PewDiePie Net Worth (Money & Salary)

PewDiePie’s Net Worth: What is It?

The net worth of PewDiePie, a Swedish internet personality, streamer, and video game commentator, is estimated at $45 million. Historically, his channel has alternated as the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, and he has repeatedly been the world’s highest-earning YouTuber. His videos generally depict him playing a variety of video games.

In his typical video format, he plays a game while sharing commentary on his experiences and reactions to the gameplay. PewDiePie affectionately calls his followers the ‘Bro Army,’ consisting of his ‘Bros,’ and commonly concludes each video with a signature ‘Brofist.’ Since launching his YouTube channel in 2009, subscriptions have soared. He was a speaker at the Nonick Conference in 2012, and in October of that year, OpenSlate recognized the PewDiePie channel as the top YouTube channel based on “SlateScore.” By April 2013, his channel had amassed 6 million subscribers, prompting his relocation to the United Kingdom in July 2013 for improved internet access.

Top-Earning YouTube Star

PewDiePie is not only the top star on YouTube measured by views, but he consistently ranks among the site’s highest earners. CelebrityNetWorth disclosed in 2013 that PewDiePie earned $12 million, making him the highest-paid YouTube star globally. His earnings increased to over $14 million in 2014, followed by $9 million in 2015, and peaked at $15 million in 2016. The following years saw earnings of $12 million in 2017, $15.5 million in 2018, and $13 million in 2019. Currently, PewDiePie charges $450,000 for a single sponsored video.

Adding everything together, PewDiePie has earned over $73 million before taxes from his YouTube ventures since 2013. During an interview, he revealed that his net worth is “much much” more than $20 million.

Background and Early Life

Born Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg on October 24, 1989, in Gothenburg, Sweden, PewDiePie is the son of Lotta Kristine Johanna and Ulf Christian Kjellberg. His father works as a corporate executive, while his mother is a celebrated Chief Information Officer. He has an older sister named Fanny. While attending high school, Felix often skipped classes to indulge in video games. He completed his high school education at Göteborgs Högre Samskola. Initially, he aimed to pursue a degree in Industrial Economics and Technology Management at Chalmers University of Technology. However, he lost interest in the coursework and dropped out — not to pursue YouTube, as is often misreported. Although he was disengaged with his studies, Felix retained a passion for Photoshop and a longstanding love for video games, eventually selling photoshopped images to gather funds for a computer.

YouTube

Felix made his YouTube debut on December 19, 2006, with a channel originally named “Pewdie.” He described “pew” as the sound a laser produces. His initial content featured gameplay of Call of Duty, alongside some vlogging videos. Eventually, he lost access to his Pewdie channel due to a forgotten password, prompting him to create a new channel called PewDiePie on April 29, 2010. This new channel primarily showcased Call of Duty, Minecraft, and various horror/action games. For instance, he shared highlights of his best CoD moments, complete with entertaining commentary and editing, and produced Minecraft “Let’s Plays,” where he simply played the game.

Early Success

At one point, PewDiePie began playing Amnesia. For reasons unknown, his Amnesia Let’s Plays resonated strongly with the wider YouTube audience, leading to a rapid increase in subscribers. His channel exploded, reaching 1 million subscribers by July 2012, followed by 2 million by September 2012. He later signed a representation deal with MCN Machinima and, in October 2012, switched to Maker Studios.

The Biggest YouTube Star On The Planet

In the years 2012 and 2013, PewDiePie became the fastest-growing channel on YouTube. The year 2013 alone saw a jump from 3.5 million to 19 million subscribers. He was gaining a new subscriber every second, totaling 1.037 per second throughout the year. With 1.3 billion video views, he finished the year as YouTube’s most subscribed channel.

Thanks to Maker Studios, he launched the PewDiePie iPhone app. Although he occasionally expressed discomfort regarding Maker Studios’ parent company, Disney, he nevertheless established a website and online store that complemented the already successful app.

His channel added 14 million subscribers in 2014, along with an astounding 4.1 billion video views, surpassing any other channel that year. By 2015, he averaged about 300 million video views monthly.

Return To Twitch

PewDiePie made a surprise return to Twitch in March of 2023, following an exclusive streaming deal with YouTube that began in May 2020, after his Twitch channel had been dormant for years. He introduced a novel concept for the channel called PewDiePie Infinity. Dubbed an “infinite money glitch in real life,” it streams an endless loop of his previous videos and streams. Currently, he has 1.5 million followers on the platform.

Controversies

In February 2017, after certain videos revealed antisemitic references, PewDiePie lost his YouTube Red show. He contended that his videos were intended as sarcasm, aimed at highlighting how people might compromise their integrity for financial gain, no matter how inappropriate it may be. A notable instance involved him paying two individuals $5 through Fiver to hold up a sign reading “Death to all Jews.” Additionally, a viral “subscribe to PewDiePie” challenge emerged, where individuals would provoke attention by spreading that phrase in public spaces. This phenomenon connected at least two mass murderers.

During their massacres or within their manifestos, they have uttered the phrase “subscribe to PewDiePie.” PewDiePie has condemned the meme and distanced himself from the murderers.

Personal Life

In 2011, PewDiePie first met Italian Marzia Bisognin. They began with an online friendship that blossomed into a romance. In 2012, PewDiePie helped her create a YouTube channel named CutiePieMarzia. Her content revolved around fashion, makeup, books, movies, and beauty, eventually becoming one of YouTube’s most popular beauty channels. She decided to retire from YouTube in 2018. Over the years, the couple frequently moved between Sweden and Italy before establishing their home in the English town of Brighton and Hove. They tied the knot in August 2019 and currently lead a relatively anonymous life in their small seaside town with their two pugs, one named Edgar and the other Maya. In February 2023, his wife announced their pregnancy.

Following their purchase of a home in Japan in 2019, the couple’s plans were disrupted later that year due to a robbery and the country’s relocation regulations stemming from COVID-19. However, in May 2022, they successfully moved into their home in Japan with a five-year business visa.