Who are the 10 highest paid YouTubers? YouTube is the second leading social media network. And with the COVID-19 restrictions still ongoing, there’s no wonder people are flocking to this video-sharing platform for entertainment. Many YouTubers have become popular and made a lot of money by just creating fun, interactive, and helpful videos. But who are the most famous YouTubers?
YouTube has produced thousands of celebrities and millionaires. For some, the platform was just a way to kill boredom or connect with people by uploading videos. But as YouTube’s community grew, many new artists popped in and the next thing you know, they were already high-time celebrities. The social platform opened up great career opportunities for people and helped them earn a fortune.
You may ask: who are the top 10 YouTubers? The results may vary, depending on the category you select—the number of subscribers, net worth, or the popular YouTubers for each niche. But one thing is for sure: any top 10 YouTubers are earning millions for doing their craft. Lucky for you, we’ll tackle not only 10 but the 25 highest paid YouTubers in 2021. Any wild guess? Scan through our list now.
Key Takeaways
- Featured YouTubers represent a diverse range of content genres, including gaming, lifestyle, comedy, education, and entertainment, reflecting the platform’s broad appeal and audience engagement.
- The list highlights various monetization strategies employed by YouTube stars, such as ad revenue, brand sponsorships, merchandise sales, subscription models, and affiliate marketing partnerships.
- Many of the top earners have a global audience, leveraging YouTube’s international reach to connect with viewers from different regions and cultures.
- The rankings underscore the impact of niche communities and audience loyalty, as creators with dedicated fan bases and unique content offerings continue to thrive and monetize their channels effectively.
Eva Diana
YouTube Channel: Kids Diana Show
Earnings: $515.4 million
Subscribers: 73.9 million
You wouldn’t believe it but a six-year-old girl hit the number one spot on our highest-paid YouTubers list. Kids Diana Show’s videos are pretty simple—just Diana playing with other kids and her brother, Roma. But people loved the young YouTuber because of her grace, sweetness, and the lightness of her videos.
Justin Bieber
YouTube Channel: Justin Bieber
Earnings: $285 million
Subscribers: 61 million
Of course, who wouldn’t know the famous “Yummy” singer? Justin Bieber’s online charisma never faded—since he started as a young YouTuber to become one of the highest-paid singer-songwriters in the entertainment industry. Bieber has been making music for a decade now, and people still receive his recent works with enthusiasm and amazement.
Eminem Music
YouTube Channel: Eminem
Earnings: $230 million
Subscribers: 46.5 million
Another hot personality on the list! The “Godzilla” rapper is famous for producing the fastest-selling hip-hop album in history. Ten of his albums have hit top 1 on the Billboard 100. Plus, Eminem has a huge fan base—you can even see his fans commenting on other rappers’ videos (if you know what we mean).
Ed Sheeran
YouTube Channel: Ed Sheeran
Earnings: $200 million
Subscribers: 46.9 million
The guy who makes romantic music—the one and only Ed Sheeran. This British sensation rose to fame when he released the single, “Thinking Out Loud.” People loved him for creating songs with deep meanings, making you believe in true love. Ed Sheeran also writes songs for other artists like Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. And guess what? These songs all hit the top 10 in Billboard 100.
Jeffree Star
YouTube Channel: Jeffree Star
Earnings: $200 million
Subscribers: 16.6 million
Talk about creative make-up, feel-good cosmetics, and posh style. Jeffree Star has got what it takes to be a hot Internet personality. He may not be an actor or singer, but Star earned his reputation of being one of the highest-paid YouTubers by producing makeup tutorial videos and blogs. If you want expert tips on celeb beauty, Jeffree is the star.
Ariana Grande
YouTube Channel: Ariana Grande
Earnings: $150 million
Subscribers: 47.1 million
If you can switch positions, would you wanna be Ariana Grande? We would, definitely! This hot singer and performer nailed the cat-eye makeup, which was epitomized by her fans. A mixture of sweet and fierce personality—Ariana makes the best tracks that could unleash any girl power within you. Not to mention that her music videos are fun and exciting to watch.
Konrad Dantas
YouTube Channel: Canal KondZilla
Earnings: $74 million
Subscribers: 61.5 million
It’s Canal KondZilla, not Godzilla. But Konrad or KOND’s fame is like that of a Godzilla—huge and largely popular. KondZilla has over 60 million subscribers, which is more than half of the unique YouTube users in Brazil. The Brazilian screenwriter and director has also produced more than 1,000 music videos and gained a total of 31.9 billion views for all his video content.
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg
YouTube Channel: PewDiePie
Earnings: $52 million
Subscribers: 108 million
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, popularly known as PewDiePie, isn’t only the eighth highest-paid YouTuber on our list but also one of the youngest millionaires of the world. This Swedish YouTuber is only 31 years old, but his comedic formatted shows have already given him a net worth of over 50 million dollars. PewDiePie focuses on making Minecraft videos. He teaches his audiences how to play and win this video game in a more comedic way.
Ryan Kaji
YouTube Channel: Ryan’s World
Earnings: $50 million
Subscribers: 27.2 million
Another child star on our list! Ryan Kaji is only eight years old, but his earnings have already breached $45 million. Ryan began starring in videos when he was four years old, together with his parents and sisters. He simply opened toys and played with them. Who would know this young YouTuber will have his own line of toys, TV series, and a mobile app now.
Marshmello
YouTube Channel: Marshmello
Earnings: $40 million
Subscribers: 51.5 million
It couldn’t be happier with Marshmello. This American electronic music producer is one of the richest DJs in the world. He’s popular for making creative lyric videos, meaningful music videos, and great music for millennials. Unless you’re into soft and tropical EDMs, Marshmello’s mixes can truly uplift your mood and give you a feel-good vibe.
Daniel Middleton
YouTube Channel: DanTDM
Earnings: $40 million
Subscribers: 24.5 million
Now, you already know who are the 10 highest-paid YouTubers. Let’s continue with our list and discover more personalities. Another YouTuber that made a fortune off Minecraft videos is Daniel Middleton or DanTDM. His videos have an average view of 4.84 million, and huge brands are placing ads on his content. With more advertisers willing to pay for ad placement, DanTDM proved that gaming isn’t a waste of time and YouTube isn’t just a side job.
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The Dude Perfect Group
YouTube Channel: Dude Perfect
Earnings: $30 million
Subscribers: 55 million
The Cotton twins Cory and Coby established Dude Perfect and the group currently has five members. Three of the members are their high school friends and their videos are centered around comedic content and sports activities. Apart from having a successful YouTube channel, the group also has a mobile app and TV show called The Dude Perfect Show.
Mark Fischbach
YouTube Channel: Markiplier
Earnings: $28 million
Subscribers: 28.4 million
Mark Fischbach is another video game YouTuber that rose to success. But unlike other video gaming channels, Markiplier may not be child-friendly. Mark is popular for his indie and horror video games and most of his content contains swear words. However, the yelling and cursing didn’t stop Markiplier from gaining success. His 28.4 million subscribers still believe in him and appreciate his unique video editing style.
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Evan Fong
YouTube Channel: VanossGaming
Earnings: $25 million
Subscribers: 25.4 million
You’re right, Evan Fong is another YouTuber that fancied the gaming video world. But what sets him apart from other video game YouTubers is that he’s also a social media influencer and music producer. Plus, VanossGaming is now involved in creating video games, which is a great achievement for online gamers.
Tyler Blevins
YouTube Channel: Ninja
Earnings: $25 million
Subscribers: 24.2 million
Tyler Blevins a.k.a Ninja is mostly known on YouTube for streaming Fortnite. At 27, he became the most popular streamer on Twitch and gained the largest viewing audience. Ninja also has some lucrative sponsorship deals, setting the record for being a fast-food employee to a millionaire Fortnite gamer real fast.
James Charles
YouTube Channel: James Charles
Earnings: $22 million
Subscribers: 25.6 million
If you’re into Jeffree Star, James Charles is certainly on your list as well. The beauty YouTuber proved that drag queen makeup doesn’t necessarily apply to all male makeup gurus. Charles is famous for being the first male spokesmodel for CoverGirl at the age of 17. He produces makeup tutorial videos and collaborated with Morphe to create an eyeshadow palette in his name. Apart from belonging to the top 100 YouTubers in the world, James Charles is also one of the most influential Instagrammers of 2020.
Anastasia Radzinskaya
YouTube Channel: Like Nastya
Earnings: $20 million
Subscribers: 68 million
Like Diana, Anastasia “Nastya” Radzinskaya is only six years old. The Russian-American YouTuber’s channel consists of entertainment for children, including playtime with parents, birthday parties, and friendly family stories for kids. Nastya isn’t your ordinary girl—unlike Diana and Ryan, her videos mostly feature her own life rather than toys.
Lilly Singh (IISuperwomanII)
YouTube Channel: Lilly Singh
Earnings: $20 million
Subscribers: 14.9 million
Lilly Singh started with the pseudonym Superwoman, but she’s using her real name on her social media accounts now. Lilly is a Canadian comedy video producer, singer, and vlogger. She’s indeed a superwoman for surpassing the $10 million earnings mark in 2021. In addition to being a YouTube star, Lilly has also appeared in feature films like Bad Moms and Dr. Cabbie.
Preston Arsement
YouTube Channel: PrestonPlayz
Earnings: $20 million
Subscribers: 9.47 million
Thanks largely to video game content, many gaming YouTubers rose to fame, including Preston Arsement. Preston is known for streaming Fortnite, Minecraft, and Call of Duty. He also developed a solid following on YouTube and Twitch. Aside from streaming, Preston makes money by operating Minecraft servers and selling in-game purchases for virtual goods.
