How Much Money Do YouTubers Make? (real numbers + HOW it’s done)

Mr. Beast ($54 Million)

Jimmy Donaldson, also known as Mr. Beast, has over a whopping 162 million subscribers for his extravagant stunts and generous cash giveaways. He gained fame in 2017 with a video where he counted to 100,000, and since then, his content has increasingly focused on surprising strangers with large sums of money. In 2020, he opened a unique burger restaurant that pays customers to eat, solidifying his position as the second highest-paid YouTuber. He’s been making videos since 2012.

Jake Paul ($45 Million)

Jake Paul, with over 20 million subscribers, gained fame for his extreme pranks and notable boxing matches. Since 2017, his controversial actions and collaborations with celebrities have propelled his online career. Despite generating devoted fans and fierce critics, Jake Paul remains a prominent figure in the digital realm. He’s been making videos since 2013.

Markiplier ($38 Million)

Markiplier, boasting over 29 million subscribers, is a prominent YouTuber known for his engaging gaming content and charitable initiatives. His energetic and humorous approach to gaming has captivated audiences since his early days on the platform. Markiplier’s philanthropic efforts, including charity live streams and donations, have earned him widespread admiration, establishing him as a beloved figure in the YouTube community. He’s been making videos since 2012.

Rhett and Link ($30 Million)

Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, known as Rhett and Link, host the daily YouTube show Good Mythical Morning. With over 16 million subscribers and 6 billion views since its launch in 2008, the duo’s channel features a comedic talk show format where they engage in quirky activities, such as eating unusual foods, experimenting, and playing games with celebrity guests. Their popular videos include eating a scorpion, consuming the world’s hottest pepper, and deep-frying peculiar objects like grass and toothpaste. They’ve been making videos since 2006.

Ryan Kaji ($24 Million)

With over 24 million subscribers, Ryan’s YouTube channel is managed by his parents to comply with the YouTube Partner Program guidelines. Starting at the age of 3, Ryan gained popularity by reviewing toys through unboxing and playing videos, but his content has since evolved to include science experiments. Additionally, his success on YouTube led to a Nickelodeon TV series called “Ryan’s Mystery Playdate,” and he even has his own line of clothing and toys.

Ramit Sethi (Multi-Million dollar business)

While I don’t have millions of followers like these other creators, I do own a multi-million dollar business that YouTube helped me build. And I was able to do it without embarrassing myself with pranks, doing toy reviews, or spending millions of dollars rebuilding the Squid Games set. And the main way I was able to do this is by selling online courses. You see, each of my YouTube videos leads viewers to subscribe to my email list where I’m able to build a stronger connection with my audience and eventually offer digital products for sale.

My channel doesn’t require extreme production value. In fact, most of my YouTube content is just the video version of my podcast, which is just a screen recording of me talking with my guests. You can see some examples here: