Before 2005, the names Filthy Frank, Casey Neistat, and Jenna Marbles would only get you a strange glance from an unsuspecting passerby. But now that YouTube has become the leading video platform on the Internet, these people are superstars. With millions of followers, Internet celebrities are slowly taking over their television counterparts. Some are even starting to cross boundaries and land big-time productions on places like Netflix.
But one question that always tickles the curiosity of viewers revolves around money. How much do these famous internet celebs make? Well fortunately for you, that’s exactly what we are about to cover with the following list of the most valuable channels on the web.
COLLEEN BALLINGER YOUTUBE CHANNEL
You might know Colleen Ballinger better as alter ego, Miranda Sings but they are the same person and they both make around $5 million from YouTube a year. We can imagine that number is only going to increase as Ballinger just landed a memoir and Netflix series to accompany her stand-up comedy tour. If you’re looking for a funny, female role model in the Internet age, look no further than Ballinger/Miranda Sings.
RHETT AND LINK YOUTUBE CHANNEL
For the sake of lists, we have to put someone in front of another person but the fact is, R. McLaughlin and C. Lincoln Neal III (Rhett and Link) also make $5 million per year. What’s even crazier is these two Youtube icons are some of the oldest on the platform. You won’t find many 40-year-old YouTubers but they are incredibly well known all over the world.
They were also one of the first to really hit it big on the platform. You might know them for their hilarious parody’s of advertisements or perhaps you know them from their talk show. Rhett and Link have their hands in a variety of different pots and it pays off.
GERMAN GARMENDIA YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Have you ever been kept awake at night wondering “who is L. America’s biggest YouTube star?” Well, now it’s time to sleep easy because the answer is here. Chilean YouTuber German Garmendia is easily the biggest Internet celeb in Latin America and one of the richest in the world. How rich? Between his comedy and music related videos, Garmendia rakes in a cool $5.5 million per year. He even published a book in 2016 called “#Chupaelperro.” Is that the first book title to start with a hashtag?
MARKIPLIER YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we have another tie! Rounding out the number seven spot is Mark Fischbach (a.k.a Markiplier). This video game-centric YouTuber also makes $5.5 million a year doing what he does best. Fans love him for his raw, uncensored energy but his talents go way beyond YouTube also.
Markiplier mentioned he has goals that range from music, acting, and other traditional media outlets. So now we wait for Mark to make his big, Hollywood debut. The only question is, will he go by Markiplier in the credits?
TYLER OAKLEY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
What can’t Tyler Oakley do? He’s a famous LGBTQ activist and YouTuber that offers a fresh blend of politics, comedy and pop culture in his wildly popular YouTube videos. Just how big is Tyler Oakley? Ellen big. Ellen DeGeneres that is. Apparently, DeGeneres loves Oakley so much, that she made him join her production team.
Big things are in store for this young internet star but apparently, he has enough stories already to release a memoir. In 2015, Oakley released his first book entitled “Binge.” Oh yeah, forgot to mention he makes $6 million a year. And don’t worry, there are no more ties coming up.
ROSANNA PANSINO YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Just kidding! We once again have another income tie. So step right up Rosanna Pansino and claim your $6 million prizes. Well, not really. That’s just what she makes every year on YouTube. So what exactly does she do that earns this cold, hard cash? If you owned the most popular baking channel on YouTube, you too would make big money.
That’s exactly what Pansino’s “Nerdy Nummies” channel offers. Not only do you get a nerdy spin on normal recipes like “Princess Peach Cobbler” but you get to take in Pansino’s ridiculously addicting personality.
SMOSH YOUTUBE CHANNEL
If you were with YouTube from the beginning then you remember Smosh. This comedy duo has deep roots in the platform and they are still going strong. Whether it’s their zany slapstick comedy skits or parody videos, Smosh never fails to deliver the goods.
Speaking of goods, Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox take in $7 million a year with their channel. Oh, wait, sorry, seven channels. That’s right, these two just keep expanding and there is no sign of them calling it quits anytime soon.
LILY SINGH YOUTUBE CHANNEL
When your crazy fanbase nicknames you “Superwoman” then you know you’re doing something right. Also, when you go on a trip around the world and call it “Trip to Island Unicorn” then you also know you’re doing something right. And lastly, when you make $7.5 million a year from YouTube videos, that’s probably the biggest sign you’re doing something right.
All in all, YouTuber Lilly Singh has a pretty foolproof formula when it comes to making big bucks on the famous video sharing platform. In fact, she did so well that she eventually released a feature-length film on the platforms’ premium service, YouTube Red
ROMAN ATWOOD YOUTUBE CHANNEL
YouTube pranksters are pretty controversial these days. You either love them or you hate them. Roman Atwood certainly falls somewhere in between there. Despite making $8 million a year from his prank videos, Atwood isn’t as popular as he might seem. Well, what do you really expect when you pull pranks like pretending to kill your own baby for a reaction?
Yeah, that actually happened and his girlfriend was not amused. In his defense though, not all of his videos are that brutal. If they were, he probably wouldn’t be number 2 on this list. So who is number one? Well, that’s a good question. Let’s find out right now.
PEWDIEPIE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Unless you lived as a hermit in the woods for the past few years, then you’ve heard of PewDiePie one way or another. Odds are, you probably don’t even watch his videos but it doesn’t matter. PewDiePie is easily the most famous YouTuber in history and along with that, the wealthiest.
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (wow, that’s a mouthful) soars past the competitors with a whopping $15 million a year from YouTube. Felix got his rise to fame playing video games while simultaneously showing his face reactions in a box in the corner of the screen. Sounds easy right? So what’s his secret to success?
Felix is all about fan love. His loyal community of followers (dubbed “bros”) interact with Felix and he welcomes them with open arms. Felix has a hard time staying out of trouble though and that’s to be expected when you’re at the top. Disney dropped Felix from their organization after he was involved in a misunderstood racist scandal.
Still, his “bros” continue to support him and PewDiePie lives on. No one knows if he will maintain this financial glory but for now, he seems to be doing just fine. That is until Jake and Logan Paul take over YouTube.
