The Highest-Paid YouTube Stars of 2019: The Kids Are Killing It
Anastasia Radzinskaya is an unlikely media star. Born in southern Russia with cerebral palsy, her doctors feared she would never be able to speak. To document her development through treatments, her parents posted videos of her on YouTube so friends and relatives could see the progress.
The videos are typical kid stuff: playdates with dad, jumping around on an inflatable castle and playing with her cat, each video accompanied by catchy jingles and voice-over giggles. She soon gained followers around the world. Her biggest hit was a 2018 trip to the petting zoo with her father Yuri that featured the two dancing to child favorite “Baby Shark,” milking a pretend cow and eating ice cream. That video has garnered 767 million views, the top draw for a growing media business that has funneled $18 million to the Radzinskayas between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019.
Anastasia, who goes by “Nastya,” now has 107 million subscribers across her seven channels who have watched her videos 42 billion times. She is No. 3 on the Forbes Top-Earning YouTube Stars ranking for 2019, which tallies pretax income collected from advertisements, sponsored content, merchandise sales, tours and more.
That’s a pretty good showing for a 5-year-old, but not quite as good as 8-year-old Ryan Kaji, this year’s top YouTube earner with $26 million. The elder influencer rose to fame in the “unboxing” genre, opening presents in front of the camera and comments on each. Ryan ToysReview debuted in 2015 and now has grown into a children’s channel called Ryan’s World with 23 million subscribers.
“YouTube is the most popular babysitter in the world,” says Eyal Baumel, CEO of management company Yoola, which specializes in digital stars, including Nastya.
Videos with children in them average almost three times as many views as other types of videos from high-subscriber channels, according to a Pew Research Center study done this year. Another Pew study revealed that 81% of parents with children 11 or younger let their kids watch YouTube.
High-minded programming can be found on YouTube—it just doesn’t make much money. YouTube’s ten highest earners brought in a total of $162 million between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019, including Ryan and Nastya, as well a five gamers who play popular titles like Minecraft and Fortnite. Dude Perfect (No. 2, with $20 million), features five thirtysomethings playing with adolescent toys like a giant Nerf ball, and Rhett and Link (No. 4, with $17.5 million), who perform food stunts like tasting Flamin’ Hot Cheetos-flavored Pop-Tarts.
As the kids have shown, the videos are just the start. Ryan now has a line of branded toys, clothing and home goods sold at Target, Walmart and Amazon, a spinoff television show on Nickelodeon and a deal with Hulu to repackage his videos. Nastya, who gets six-figure checks from sponsor brands including Dannon and Legoland, will be launching a line of toys and mobile game, and publishing a book next year. Last year, she moved with her parents from Krasnodar, Russia, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida.
And who can blame them for cashing in? YouTube is working to limit revenue possibilities for children’s channels in response to a settlement with the FTC for allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act rule. YouTube’s first step is a ban on targeted ads for kids’ content that begins next year. It’s been said by creators that the new guidelines may also affect natural search results so children’s videos don’t appear at the top of Google searches. That’s a direct hit at potential earnings, which come predominantly from pre-roll advertising spends.
Anastasia, at least, is already thinking of Plan B. She dreams of becoming a dolphin trainer and cat doctor.
“I wish I had the answer,” Chas Lacaillade, the founder and CEO of child star agency Bottle Rocket Management, says of landing that elusive secret to success. “I’d be a wealthier man.”
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The highest-paid YouTube stars of 2019, according to Forbes
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10. VanossGaming (Evan Fong) – $11.5 million
Evan Fong is no stranger to this list. Last year, he was the seventh highest-paid YouTuber, raking in a cool $17 million for his gaming videos. Under the name VanossGaming, Fong adds commentary to video games for the entertainment of his 24.8 million subscribers. He’s amassed a whopping 11,913,591,918 views since creating his YouTube channel in 2011.
Evan Fong is behind one of the highest-earning YouTube channels: VanossGaming. VanossGaming
9. DanTDM (Daniel Middleton) – $12 million
Daniel Middleton was once on the top of this Forbes list. Last year, he came in fourth, making $18.5 million. The British gamer may have slipped a few places on the list, but he has nothing to complain about. His YouTube channel helped him make $12 million this year, according to Forbes.
7 (tie). Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) – $13 million
Markiplier, a gamer whose real name is Mark Edward Fischbach, is known for his “Let’s Play” videos, in which he provides on-screen commentary to games as he plays them, Inside Edition reported. Markiplier appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2014 to show the world what he does.
YoutTube’s Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Edward Fischbach, is a gamer earning millions of dollars each year on the video platform. Markiplier
7 (tie). PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg)- $13 million
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, is a controversial content creator from Sweden. He recently announced that he is taking a break from YouTube, citing fatigue. He made the announcement three days after YouTube posted new content moderation guidelines curbing hateful speech in videos.
Disney and YouTube dropped Kjellberg after he posted a video of him laughing while two men held up a sign that said, “death to all Jews.” Later that year, he came under fire and apologized for using the n-word during a live-stream.