Logan Paul
YouTube Channel: Logan Paul
Earnings: $19 million
Subscribers: 22.8 million
We’ve been talking a lot about music artists, video gamers, and beauty influencers. Now, let’s talk about an American YouTuber who’s also an actor and a boxer. Logan Paul is famous for his daredevil video styles—the Japanese suicide incident being the latest. Some critics say he might not maintain his fame with his style, but luckily, his career hasn’t plummeted yet. Currently, Logan is still making mediocre and badly-humored vlogs—let’s see what would happen to this YouTube star in the coming years.
Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
YouTube Channel: Rhett and Link
Earnings: $16 million
Subscribers: 4.99 million
So, you’ve already discovered who are the top 20 YouTubers. Let’s now move on to the last five stars on our list. Rhett and Link are a comedian duo popularly known for their comedic songs and viral videos. YouTube users call them the “Internetainers” and one of their famous shows is the YouTube series Good Mythical Morning. The duo has been active for 20 years now and they were nominated for the Shorty Award for the Creator of the Decade.
Germán Garmendia
YouTube Channel: Hola Soy German
Earnings: $13 million
Subscribers: 42.1 million
When translated in English, Hola Soy German means “Hello, I’m German.” Now, you may think that Germán Garmendia is from Germany, but he’s actually from Chile. And Hola Soy German is the most popular YouTube channel in the Spanish language. Like Rhett and Link, Germán makes comedy videos out of everyday life situations. However, the Chilean YouTuber hasn’t been active for years now and he didn’t disclose the reasons for his hiatus.
Jake Paul
YouTube Channel: Jake Paul
Earnings: $11.5 million
Subscribers: 20.3 million
Jake Paul is Logan Paul’s brother. He’s a musician, actor, and YouTube video producer who was first recognized on Vine. Like Logan, Jake mostly makes scandalous and controversial videos. He released an “It’s Everyday Bro” song in May 2017 and it became the third most disliked video on YouTube. If these brothers can make more sensible and creative videos, they may stay among the highest-paid YouTubers for years to come.
Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox
YouTube Channel: Smosh
Earnings: $11 million
Subscribers: 25.1 million
Smosh is perhaps the oldest YouTube channel on this list. It’s a video-gaming platform that started in 2005—long before Fortnite and Minecraft hit the Internet trends. However, Padilla and Hecox don’t focus on streaming. They create video-game music videos and parodies.
Whindersson Nunes
YouTube Channel: Whinderssonnunes
Earnings: 5.2 million
Subscribers: 41.1 million
You may have learned that difficult channel names don’t do great on YouTube. But we all know that promoting a YouTube channel can do the trick. Well, this YouTube star quite has a difficult name but he belongs to our richest YouTubers list. Whindersson is a Brazilian entertainer, comedian, and singer. He’s famous for speaking different languages and creating his own songs, comedy videos, and different kinds of reviews.
Wrapping It Up
Being a YouTuber is easy; you just need to come up with good content and upload videos. However, the biggest challenge is to become famous and make money on YouTube. You may need to spend a lot for boosting, promotions, and video creation before you hit a million subscribers or become a millionaire.
FAQ
- How are the earnings of YouTube stars calculated and verified?
YouTube star earnings are typically estimated based on publicly available data sources, including social media analytics platforms, industry reports, brand partnerships, and interviews with creators and industry experts. While exact earnings may vary, these estimates provide valuable insights into creators’ revenue streams and financial success. - What factors contribute to a YouTuber’s ability to earn a high income?
Factors such as audience size, engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares), content quality and consistency, brand partnerships and sponsorships, merchandise sales, and diversification of revenue streams all play a role in a YouTuber’s ability to generate significant income. - Are there any trends or patterns among the top-earning YouTube stars of 2021?
Trends include the rise of gaming content creators, the growing popularity of lifestyle and vlog channels, the emergence of new talent from diverse backgrounds, and the increasing importance of brand collaborations and sponsorships as revenue sources. - How do YouTube stars navigate monetization challenges such as demonetization and algorithm changes?
YouTube stars adapt to monetization challenges by diversifying their revenue streams, engaging with their audience across multiple platforms, building their brand identity and community, and staying informed about platform policies and updates to optimize their content strategy and monetization efforts. - What impact do YouTube stars have on influencer marketing trends and industry dynamics?
YouTube stars play a significant role in shaping influencer marketing trends, driving brand partnerships, and influencing consumer behavior, as brands increasingly recognize the value of authentic and relatable content creators in reaching and engaging target audiences.
If you want to become a YouTuber, work on your channel first. Get started with our comprehensive guide, “How to Create a Business YouTube Channel.” Remember, it all starts with your passion. Hone your craft and share it with the rest of the world.
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