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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

What Happened To PewDiePie?

PewDiePie, born Felix Kjellberg, is a Swedish YouTuber who once held the title of the most-subscribed YouTube channel.

His rise and fall captivated audiences around the world, and the story of PewDiePie is a fascinating tale of fame, controversy, and resilience.

Short Answer – What Happened To PewDiePie? – PewDiePie rose to fame with gaming videos on YouTube, faced controversies like racism & anti-Semitism, lost business partnerships, married Marzia Bisognin, moved to Japan, and announced pregnancy.

This deep dive explores PewDiePie’s meteoric ascent, his battles with controversies and demonetization, and his life beyond the screen.

If you like this blog check out my deep dives into Alex Day, Tobuscus, SourceFed, Smosh and more.

PewDiePie – The Humble Beginnings

Felix Kjellberg was born on October 24, 1989, in Gothenburg, Sweden. The son of Lotta Kristine Johanna and Ulf Christian Kjellberg, Felix grew up with his sister, Fanny.

He graduated from high school in 2008, and in 2010, while studying Industrial Economics and Technology Management at Chalmers University of Technology, Felix decided to start a YouTube channel.

PewDiePie’s Family

Family Member Name Relation
Mother Lotta Kristine Johanna Mother
Father Ulf Christian Kjellberg Father
Sister Fanny Sister

The Rise of PewDiePie

In 2010, PewDiePie began uploading videos to YouTube, primarily focused on “Let’s Play” videos, where he played and commented on various video games.

His quirky personality, unique commentary style, and signature “Bro Fist” quickly attracted a following, and by 2012, his channel surpassed one million subscribers.

PewDiePie’s YouTube Milestones

Year Milestone Subscribers
2012 1 Million Subscribers 1,000,000
2013 Most Subscribed Channel 11,932,254
2014 25 Million Subscribers 25,000,000
2016 50 Million Subscribers 50,000,000
2019 100 Million Subscribers 100,000,000

Controversies and Demonetization

As PewDiePie’s popularity grew, he faced an increasing amount of scrutiny, particularly with regard to his content. His sense of humour and edgy jokes were not without controversy, leading to several high-profile incidents that tarnished his reputation and strained his relationships with business partners.

What Happened To PewDiePie? 2

The Fiverr Incident (January 2017)

In one of PewDiePie’s most notorious controversies, he posted a video featuring two men holding a sign that read “Death to All Jews,” which he had commissioned on the freelancing platform Fiverr.

He intended the video to be a commentary on the absurdity of what people would do for money, but it was widely perceived as anti-Semitic.

As a result, the Wall Street Journal published an article highlighting this and other instances of controversial content on PewDiePie’s channel.

Response to the Controversy (February 2017)

Following the Wall Street Journal article, PewDiePie uploaded a video addressing the controversy. In it, he apologized for the offensive content but also criticized the media for taking his jokes out of context and sensationalizing them.

Nevertheless, the damage was done, and the fallout from the Fiverr incident would have lasting repercussions.

Disney and YouTube Sever Ties (February 2017)

In response to the anti-Semitic content, Disney’s Maker Studios, which had been working with PewDiePie, decided to cut ties with him.

YouTube also took action, cancelling the second season of PewDiePie’s YouTube Red series, “Scare PewDiePie,” and removing him from the Google Preferred advertising platform.

These decisions were significant blows to PewDiePie’s career, as they severed major revenue streams and partnerships.

The N-Word Controversy (September 2017)

In another incident, PewDiePie was live-streaming a video game on his channel when he used a racial slur, the N-word, in frustration. The incident sparked widespread condemnation from the YouTube community and reignited the debate about the appropriateness of his content.

PewDiePie apologized for his use of the slur, admitting that it was “extremely immature” and “irresponsible.”

These controversies, among others, cast a shadow over PewDiePie’s career and significantly impacted his standing within the YouTube community.

While he has since made efforts to clean up his content and repair his reputation, these events serve as a reminder of the challenges that come with fame and the importance of responsible content creation in the digital age.

PewDiePie’s Controversies and Demonetization Timeline

Year Event
2017 Accusations of anti-Semitic content
2017 Disney and YouTube sever ties
2017 Cancellation of “Scare PewDiePie” YouTube Red series
2017 Removal from Google Preferred advertising platform

Japan and Personal Life

Felix Kjellberg, known as PewDiePie, met Marzia Bisognin, an Italian YouTuber and entrepreneur, in 2011 after Marzia’s friend recommended she watch PewDiePie’s videos.

