Ordinary people making millions from social media
lovemoney staff
09 February 2017
Highest paid YouTubers and more
Boasting legions of admiring fans, the most successful social media stars are raking it in big-time, thanks to massive ad revenues, paid product placements, lucrative book deals and money-making merchandise. From cult beauty and fashion gurus and mysterious toy unboxers, to geeky gamers and cheeky pranksters, we reveal the regular people turned mega-influencers who are making millions from YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Twitch.
Tanya Burr (Pixi2woo), net worth $1.9 million (£1.5m)
Tanya Burr, 27, was working on a beauty counter at a department store in Norwich, England when she started posting celeb copycat make-up tutorials on YouTube in 2009. Fast-forward to 2017 and the British beauty and style vlogger has 3.7 million YouTube subscribers and 2.46 million Twitter followers, not to mention a book deal and cosmetics line.
Bethany Mota (Macbarbie07), net worth: $2.5 million (£2m)
Californian haul queen Bethany Mota posted her first YouTube video in 2009 to help boost her confidence after being bullied at school. Now one of social media's most popular stars, the 21-year-old fashion, beauty and lifestyle guru has millions of fans, her own clothing range and has even appeared as a contestant on hit US TV show Dancing with the Stars.
Brian DiFeo (@bridif), net worth: $3 million (£2.4m)
Amateur photographer Brian DiFeo, 40, joined Instagram in October 2010, a few weeks after its launch. One of the first people to recognize the earning potential of the picture-sharing site, the New Yorker soon built up a dedicated following, landed his first paid gig for Puma in 2011, and founded The Mobile Media Lab in 2012, the only creative agency devoted to Instagram advertising.
Alfie Deyes (PointlessBlog), net worth: $3 million (£2.4m)
Now a well known celeb in the UK, 23-year-old Alfie Deynes began vlogging on his PointlessBlog YouTube channel back in 2009 while he was still at school. The London-born vlogger's viral and gaming videos, and collaborations with fellow vloggers and stars like Arianna Grande have garnered him a humongous social media following and three big-money book deals.
Zoe Sugg (Zoella), net worth: $3.76 million (£3m)
YouTube's power couple, Alfie Deynes has been dating 26-year-old fashion and beauty vlogger Zoe Sugg aka Zoella since 2014. Rocking a whopping 11.6 million YouTube subscribers and 7.46 million Twitter followers, the internet sensation, who lives with her boyfriend in a $1.3 million (£1m) house in Brighton, England, has made most of her money from her beauty line and book deals – her debut novel Girl Online was the UK's fastest selling book in 2014.
Tom Cassell (TheSyndicateProject/Syndicate), net worth: $4.72 million (£3.8m)
Another super-popular British vlogger, gamer Tom Cassell, 23, has just under 10 million YouTube subscribers, runs the most followed channel on gaming social video platform Twitch and is VP of a gambling website. It's not all been plain sailing however – the internet star has fallen foul of the authorities on more than one occasion for failing to disclose that he was being paid to promote various products.
Toby Turner (Tobuscus/TobyGames), net worth: $5 million (£4m)
Toby Turner kicked off his social media career using a camera his mother bought him in 2006. Ridiculously popular, the 31-year-old internet comedian's funny videos on his Tobuscus YouTube channel have attracted 6.4 million subscribers, and his gaming and vlogging channels have pulled in millions more. Turner has also appeared in several movies and TV shows.
Grace Helbig (GracieHinABox/it'sGrace), net worth: $5 million (£4m)
Enjoying a similar career trajectory, comic Grace Helbig, also 31, started vlogging in 2007 to kill time while she was house-sitting for a family in New Jersey. Like Toby Turner, the popular comedian has notched up millions of subscribers, as well as presenting and standup gigs, TV commercials, movie roles and comic book deals.
