A few decades ago, no one would have imagined that YouTube would end up becoming a fully-fledged profession and that those who have made YouTube a way to earn a living would become millionaires.
2021 was a particularly prosperous year in financial terms for YouTubers. Not in vain, the YouTubers who make up the Top 10 compiled each year by Forbes pocketed more emoluments than ever before and saw their income increase by 40% compared to 2020. The pandemic came in handy for YouTube stars, who in the last year made money in abundance thanks to advertising.
Around 50% of YouTubers' fortunes come from advertising, but their coffers also receive money from other sources. Many YouTubers invest in startups and own their own businesses.
These were the 10 highest-paid YouTubers in the world in 2021 , according to Forbes magazine :
1. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson): $54 million
In 2021, MrBeast managed to double its profits compared to the previous year. This feat was largely achieved thanks to the MrBeast Burger brand , which in the last twelve months served burgers left and right thanks to 1,600 virtual restaurants lit up in collaboration with the company Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC). It is estimated that in the last year MrBeast, supported by its almost 90 million subscribers on YouTube, would have sold a whopping 5 million burgers.
2. Jake Paul: $45 million
After missing from the Forbes list for the past two years, Jake Paul is back in style in the Top 10 of the richest YouTubers in the world, and he does so thanks to boxing. In 2021, the YouTuber fought three fights (which were highly talked about and also advertised to the point of exhaustion) with two MMA fighters: one fight with Ben Askren and two with Tyron Woodley. Paul also won both fights.
Boxing has helped Jake Paul exorcise his demons. In 2017, he fell into disgrace for a controversial video that his brother Logan, also a YouTuber, filmed in a Japanese forest famous for the many suicides that occur there every year.
After that much-vaunted setback, Paul has refocused his career on boxing and uses his YouTube channel first and foremost to promote his fights.
3. Markiplier: $38 million
In 2021, Markiplier practically doubled his earnings thanks to the merchandising associated with his Unus Annus channel, born from a collaboration with YouTuber Ethan Nestor-Darling.
Although Markiplier initially found fame on YouTube through gaming, his career has recently taken a turn towards television. In 2021, he filmed a television adaptation of the post-apocalyptic thriller The Edge of Sleep . The YouTuber hopes to sell this ambitious project to streaming video platforms such as Netflix or Hulu.
4. Rhett and Link: $30 million
The duo of Rhett and Link got their start on the daily talk show “Good Mythical Morning,” but it’s spin-offs and brand extensions that have helped the thriving duo build the foundations of a true audiovisual empire.
"Mythical Kitchen ," a cooking series hosted by Josh Scherer, is one of Rhett and Link's most successful offerings, and although it was launched just two years ago, it already has 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube.
The Mythical Accelerator fund, which plans to invest $5 million in other YouTubers, is also an important source of income for the duo.
5. Unspeakable: $28.5 million
Unspeakable operates four separate YouTube channels dedicated to Minecraft and other video games. Still, gaming isn't necessarily the focus of Unspeakable's videos, and he also does things like fill a room with live alligators.
In 2021, Unspeakable made headlines for a very profitable move. YouTube sold its video catalog to Spotter, which is currently one of the largest independent content owners on YouTube. The deal with Spotter is responsible for Unspeakable making its debut on Forbes 's privileged list .
6. Nastya: $28 million
Nastya, a 7-year-old Russian YouTuber currently living in Miami, also reached an agreement with Spotter last year. The girl sold Spotter the rights to her old YouTube videos for cash up front (while retaining the rights to the new content she creates).
The precocious YouTuber's channel, "Like Nastya," has 87.6 million subscribers, whom she delights with videos on how to decorate Halloween cupcakes and her adventures with her friends Evelyn and Adrian. Nastya also has her own line of products.
7. Ryan Kaji: $27 million
Ryan Kaji made his YouTube debut at just 4 years old doing toy unboxings. Now 10 years old, Kaji owns his own line of products and toys, and his main YouTube channel, “Ryan's World ,” has amassed 31 million subscribers.
Kaji, who is advised by former Disney executive Chris Williams, has also created a series of animated characters inspired by his particular universe. One of those characters, Red Titan, appeared in the last two editions of the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
8. Dude Perfect: $20 millionwhose members go so slovenia number data far as to walk on the wings of a biplane in full flight in their videos .
Dude Perfect's unique stunts will also make the leap from YouTube to the real world in 2022. The group plans to go on a live tour this summer in 24 different cities.
In 2021, the quintet also published a book with their exploits: 101 Tricks, Tips, and Cool Stuff.
9. Logan Paul: $18 million
Logan Paul , brother of Jake Logan, returns to the Forbes Top 10 after the scandal that both were involved in in 2017. Like Jake, Logan has refocused his career on the world of boxing. Not in vain, in June of last year the YouTuber fought against the former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather.
In recent months, Logan has also dipped his teeth into NFTs, scoring a $5 million sale in February 2021. The YouTuber also gets a lot of joy from the podcast “Impaulsive ,” which generated more than 100 million views last year on YouTube.
10. Preston Arsement: $16 million
Preston Arsement’s most popular YouTube channel is “PrestonPlayZ” . On this channel, which has over 12 million subscribers, Preston Arsement plays all kinds of video games, particularly Minecraft. The YouTuber recently made headlines for creating a Minecraft version of the Squid Game challenges , which has the reputation of being the most successful series of all tim