YouTube’s Highest-Paid Star of 2019 Made $26 Million… And Is 8-Years-Old

YouTube is truly a money-making machine.

You may have heard of YouTubers like David Dobrik, Logan Paul or Tana Mongeau, but it’s the somewhat smaller names that are raking in the most money, according to Forbes. It turns out, Dobrik, Paul and Mongeau didn’t even crack the list for the top ten highest-paid earners on the website. Instead, they were beat out by other creators, two of whom are under the age of ten.  

Even more interesting is the fact that most of the top creators weren’t beauty bloggers or vloggers who share their daily life. The list is largely composed of gamers, save for the few toy reviewers, dare devils and Jeffree Star, who managed to be the sole beauty blogger on the list. 

And it must be said that no one on Forbes‘ list makes less than $11.5 million. 

To find out where your favorite YouTubers rank and just how much money they’re taking home, check out the list below.

10. VanossGaming: $11.5 million

Believe it or not, the world of online gaming is it’s own form of cinema. Evan Fong capitalizes on this market by creating video montages from his own play-time, centered around funny moments or revealing how to complete challenges. He’s been a part of the YouTube community ever since he joined in 2011. 

9. DanTDM: $12 million

Like Fong, Daniel Middleton is a huge name in the world of online gaming. The Brit joined the YouTube-sphere in 2012 and has since expanded his following to 22.2 million followers. He specializes in playing Minecraft games, but expanded his portfolio to include Fortnite, Roblox and more. Plus, he’s the author of his very own graphic novel series, which has taken him on tours across the globe. 

7. Markiplier: $13 million (tied)

Then there’s Mark Fischbach, who’s a gamer as well as an entertainer. Over the years, he’s played many a game, but his over 24 million followers love his sketch comedies and other content as well. Moreover, he’s known for his good deeds like playing charity live-streams, which allowed him to raise over $3 million for various charities. He is currently collaborating with CrankGameplays on Unus Annus, a project where he and his collaborator create a video everyday for a year before deleting all content. 

7. PewDiePie: $13 million (tied)

It’s no surprise to see Felix Kfellberg on this list. Since joining in 2010, his following count has grown to over 100 million and continues to grow. Though a controversial figure, many people love to follow his antics both online and in real life. He uploads videos on a nearly daily basis and is known for sharing content of all kinds. Felix has even shared content from his wedding this year. However, it seems this incessant stream of content has exhausted the creator as he intends on taking a break from YouTube in 2020. 

6. Preston: $14 million

Yet another gamer nabs a top spot on this list: 25-year-old Preston Arsement. Starting in 2012, the then-teen had his start on Call of Duty before graduating to making more wild videos, including pranks. He continues to game, but is now famously known for his videos in which he either eats outrageous amounts, gives away tons of money or completes wild challenges.

5. Jeffree Star: $17 million

Anyone who’s anyone knows this name. Jeffree Star is one of the biggest figures on YouTube and in the beauty community. While a majority of his income comes from his refreshingly honest and outrageous videos, he also runs Jeffree Star cosmetics and the Killer Merch company. In the past year, he’s started to reveal a more personal side of himself, which has turned some critics into fans.

4. Rhett and Link: $17.5 million

These two men are turning YouTube into a bonafide entertainment hub. Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal are essentially the Today show for people who eat, drink and breath YouTube content. They host the morning show Good Mythical Morning and star in the YouTube show Buddy System. This year they won Show of the Year at the 2019 Streamys, an award show for content creators.

3. Anastasia Radzinskaya: $18 million

She’s only 5-years-old but Russian-born Anastasia is one of the most popular creators on the platform. On her channel Like Nastya, she and her dad basically play make believe all day. They have videos of her playing dress up or going to the beach, some of which have over 767 million views. According to an interview with Forbes, her parents started making the videos to share her progress as she went through treatment for cerebral palsy.

2. Dude Perfect: $20 million

The runner-up is none other than five guys who do the most outlandish, wild and daring stunts in the name of achieving the “perfect” shot. Together, Coby Cotton, Cory Cotton, Garret Hilbert, Cody Jones and Tyler Toney, have accomplished some of the toughest trick shots and beat a ton of World Records.

1.Ryan Kaji: $26 million

It sounds unbelievable, but trust us when we say Ryan literally got his start by opening toys for videos when he was just 3-years-old. He’s now 8-years-old and does a lot more than just opening toys. He does science experiments, educational videos and the occasional egg surprise—basically he opens a huge fake egg to see what’s inside. While he maintains a regular schedule on YouTube he also has a Nickelodeon show and has a contract with Hulu.