Jenna Nicole Mourey (JennaMarbles), net worth: $5 million ($4m)
Queen of YouTube Jenna Nicole Mourey, better known as JennaMarbles, was working in a tanning salon and go-go dancing on the side when she launched her humorous YouTube channel in 2010. To date, the 30-year-old Californian-based vlogger has racked up 16.7 million subscribers and two billion views, and has her own dog toy brand and weekly show on SiriusXM Hits 1.
Rubén Doblas Gundersen (elrubius/ElRubiusOMG), net worth: $5.5 million ($4.4m)
Spanish gamer Rubén Doblas Gundersen aka El Rubius has won over millions of YouTube subscribers with his witty gameplay videos and vlogs. In fact, the 26-year-old's ElRubiusOMG channel is the sixth most subscribed on YouTube with a breathtaking 23 million subscribers and 4.9 billion views. Like many YouTube stars, Gundersen has topped up his income with lucrative book deals and product endorsements.
Samuel de Luque (Vegetta777), net worth: $6.2 million (£5m)
Fellow Spanish gamer Samuel de Luque, otherwise known as Vegetta777, has made even more money than Gundersen. The 27-year-old YouTube success story joined the site in 2008 and soon attracted millions of fans with his unique gameplay style. His channel is now the second most subscribed in Spain and super-popular among gamers in Latin America.
Joseph Garrett (Stampylonghead), net worth: $6.3 million (£5m)
The most famous YouTuber you've never heard of – unless you're under 12 or a parent with young kids – 26-year-old Joseph Garrett aka Stampylonghead has made a fortune from his Stampy Cat character and family-friendly YouTube videos on Minecraft and other games. A former barman, Garrett has also appeared on Disney and CBBC TV shows, and has had two books published.
Tyler Oakley (Tyler Oakley), net worth: $8 million (£6.4m)
LGBT activist and entertainer Tyler Oakley posted his first video in 2007 when he was a freshman at Michigan State University and hasn't looked back. The 27-year-old's eponymous YouTube channel now has eight million subscribers and his Twitter account has scored 5.6 million followers. Boosting his income, Oakley has appeared on countless internet shows and landed a book deal with Simon & Schuster in 2015.
Lilly Singh (IISuperwomanII), net worth: $10 million (£8m)
Struggling with depression, Lilly Singh turned to YouTube to lift her spirits, launching her hilarious IISuperwomanII channel in 2010. Seven years down the line, the 28-year-old Canadian comedian counts 11 million YouTube subscribers and 2.07 million followers on Twitter, has launched her own lipstick and appeared in several movies to boot.
Daniel Middleton (TheDiamondMinecart/DanTDM), net worth: $10 million (£8m)
Minecraft gameplay stars clearly make a killing on YouTube. Daniel Middleton, 25, aka TheDiamondMinecart/DanTDM has racked up 14 million subscribers – mostly children between the ages of five and 10 – and a total of 9.1 billion views. As well as YouTube videos, the British social media star makes regular TV appearances and has released a graphic novel.
Messias Credido (BluCollection), net worth: $10 million (£8m)
Who'd have thought you could make millions of dollars from simply opening toy boxes? The BluCollection channel on YouTube is hosted by a mysterious man with a calming voice who opens and plays with toys. Recently unmasked as Florida-based Messias Crecido, 46, the Brazilian-born YouTuber has an impressive 5.2 million subscribers.
Mark Edward Fischbach (Markiplier), net worth: $10.6 million (£8.5)
Another moneyed social media gamer, Mark Edward Fischbach, who is better known as Markiplier, has made millions of dollars from his gameplay YouTube channel, amassing 16.4 million subscribers and 6.6 billion views. The 27-year-old, who is based in LA, also appears in his own line of comics.
Roman Atwood (RomanAtwoodVlogs RomanAtwood), net worth: $10.7 million (£8.6m)
American vlogger and prankster extraordinaire Roman Atwood, 33, worked in a rope factory before hitting the big-time with his RomanAtwoodVlogs and RomanAtwood YouTube channels. The controversial trickster – who has been accused of staging some of his pranks – has also released a movie and toured theaters worldwide.