In 2018, he apologized for making fun of Demi Lovato’s hospitalization, posting a meme that showed the singer asking her mother for money to buy a burger, then turning around to buy heroin instead. He deleted the meme two days after Lovato was hospitalized for an apparent overdose. That year, he made the Forbes list, making $15.5 million.
6. Preston (Preston Arsement) – $14 million
Preston is a newcomer to the Forbes list. He is – surprise – a gamer who got his start playing Call of Duty and then began posting prank videos. He also makes money running Minecraft servers, according to Forbes.
5. Jeffree Star – $17 million
Breaking the gamer mold is Jeffree Star, a makeup artist who started on MySpace and now has his own successful makeup line. This year, fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson made a documentary series about the beauty mogul’s life. “The Secret World of Jeffree Star” ran for nine episodes – on YouTube, of course.
4. Rhett and Link – $17.5 million
Forbes says Rhett and Link are two of YouTube’s first stars. They host a talk show of sorts, “Good Mythical Morning,” where they taste-test odd food combinations like Krispie Kreme Sloppy Joes. They run four YouTube channels total, according to Forbes, and this year acquired another successful YouTube channel, Smosh, for a reported $10 million.
3. Anastasia Radzinskaya – $18 million
Forbes profiled the 5-year-old star, who was born in Russia with cerebral palsy. Radzinskaya’s doctors feared she would never be able to speak and now, she’s the face of the “Like Nastya Vlog,” which has 42.4 million subscribers. Radzinskaya’s videos mainly feature her playing with her dad and she now works with toy and food brands, Forbes reports.
5-year-old Anastasia Radzinskaya made $18 million this year by playing with toys on her YouTube channel. Like Nastya Vlog
2. Dude Perfect – $20 million
The five-man sports crew, known as Dude Perfect, specializes in intricate trick shots. They earned the same amount last year and were ranked number three on the 2018 list.
Their “ping pong trick shots” and “real-life trick shots,” in which they turn everyday activities into complex maneuvers, are among their most popular videos.
1. Ryan Kaji – $26 million
No one can seem to beat Ryan Kaji, who was also number one on last year’s list. His channel has 22.9 million subscribers and more than 34 billion views. One of his most popular videos received an astounding 1.9 billion views.
The 8-year-old boy reviews toys for other kids. Kaji now has his own line of toys and clothes, a show on Nickelodeon and a deal with Hulu, according to Forbes.
Number one on Forbes’ list of highest-paid YouTubers is Ryan Kaji – again. Ryan Toys Review/YouTube
The Highest-Paid YouTube Stars of 2019: The Kids Are Killing It
Children—and adults who act like them—are making millions becoming YouTube celebrities.
www.forbes.com
Anastasia Radzinskaya is an unlikely media star. Born in southern Russia with cerebral palsy, her doctors feared she would never be able to speak. To document her development through treatments, her parents posted videos of her on YouTube so friends and relatives could see the progress.
The videos are typical kid stuff: playdates with dad, jumping around on an inflatable castle and playing with her cat, each video accompanied by catchy jingles and voice-over giggles. She soon gained followers around the world. Her biggest hit was a 2018 trip to the petting zoo with her father Yuri that featured the two dancing to child favorite “Baby Shark,” milking a pretend cow and eating ice cream. That video has garnered 767 million views, the top draw for a growing media business that has funneled $18 million to the Radzinskayas between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019.
Anastasia, who goes by “Nastya,” now has 107 million subscribers across her seven channels who have watched her videos 42 billion times. She is No. 3 on the Forbes Top-Earning YouTube Stars ranking for 2019, which tallies pretax income collected from advertisements, sponsored content, merchandise sales, tours and more.
That’s a pretty good showing for a 5-year-old, but not quite as good as 8-year-old Ryan Kaji, this year’s top YouTube earner with $26 million. The elder influencer rose to fame in the “unboxing” genre, opening presents in front of the camera and comments on each. Ryan ToysReview debuted in 2015 and now has grown into a children’s channel called Ryan’s World with 23 million subscribers.
“YouTube is the most popular babysitter in the world,” says Eyal Baumel, CEO of management company Yoola, which specializes in digital stars, including Nastya.
Videos with children in them average almost three times as many views as other types of videos from high-subscriber channels, according to a Pew Research Center study done this year. Another Pew study revealed that 81% of parents with children 11 or younger let their kids watch YouTube.
High-minded programming can be found on YouTube—it just doesn’t make much money. YouTube’s ten highest earners brought in a total of $162 million between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019, including Ryan and Nastya, as well a five gamers who play popular titles like Minecraft and Fortnite. Dude Perfect (No. 2, with $20 million), features five thirtysomethings playing with adolescent toys like a giant Nerf ball, and Rhett and Link (No. 4, with $17.5 million), who perform food stunts like tasting Flamin’ Hot Cheetos-flavored Pop-Tarts.
As the kids have shown, the videos are just the start. Ryan now has a line of branded toys, clothing and home goods sold at Target, Walmart and Amazon, a spinoff television show on Nickelodeon and a deal with Hulu to repackage his videos. Nastya, who gets six-figure checks from sponsor brands including Dannon and Legoland, will be launching a line of toys and mobile game, and publishing a book next year. Last year, she moved with her parents from Krasnodar, Russia, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida.
