PewDiePie Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is PewDiePie’s Net Worth?

A net worth of $45 million characterizes PewDiePie, a Swedish video game commentator, streamer, and internet celebrity. His channel has, at different times in the past, held the title of the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, and he has been recognized as the highest-earning YouTuber globally. Typically, his YouTube content showcases videos of him playing various video games.

In his videos, he plays games while commenting on his observations and experiences, also displaying his reactions to the gameplay on screen. PewDiePie commonly refers to his fans as the ‘Bro Army,’ composed of his ‘Bros,’ and he usually concludes each video with a signature ‘Brofist.’ Since launching his channel in 2009, the number of subscriptions has dramatically increased. He shared insights at Nonick Conference 2012, and in October 2012, OpenSlate designated his channel as the #1 YouTube channel regarding “SlateScore.” By April 2013, he reached 6 million subscribers and relocated to the United Kingdom in July 2013 to improve Internet connectivity.

Highest Paid YouTube Star

PewDiePie not only holds the title of YouTube’s biggest star by views but remains consistently among the highest-paid personalities on the platform. In 2013, CelebrityNetWorth reported his income at $12 million, making him the highest-paid YouTube star at that time. His earnings increased to over $14 million in 2014, while he earned $9 million in 2015. By 2016, he had made a substantial $15 million, followed by $12 million in 2017 and $15.5 million in 2018. In 2019, his earnings reached $13 million. Currently, PewDiePie charges $450,000 for each sponsored video.

When summing it all up, PewDiePie has earned more than $73 million in pre-tax income from his YouTube ventures since 2013. During an interview, he stated that his net worth significantly exceeds $20 million.

Early Life

Born as Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg in Gothenburg, Sweden, on October 24, 1989, PewDiePie is the son of Lotta Kristine Johanna and Ulf Christian Kjellberg. His father works as a corporate executive while his mother is an award-winning Chief Information Officer. He has an older sister named Fanny. During his high school years, Felix often skipped classes to play video games, graduating from Göteborgs Högre Samskola. Initially, he intended to pursue a degree in Industrial Economics and Technology Management at Chalmers University of Technology, but his lack of interest in the coursework led him to drop out. Contrary to popular belief, he did not leave school solely for a YouTube career. Although he found his classes unengaging, he harbored a passion for Photoshop and maintained a love for video games, eventually earning money by selling digitally altered images to finance a computer purchase.

YouTube

PewDiePie joined YouTube on December 19, 2006, under the original channel name “Pewdie.” He described his choice of the term “pew” as mimicking the sound that a laser produces. In the early days, his video content primarily featured him playing Call of Duty, alongside a mix of vlogging. At one point, he forgot the password to his Pewdie channel, prompting him to create a new channel named PewDiePie on April 29, 2010. On this channel, Felix concentrated on games such as Call of Duty, Minecraft, and various action/horror titles. For instance, he would showcase his best CoD kills in short clips paired with humorous commentary and edits, while his Minecraft videos consisted of “Let’s Plays,” simply featuring him playing the game.

Early Success

At a certain point, PewDiePie began playing the game Amnesia. For reasons unknown, his Let’s Plays of Amnesia resonated with a wider YouTube audience, leading to a rapid increase in subscribers. By July 2012, his channel reached 1 million subscribers, followed by 2 million by September 2012. He signed a representation agreement with the MCN Machinima, and in October 2012, he switched to Maker Studios.

The Biggest YouTube Star On The Planet

During 2012 and 2013, PewDiePie was recognized as the fastest-growing channel on YouTube. In 2013 alone, his subscriber count soared from 3.5 million to a staggering 19 million. He acquired a new subscriber every second throughout the year, reaching a total of 1.3 billion video views and finishing the year as YouTube’s most subscribed channel.

With the support of Maker Studios, he was able to release a PewDiePie iPhone app. He expressed discomfort at times with Maker Studios’ parent company, Disney, but nonetheless launched a website and an online store to support the app, which had achieved substantial success.

In 2014, his channel welcomed 14 million new subscribers and amassed 4.1 billion video views, significantly more than any other channel at the time. The following year, in 2015, he averaged 300 million video views each month.

Return To Twitch

In May 2020, after signing an exclusive streaming deal with YouTube, PewDiePie made a surprising comeback to Twitch in March 2023, following a long period of inactivity on the platform. He introduced an inventive use of his channel dubbed PewDiePie Infinity, which he described as an “infinite money glitch in real life,” setting it up to continually broadcast an endless loop of his past streams and videos. Currently, he has 1.5 million followers on Twitch.

Controversies

PewDiePie faced a setback in February 2017 when he lost his YouTube Red show after it was exposed that several of his videos contained antisemitic remarks. He maintains that the videos were intended as sarcasm to illustrate how far individuals will go for money, regardless of the inappropriate or shocking nature of their actions. A notorious example involved him paying two individuals $5 via the website Fiver to hold up a sign that read “Death to all Jews.” Additionally, a viral phenomenon arose called the “subscribe to PewDiePie” challenge, wherein participants attempted to spread that phrase in public spaces as a form of trolling. This challenge has been linked to at least two mass murderers.During their manifestos or massacres, the phrase “subscribe to PewDiePie” has been uttered. PewDiePie has condemned the killers and separated himself from the associated meme.

Personal Life

In 2011, PewDiePie met Marzia Bisognin from Italy, leading to an online friendship that blossomed into romance. He created a YouTube channel for her named CutiePieMarzia in 2012. Her content revolved around fashion, beauty, makeup, books, and movies, eventually becoming one of YouTube’s most popular beauty channels. She retired from YouTube in 2018. Over the years, they moved back and forth between Sweden and Italy before finally settling in Brighton and Hove, England. They tied the knot in August 2019. The couple enjoys a relatively private life in their small seaside town alongside their two pugs, Edgar and Maya. In February 2023, his wife announced their pregnancy.

In 2019, they purchased a home in Japan that was robbed later that same year, and their relocation was hindered due to COVID-19 regulations. In May 2022, the couple successfully moved to Japan with a five-year business visa.