Chiara Ferragni (@chiaraferragni), net worth: $12 million (£9.6m)
The highest paid Instagrammer on the planet, Milanese fashionista Chiara Ferragni, 29, started The Blonde Salad blog in 2009 and joined Instagram in its early days, becoming one of its first stars. With 8.1 million well-heeled Insta followers, Ferragni is feted by the fashion industry – she has appeared on three Vogue covers, sits front row at all the top shows and has her own high-end shoe line.
Jordan Maron (CaptainSparklez), net worth: $13.7 million (£10.9m)
No other YouTuber has made more money playing Minecraft than Jordan Maron aka CaptainSparklez. The 25-year-old gamer has notched up over 10 million subscribers and millions of fanboys and fangirls worldwide. Maron has made a large chunk of his fortune from his mobile gaming company XREAL, which released its first title in 2015.
Germán Garmendia (HolaSoyGerman/JuegaGerman), net worth: $14.5 million (£11.6m)
The highest earning Spanish-speaking YouTuber, Chilean vlogger and comedian Germán Garmendia, 26, has achieved the accolade of second most subscribed YouTube channel – HolaSoyGerman has a mind-blowing 31 million subscribers. Crazy-popular in Spain and Latin America, the online star has released a book and voiced a character in the Spanish language version of Ice Age: Collision Course.
Rhett James Loughlin and Charles Lincoln "Link" Neal III (Rhett & Link), net worth: $15 million (£12m)
This YouTube comedy double-act, who call themselves 'Internetainers', have attracted millions of subscribers and views with their side-splitting videos. Rhett James Loughlin, 39, and Charles Lincoln “Link” Neal III, 38, were working as engineers when their social media careers exploded in 2006. The pair have since made a fortune from ad revenue and sponsored videos.
Joe Wicks (@thebodycoach), net worth: $18.2 million (£14.5m)
Fitness and nutrition guru Joe Wicks has taken the UK by storm with his Lean in 15 diet. The enviously buff social media star, 30, started posting tips on Twitter in 2011 but didn't hit it big until he joined Instagram in 2013. Wicks, who boasts 1.7 million admiring followers on the photo-sharing site, has a Bjorn Borg underwear campaign and best-selling book under his belt, and has even bagged his own TV series.
Vera Credido (FunToyzCollector, formerly DisneyCollectorBR), net worth: $18.4 million (£14.7m)
One of YouTube's highest-grossing channels, the woman behind FunToyzCollector (formerly DisneyToyCollectorBR) is thought to be Vera Credido, 45, the wife of Messias Credido aka BluCollection. Her Disney toy unboxing channel has garnered a staggering 12 billion views and 8.8 million subscribers.
Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla (Smosh), net worth: $18.8 million (£15m)
Sketch comedy duo Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla, both 29, posted their first Smosh video on YouTube way back in 2005 and have since attracted 22.5 million subscribers and lucrative deal after lucrative deal. And the money keeps rolling in. According to Forbes, the pair earned $7 million (£5.6m) in the 12 months up to June 2016 alone, giving them an estimated net worth of $18.8 million (£15m).
Michelle Phan (MichellePhan), net worth: $44 million (£35m)
Beauty vlogger Michelle Phan, another loaded 29-year-old YouTuber, has seriously cleaned up since she launched her ultra-popular make-up tutorial channel in 2007. An inspiring rags-to-riches story, the talented make-up artist who once had to scrape by on food stamps now has a L'Oreal beauty line and a beauty products subscription company valued at $500 million (£400m). No wonder she's so wealthy.
Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie), net worth: $80 million+ (£64m+)
The highest paid social media personality on the planet, YouTube superstar Felix Kjellberg aka PewDiePie is virtually a household name. The Swedish-born, Brighton-based gamer, 27, currently has 52.8 million 'Bro Army' subscribers, more than five times the population of his home country, and reports suggest the YouTuber has grossed $124 million (£99m) since 2010. A mega millennial influencer, last year Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people.
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