PewDiePie Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is PewDiePie’s Net Worth?

PewDiePie, a Swedish internet celebrity, video game commentator, and streamer, boasts a net worth estimated at $45 million. His channel has held the title of the most-subscribed YouTube channel at various times, and he has been recognized as the highest-earning YouTuber globally. Typically, his YouTube content consists of videos showcasing his gameplay across a variety of video games.

In his usual videos, he plays the game while providing commentary on his observations and experiences, along with showcasing his reactions to on-screen events. PewDiePie often addresses his fans as the ‘Bro Army,’ consisting of his ‘Bros,’ and generally concludes each of his videos with a signature ‘Brofist.’ Since launching his channel in 2009, the number of subscribers has surged dramatically. He also made an appearance at the Nonick Conference in 2012. In October of that same year, OpenSlate ranked his channel as the #1 YouTube channel based on “SlateScore.” By April 2013, PewDiePie had reached 6 million subscribers, and in July 2013, he relocated to the United Kingdom for improved Internet access.

Highest Paid YouTube Star

Not only is PewDiePie the leading star on YouTube in terms of views, but he is also consistently among the highest-paid personalities on the platform. In 2013, CelebrityNetWorth reported PewDiePie as the highest-paid YouTuber globally, earning $12 million. His earnings rose to over $14 million in 2014. He made $9 million in 2015, whereas in 2016, he raked in $15 million. In 2017, his income reached $12 million, followed by $15.5 million in 2018 and $13 million in 2019. Currently, he commands $450,000 for a single sponsored video.

When totaling his earnings, PewDiePie has made over $73 million before taxes from his YouTube ventures since 2013. During an interview, he stated that his net worth exceeds “much much” more than $20 million.

Early Life

PewDiePie was born on October 24, 1989, in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is named Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg. His parents, Lotta Kristine Johanna and Ulf Christian Kjellberg, have significant professional backgrounds; his father is a corporate executive, while his mother is an award-winning Chief Information Officer. Felix has an older sister, Fanny. Throughout high school, he often skipped classes to indulge in video games, eventually graduating from Göteborgs Högre Samskola. Initially, he sought a degree in Industrial Economics and Technology Management at Chalmers University of Technology but lost interest in the courses, leading him to drop out—not specifically to start a YouTube career as often assumed. Despite his disinterest in school subjects, he had a strong passion for Photoshop and maintained his love for video games, even selling photoshopped images to fund a computer purchase.

YouTube

On December 19, 2006, Felix became a part of YouTube, initially creating a channel named “Pewdie.” He explained that the term “pew” represents the sound made by a laser. His earliest videos showcased Felix engaging in Call of Duty gameplay, occasionally incorporating vlogs. At one point, he lost access to his Pewdie channel due to a forgotten password, compelling him to start a new one called PewDiePie on April 29, 2010. The focus on this new channel included Call of Duty, Minecraft, and various horror and action games. For instance, he would feature highlights of his best Call of Duty kills accompanied by fun commentary and edits while sharing “Let’s Plays” for Minecraft, where he would simply play through the game.

Early Success

Eventually, PewDiePie began playing Amnesia. For reasons unknown, his Let’s Play videos for Amnesia resonated with a broader YouTube audience, leading to a significant increase in his subscriber count. By July 2012, PewDiePie’s channel had reached 1 million subscribers and climbed to 2 million by September 2012. He entered into a representation deal with the MCN Machinima, before transitioning to Maker Studios in October 2012.

The Biggest YouTube Star On The Planet

PewDiePie was recognized as the fastest-growing channel on YouTube during 2012 and 2013. In the year 2013 alone, his subscriber count soared from 3.5 million to 19 million, with an astounding rate of gaining a new subscriber every 1.037 seconds throughout the entire year. Additionally, he racked up 1.3 billion video views that year, finishing as the most-subscribed channel on YouTube.

With the assistance of Maker Studio, he successfully launched a PewDiePie iPhone app. Although he occasionally felt uneasy about Maker Studio’s parent company, Disney, he went on to create a website and an online store to enhance the app, which proved to be extremely successful.

In 2014, his channel added an impressive 14 million subscribers and garnered 4.1 billion video views, outpacing all other channels extensively. The following year, he maintained an average of 300 million video views each month.

Return To Twitch

In May 2020, after securing an exclusive streaming deal with YouTube, PewDiePie made an unexpected comeback to Twitch in March 2023, despite having an inactive channel for several years. He introduced a novel use of the channel, which he branded as PewDiePie Infinity. This initiative was conceived as an “infinite money glitch in real life,” wherein he set up a continuous loop showcasing his previous streams and videos. Presently, he boasts 1.5 million followers on the platform.

Controversies

In February 2017, PewDiePie faced the loss of his YouTube Red show following the exposure of anti-Semitic references in several of his videos. He maintained that the intent behind these videos was sarcastic, designed to illustrate the extremes individuals would go for financial gain, regardless of how inappropriate or shocking. One notable incident involved him paying two individuals $5 via the website Fiverr to display a sign that read “Death to all Jews.” Additionally, there has been a viral challenge encouraging people to promote the phrase “subscribe to PewDiePie” publicly, leading to its spread in various contexts. At least two mass murderersDuring their massacres or in their manifestos, some individuals have mentioned “subscribe to PewDiePie.” PewDiePie has publicly distanced himself from this meme and condemned the actions of the murderers.

Personal Life

In 2011, PewDiePie first met Italian Marzia Bisognin. Their friendship started online and eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship. In 2012, he encouraged her to create a YouTube channel named CutiePieMarzia, where she produced content on fashion, beauty, movies, and books. This channel grew to become one of the most prominent beauty platforms on YouTube. She retired from YouTube in 2018. The couple spent several years alternating between Sweden and Italy before establishing their residence in Brighton and Hove, England. They tied the knot in August 2019. Currently, they live a relatively private life in their small seaside town along with two pugs, Edgar and Maya. In February 2023, Marzia announced that they were expecting a baby.

In 2019, they purchased a house in Japan, which was unfortunately robbed later that same year, and their relocation was postponed due to the country’s relocation laws in response to COVID-19. In May 2022, the couple finally moved to their residence in Japan under a five-year business visa.