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Top 12 YouTube earners rake in total of $70.5m
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YouTube celebrities generate income by monetizing their videos through pre-run advertisements and by incorporating sponsors and brands into their content. (Shutterstock.com/Maxxa Satori)
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orbes’ latest annual ranking of YouTube's top-paid stars, released on Monday, lists 12 internet celebrities from 10 different channels, all of whom have made more than US$5 million in a year.
According to Forbes, their combined earnings over the 12-month period until June amount to $70.5 million, marking a 23 percent increase from the preceding one-year period.
Felix Avrid Ulf Kjellberg, famously known as PewDiePie, returned to the top spot with earnings soaring to $15 million for sharing snippets of himself playing video games to his 50 million subscribers. His paycheck rose 20 percent from last year, owing to his YouTube Red series and his book, This Book Loves You, which has sold more than 112,000 copies.
YouTube Prankster Roman Atwood came in second place at $8 million. While that’s just over half of PewDiePie’s income, it marks a 70 percent increase from the prior year thanks to more video views, the feature film Natural Born Pranksters, his own flourishing online merchandise store and more.
(Read also: Taylor Swift tops Forbes' list of highest-paid celebs)
Forbes underlined that the list measures earnings prior to deducting management fees and taxes, adding that the figures were based on data from Nielsen, IMDB and other sources, such as interviews with “agents, managers, lawyers, industry insiders and the stars themselves”.
These YouTube celebrities generate their income by monetizing their videos through pre-run advertisements and by incorporating sponsors and brands into their content. To further expand their fan base, YouTubers tour nationally or globally, sell merchandise and appear in conventional media.
Video game commentator Mark Fischbach or Markiplier ($5.5 million), Latin America’s hit YouTuber German Garmendia ($5.5 million), comedian Colleen Ballinge or Miranda Sings ($5 million) and vlogger Tyler Oakley ($6 million) are the four rising newcomers who worked their way onto the list. (mra/kes)
Here is the up-to-date list of top-paid YouTubers with their respective earnings, according to Forbes:
1. Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie) – $15 million
2. Roman Atwood – $8 million
3. Lilly Singh (IISuperwomanII) – $7.5 million
4. Anthony Padilla (Smosh) – $7 million
5. Tyler Oakley – $6 million
5. Rosanna Pansino – $6 million
7. Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) – $5.5 million
7. German Garmendia – $5.5 million
9. Colleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings) – $5 million
9. Rhett & Link – $5 million
