Quick Links
At one time, YouTube was a simple site where people would upload content, viewers would stream it, and YouTubers would get paid a share of the advertising revenue. However, as the times have changed, YouTubers and sponsors have found several ways to monetize their earnings. Along with corporate sponsorship with top brands, creators have also started fan funding and selling the merchandise that garners millions of dollars in sales. While these YouTubers earn big money, they ensure takeaways to offer financial support to people who need it.
2021 saw a huge spike in YouTuber earnings as the lockdown has led people to stay in their homes. YouTubers have earned a lifetime’s worth of earnings from their channels and sponsorships in the last year. Let’s take a look at the top millionaire YouTubers of the year 2021.
Ryan Kaji
Ryan Kaji has become a child influencer for toys and clothing for children between 2 to 6 years. Kaji started his channel in 2015, and he reportedly earned an astonishing $30 million out of his $80 million net worth in 2021, as noted by The Guardian. Kaji and his family, including his two sisters, run nine YouTube channels, with Ryan’s World being the most popular.
Mr. Beast (Jimmy Donaldson)
Mr. Beast has amassed a net worth of $25 million with 67 million subscribers for his channel. He is well-known for donating money and luxury items to strangers for free or a small amount. He earned most of his earnings post-2019 after his merchandising goods and giveaway videos went viral on the internet. He reportedly earns $8 million from his sponsors every month.
David Dobrik
The world of YouTube can make or break a person. While Dobrik’s career saw a sudden rise post-2018, with him earning $7 million every year, he amassed a net worth of $15.5 million by the beginning of 2021 outside of YouTube, as stated by Forbes. As the leader of the Vlog Squad, Dobrik came under a lot of heat for some allegations. Due to which his sponsors pulled out, and he returned to YouTube with his four-minute 20-second videos.
Markiplier (Mark Fischbach)
Markiplier has been on YouTube for a long time, best known for breaking down and explaining video games. In 2019 and 2020, Markiplier took things a step further when he founded a new channel along with his friend Ethan Nestor to show vlogs and funny stunts. This earned them a great value on the internet, with Markiplier’s net worth reaching $19.5 million. They ended their channel with a live stream which 1.5 million people around the world watched.
Blippi (Stevin John)
Blippi posts educational videos for kids and is best known for his blue and orange beanie cap while donning a blue shirt. While Blippi started his channel in 2014, he recently gained increased popularity, earning him a $16 million net worth, as noted by Gulf News. A majority of his earnings are gained from his retail merchandise that includes accessories and toys for kids.
Smosh
Smosh has been a long-standing pioneer in creating YouTube videos. They are popular for their silly and comical skits on the internet. While the channel saw a steep fall at the beginning of 2010, they rose to fame after releasing a movie in 2016 with Lionsgate. Founders Daniel Padilla and Ian Hecox have amassed a $15 million net worth by 2021 after their channel saw increased traction since 2019.
Nastya
In 2019, Nastya was considered one of the fastest-growing YouTube channels. The seven-year-old Anastasia Radzinskaya hailed from Russia and moved to Florida, USA, with her family after gaining popularity from her channel. Nastya has a net worth of $20 million, out of which she earned $18.5 million in 2019 and 2020, as reported by The Moscow Times.
Roman Atwood
Roman Atwood has amassed a net worth of $14.5 million from his two YouTube channels, one that features his vlogs while the other showcases his famous pranks. Most of his earnings come from his popular merchandise brand, while his prank videos were also an inspiration to make the movie Natural Born Pranksters which was released in 2016.
John Green
Author of the highly successful novels turned movie adaptations The Fault In Our Stars and Looking For Alaska, John Green runs a YouTube channel with his brother Hank called Vlogbrothers. The author and YouTuber only has a net worth of $5 million even though he makes educational and successful videos on two separate YouTube channels.
DanTDM
With a net worth of $18.5 million, Daniel Middleton has gained popularity over the years. He began his channel in 2010 and gained traction in 2013. He also has a channel that focuses on younger children that talks about the video game Minecraft. Additionally, he has published his graphic novel and starred in a web series.
Some of the other notable YouTubers include Jake Paul, Logan Paul, and Lilly Singh. From vloggers and comical skits to video games, YouTubers have become creative with their ideas to create content. While YouTube has consistently gained higher traffic every day, these stars will keep earning millions as long as they make videos that people want to see.
Sources: The Guardian, Forbes, Gulf News, The Moscow Times.