And who can blame them for cashing in? YouTube is working to limit revenue possibilities for children’s channels in response to a settlement with the FTC for allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act rule. YouTube’s first step is a ban on targeted ads for kids’ content that begins next year. It’s been said by creators that the new guidelines may also affect natural search results so children’s videos don’t appear at the top of Google searches. That’s a direct hit at potential earnings, which come predominantly from pre-roll advertising spends.
Anastasia, at least, is already thinking of Plan B. She dreams of becoming a dolphin trainer and cat doctor.
“I wish I had the answer,” Chas Lacaillade, the founder and CEO of child star agency Bottle Rocket Management, says of landing that elusive secret to success. “I’d be a wealthier man.”
---
The highest-paid YouTube stars of 2019, according to Forbes
The highest-paid YouTube stars of 2019, according to Forbes - Home - WCBI TV | Telling Your Story
The highest-paid YouTube stars of 2019, according to Forbes from Home - WCBI TV | Telling Your Story
10. VanossGaming (Evan Fong) – $11.5 million
Evan Fong is no stranger to this list. Last year, he was the seventh highest-paid YouTuber, raking in a cool $17 million for his gaming videos. Under the name VanossGaming, Fong adds commentary to video games for the entertainment of his 24.8 million subscribers. He’s amassed a whopping 11,913,591,918 views since creating his YouTube channel in 2011.
Evan Fong is behind one of the highest-earning YouTube channels: VanossGaming. VanossGaming
9. DanTDM (Daniel Middleton) – $12 million
Daniel Middleton was once on the top of this Forbes list. Last year, he came in fourth, making $18.5 million. The British gamer may have slipped a few places on the list, but he has nothing to complain about. His YouTube channel helped him make $12 million this year, according to Forbes.
7 (tie). Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) – $13 million
Markiplier, a gamer whose real name is Mark Edward Fischbach, is known for his “Let’s Play” videos, in which he provides on-screen commentary to games as he plays them, Inside Edition reported. Markiplier appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2014 to show the world what he does.
YoutTube’s Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Edward Fischbach, is a gamer earning millions of dollars each year on the video platform. Markiplier
7 (tie). PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg)- $13 million
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, is a controversial content creator from Sweden. He recently announced that he is taking a break from YouTube, citing fatigue. He made the announcement three days after YouTube posted new content moderation guidelines curbing hateful speech in videos.
Disney and YouTube dropped Kjellberg after he posted a video of him laughing while two men held up a sign that said, “death to all Jews.” Later that year, he came under fire and apologized for using the n-word during a live-stream.
In 2018, he apologized for making fun of Demi Lovato’s hospitalization, posting a meme that showed the singer asking her mother for money to buy a burger, then turning around to buy heroin instead. He deleted the meme two days after Lovato was hospitalized for an apparent overdose. That year, he made the Forbes list, making $15.5 million.
6. Preston (Preston Arsement) – $14 million
Preston is a newcomer to the Forbes list. He is – surprise – a gamer who got his start playing Call of Duty and then began posting prank videos. He also makes money running Minecraft servers, according to Forbes.
5. Jeffree Star – $17 million
Breaking the gamer mold is Jeffree Star, a makeup artist who started on MySpace and now has his own successful makeup line. This year, fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson made a documentary series about the beauty mogul’s life. “The Secret World of Jeffree Star” ran for nine episodes – on YouTube, of course.
4. Rhett and Link – $17.5 million
Forbes says Rhett and Link are two of YouTube’s first stars. They host a talk show of sorts, “Good Mythical Morning,” where they taste-test odd food combinations like Krispie Kreme Sloppy Joes. They run four YouTube channels total, according to Forbes, and this year acquired another successful YouTube channel, Smosh, for a reported $10 million.
3. Anastasia Radzinskaya – $18 million
Forbes profiled the 5-year-old star, who was born in Russia with cerebral palsy. Radzinskaya’s doctors feared she would never be able to speak and now, she’s the face of the “Like Nastya Vlog,” which has 42.4 million subscribers. Radzinskaya’s videos mainly feature her playing with her dad and she now works with toy and food brands, Forbes reports.
5-year-old Anastasia Radzinskaya made $18 million this year by playing with toys on her YouTube channel. Like Nastya Vlog
2. Dude Perfect – $20 million
The five-man sports crew, known as Dude Perfect, specializes in intricate trick shots. They earned the same amount last year and were ranked number three on the 2018 list.
Their “ping pong trick shots” and “real-life trick shots,” in which they turn everyday activities into complex maneuvers, are among their most popular videos.
1. Ryan Kaji – $26 million
No one can seem to beat Ryan Kaji, who was also number one on last year’s list. His channel has 22.9 million subscribers and more than 34 billion views. One of his most popular videos received an astounding 1.9 billion views.
The 8-year-old boy reviews toys for other kids. Kaji now has his own line of toys and clothes, a show on Nickelodeon and a deal with Hulu, according to Forbes.
Number one on Forbes’ list of highest-paid YouTubers is Ryan Kaji – again. Ryan Toys Review/YouTube
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We got the game all fucked up. 
