected by record companies, but her YouTube fame has helped her make albums and launch a mobile game
Stirling once brought her unique blend of talents to America's Got Talent, where she became a quarter-finalist in 2010.
The American violinist-dancer, 29, has been posting YouTube videos to her channel, which now has 7million subscribers, since 2007.
While her first videos featured her playing violin in fields, newer clips boast elaborate production values and some have received more than 130million views.
Stirling, who was rejected by record labels but now rebuffs their offers, has gone on to do collaborations with other artists, multiple albums and a book deal.
She is also putting out a mobile video game called Pop Dash, where users run around and collect coins and violins, according to the Wall Street Journal.
5. (tied) Rheet & Link $4.5million
Many of the top YouTuber channels are comedy shows. Above, Rhett McLaughlin, 38 (left), and Charles Lincoln Neal III , 37 (right), who host the Good Mythical Morning series
Friends Rhett McLaughlin, 38, and Charles Lincoln Neal III, 37, both have engineering degrees, but turned to YouTube as an outlet for their humor.
Though their top video does not reach the viral heights of some of Stirling's, the pair's channel has 8million subscribers and posts videos including songs and 'rap battles'.
Like many YouTube stars, McLaughlin and Neal, who met at North Carolina State, gain money through sponsorship deals as well as ads.
Forbes reports that half of the stars' millions come from creating sponsored clips for companies such as Gillette, Wendy’s and Toyota.
They are most famous for their Good Mythical Morning series, which injects crazy antics into a morning show format.
5. (tied) KSI $4.5million
Some have parlayed their fame into a different career path. KSI (pictured in 2014) began talking about video games such as FIFA, but has since begun a rap career
KSI, a British 22-year-old whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, began his rise to YouTube fame in a similar way to Pew Die Pie, commenting on video games.
Many of the videos saw him play the popular soccer game FIFA and featured cameos from his family.
However, he has since branched out from his 2009 beginnings and now has more than 10million subscribers to videos about his everyday life as well as his budding rap career.
The hip hop artist released a single called Lamborghini earlier this year, which reached No. 30 on the UK charts.
7. Michelle Phan $3million
Michelle Phan has become one of the Internet's most popular beauty vloggers by showing viewers how to do their makeup to look like celebrities
While there are many who give out beauty tips via vlogs, Phan has accumulated more than 8million subscribers to her channel and is top of the bunch.
The 28-year-old who grew up in Tampa became famous for showing viewers how to use make up to look like celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, and still posts DIY videos about how to best decorate a room.
Her 'Barbie transformation tutorial' video has garnered more than 60million views.
Beyond her channel, however, Phan has expanded to a book, Make Up: Your Life Guide To Beauty, Style, and Success - Online and Of. and phone applications.
ABC reports that she has her own makeup line with L'Oreal.
Phan, who says her mother came to America from Vietnam with less than $20, said she plans on 'giving back' by creating a production space for other video producers.
8. (tied) Lilly Singh $2.5million
Singer and comedian Lilly Singh, 27, started posting YouTube videos in 2010, but has used her fame to begin a tour this year. Above, Singh in Beverly Hills on October 9
Singh, 27, has gained 6.8million subscribers since first starting her Superwoman channel in 2010.
The Canadian comedian and singer's page says 'Spent thousands of dollars on tuition, graduated and got a degree. I make YouTube videos now.'
She peddles her quirky humor in videos such as 'How I clean my room' and 'Girl on their periods'.
Though she was noticed for her skill at joking over the Internet, this year she took her show on the road and appeared in a 27-city tour.
Now she's friends with more traditional celebrities such as Selena Gomez, but the star told People.com that she tries not to overthink her unlikely rise to fame.
'I just did it and figured it out. I would tell myself, "Don't overthink it. Do it because you love to do it and just have fun with it", she said.
8. (tied) Roman Atwood $2.5million
Prankster Rowan Atwood, 32, has partnered with Nissan while frustrating his friends with his stunts. One of his latest pranks, tricking his girlfriend into thinking their child died, caused backlash
Atwood delights in pranking those around him, but his 7.4million followers since 2009 are no joke.
The 32-year-old Ohioan takes a Punk'd-style approach to his videos, which include pretending to have had sex with his friend's mother or turning a house into a plastic ball pit.
Atwood sells branded items such as shirts in his online store, and has also gotten a deal with Nissan.
He has gained fame, and profited, from his videos, but recently ran into controversy when one stunt was deemed to have crossed the line.
Atkinson was called 'YouTube’s most appalling prankster' by the Washington Post after he tricked his girlfriend Brittney Smith into thinking that their three-year-old son had died in an explosion.
8. (tied) Rosanna Pansino $2.5million
Rosanna Pansino, 30, is putting out a cookbook and has partnered with a cooking ware company after attracting followers by showing them how to make 'nerdy nummies'
Rounding out the Forbes list is a less controversial figure than Atwood, who prefers to spend time making delicious treats than tricking her loved ones.
Her subscriber total of 4.7million since 2010 is smaller than many of the other top earners, but Pansino has a loyal following that watches her cooking videos.
A 30-year-old from Seattle, the chef often makes themed 'nerdy nummies' such as ice cream sandwiches that look like Gameboys or My Little Pony cupcakes.
Pansino, who was also an actress and appeared as a guest on Glee before finding YouTube fame, is also putting out a cookbook and has partnered with cooking ware company Wilton Brands for her series.
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