PewDiePie Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is PewDiePie’s Net Worth?

PewDiePie, known for being a Swedish video game commentator, streamer, and internet personality, boasts a net worth estimated at $45 million. His channel has held the title of most-subscribed channel on YouTube at various times and he has been recognized as the highest-earning YouTuber globally. Typically, his YouTube content consists of videos where he plays different video games.

In a standard video, viewers can witness PewDiePie playing a game while he comments on his experiences and shares his reactions to the gameplay. His fans are affectionately referred to as the ‘Bro Army,’ which includes his ‘Bros.’ At the conclusion of each of his videos, he usually performs a ‘Brofist’ gesture. Since launching his channel in 2009, subscriptions have skyrocketed. In 2012, PewDiePie participated in the Nonick Conference. By October 2012, OpenSlate had recognized PewDiePie’s channel as the #1 YouTube channel based on “SlateScore.” By April 2013, his subscriber count reached 6 million, and in July 2013, he relocated to the United Kingdom to improve his internet connectivity.

Highest Paid YouTube Star

PewDiePie stands out not only as YouTube’s top star in terms of video views but also consistently ranks among the highest-paid personalities on the platform. In 2013, CelebrityNetWorth reported his earnings at $12 million, making him the highest-paid YouTube star at that time. In 2014, he surpassed $14 million in earnings. His income in 2015 was $9 million, while in 2016, he earned $15 million. In 2017, he made $12 million, and in 2018, his earnings reached $15.5 million. Following that, in 2019, he made $13 million. Currently, PewDiePie requests $450,000 for a single sponsored video.

When you add it all up, PewDiePie has generated over $73 million before taxes through his YouTube endeavors since 2013. He has stated in an interview that his net worth is “far more” than $20 million.

Early Life

Born as Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg in Gothenburg, Sweden on October 24, 1989, PewDiePie is the son of Lotta Kristine Johanna and Ulf Christian Kjellberg, with his father being a corporate executive and his mother an award-winning Chief Information Officer. He also has an older sister named Fanny. During his high school years, Felix often skipped school to engage in video games, ultimately graduating from Göteborgs Högre Samskola. Initially, his plan was to pursue a degree in Industrial Economics and Technology Management at Chalmers University of Technology. However, he lost interest in the courses offered and decided to leave. It’s noteworthy that he did not drop out to embark on a YouTube career, contrary to what has been widely mentioned. Although he was disengaged from his school studies, Felix maintained a love for Photoshop and video games. To fund his computer purchase, he sold photoshopped images.

YouTube

PewDiePie ventured onto YouTube on December 19, 2006. Initially, he named his channel “Pewdie,” explaining that “pew” mimics the sound of a laser. His early content primarily featured him playing Call of Duty, alongside a few vlogging videos. At one point, he lost access to his Pewdie account, leading him to create a new channel, PewDiePie, on April 29, 2010. On this new channel, he concentrated on games such as Call of Duty, Minecraft, and various horror/action titles. For instance, he shared highlights of his best Call of Duty moments accompanied by entertaining commentary and edits, while his Minecraft content featured “Let’s Plays,” showcasing straightforward gameplay.

Early Success

Eventually, PewDiePie started playing Amnesia. For reasons unknown, his Let’s Play videos of Amnesia resonated with the broader YouTube community, resulting in a rapid increase in his subscribers. His channel reached the milestone of 1 million subscribers by July 2012 and then hit 2 million by September 2012. He entered into a representation agreement with MCN Machinima and transitioned to Maker Studios in October 2012.

The Biggest YouTube Star On The Planet

During 2012 and 2013, PewDiePie held the title of the fastest-growing YouTube channel. In 2013 alone, his subscriber count surged from 3.5 million to 19 million. Remarkably, he gained a new subscriber at an astonishing clip of 1.037 subscribers per second throughout that year. By the end of the year, he amassed a staggering 1.3 billion video views, finishing as the most subscribed channel on the platform.

With the assistance of Maker Studios, he launched a PewDiePie iPhone app. Although he occasionally voiced his unease with Maker Studios’ parent company, Disney, he successfully developed a website and online store to accompany the app, which became a significant success.

In 2014, his channel attracted 14 million new subscribers and accrued a massive 4.1 billion video views, outshining all other channels. The following year, he maintained an average of 300 million views per month.

Return To Twitch

PewDiePie made a surprising comeback to Twitch in March 2023 after signing an exclusive streaming deal with YouTube in May 2020, reviving a previously dormant channel. He creatively employed the channel in a project he named PewDiePie Infinity, which features an endless loop of his past streams and videos, branding it as an “infinite money glitch in real life.” Presently, his Twitch channel boasts 1.5 million followers.

Controversies

In February 2017, PewDiePie faced the cancellation of his YouTube Red show due to the discovery of antisemitic content in several of his videos. He contends that the videos were intended to be sarcastic and aimed at illustrating the lengths people might go for money, regardless of how inappropriate or shocking it may be. A well-known instance involved him paying two individuals $5 via Fiver to display a sign reading “Death to all Jews.” Additionally, there was a viral trend encouraging people to promote the phrase “subscribe to PewDiePie” in public spaces, resulting in at least two incidents involving mass murderers.

It has been noted that the phrase “subscribe to PewDiePie” was mentioned by individuals during their acts of violence or was included in their manifestos. PewDiePie has publicly distanced himself from this meme and condemned the actions of those murderers.

Personal Life

In 2011, PewDiePie met Italian Marzia Bisognin, which began as an online friendship and later blossomed into a romance. He created a YouTube channel for her named CutiePieMarzia in 2012. Her channel featured content related to fashion, makeup, books, movies, and beauty, eventually becoming one of the most popular beauty channels on the platform. Marzia retired from YouTube in 2018. They spent several years alternating between Sweden and Italy before settling in Brighton and Hove, England. The couple tied the knot in August 2019. Together, they live a relatively private life in their small seaside town with two pugs, one named Edgar and the other Maya. In February 2023, his wife announced they were expecting a child.

In 2019, they purchased a home in Japan, which was later robbed within the same year. Their relocation was postponed due to the country’s relocation regulations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple finally moved to their home in Japan in May 2022, holding a five-year business visa.