The two began a long-distance relationship, with Marzia eventually moving to Sweden to be with Felix. Over the years, their relationship has been documented in numerous YouTube videos, with Marzia often appearing in Felix’s content.

In April 2018, PewDiePie proposed to Marzia, and they announced their engagement on social media. The couple was married in a private ceremony at London’s Kew Gardens on August 19, 2019, surrounded by close friends and family. Photos from the event were shared on the couple’s social media profiles, and fans worldwide congratulated the pair on their union.

In 2020, PewDiePie and Marzia relocated from the United Kingdom to Japan, a country they had both expressed a deep love for in their videos. They have shared their experiences of living in Japan on social media and through their YouTube channels, showcasing their new home and the cultural experiences they’ve enjoyed. The couple has expressed their appreciation for the Japanese lifestyle and their excitement at starting a new chapter of their lives in the country.

In February 2023, PewDiePie and Marzia announced that they were expecting their first child together. The couple shared the news through an emotional video posted on PewDiePie’s YouTube channel, as well as on their respective social media accounts. Fans worldwide celebrated the announcement, expressing their joy and support for the couple as they embarked on this new journey as parents.

The personal life of PewDiePie and Marzia has been an integral part of their online presence, with fans following their relationship from its inception to their recent pregnancy announcement. As they continue to share their experiences and adventures in Japan, their story serves as a reminder of the human side of online content creators, who live their lives beyond the screen.

PewDiePie’s Personal Life

Year Event
2018 Engagement to Marzia Bisognin
2019 Marriage to Marzia Bisognin
2020 Relocation to Japan

The Fall and Rebirth of PewDiePie

Despite the controversies and setbacks, PewDiePie continued to create content and maintain a loyal fanbase. However, in early 2019, an Indian music label and film production company, T-Series, overtook PewDiePie as the most-subscribed YouTube channel.

The rivalry between PewDiePie and T-Series led to a massive online campaign known as “Subscribe to PewDiePie,” which garnered international attention. Though he eventually conceded the title to T-Series, this event further solidified PewDiePie’s impact on the YouTube community.

PewDiePie vs. T-Series

Year Event
2019 T-Series overtakes PewDiePie as most-subscribed channel
2019 “Subscribe to PewDiePie” campaign begins
2019 PewDiePie concedes the title to T-Series

In the wake of these events, PewDiePie shifted his content focus, moving away from “Let’s Play” videos and expanding into other areas, such as commentary, vlogs, and even book reviews. He also took a brief hiatus from YouTube in early 2020, citing the need for a break from the platform.

PewDiePie Philanthropy and the Future

Despite the controversies that have plagued his career, PewDiePie has remained dedicated to using his platform for good. He has raised millions of dollars for various charities, including Save the Children, World Wildlife Fund, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, among others.

PewDiePie’s Philanthropy

Year Charity/Event Amount Raised
2013 Save the Children $342,828
2016 World Wildlife Fund $152,239
2018 St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital $200,000

Today, PewDiePie continues to create content for his millions of subscribers, evolving and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of YouTube.

Though his time as the most-subscribed channel has come to an end, PewDiePie’s legacy remains an important part of YouTube’s history, and his future endeavours will likely continue to captivate audiences around the world.

Finally…

The rise and fall of PewDiePie is a story of triumph, controversy, and resilience. From his humble beginnings in Sweden to the pinnacle of YouTube stardom, PewDiePie has navigated the ups and downs of fame while maintaining a loyal fanbase and making a lasting impact on the world of online content creation.

As he continues to evolve and adapt, it’s clear that PewDiePie’s story is far from over, and the world eagerly awaits what the future holds for this iconic YouTuber.

If you like this, check out the Where Are They Now Playlist

 

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HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

Do YouTubers Get Paid if You Have YouTube Premium?

Given the many and varied ways there are for a YouTuber to earn revenue from their channel, and the increasingly volatile ways in which YouTube decides who can earn revenue through their platform, it can be a little confusing trying to work out when YouTubers get paid and when they don’t.

Whether you are looking at this from the perspective of a YouTuber wanting to know if they can get paid, or an interested viewer who is just curious how it all works, you might be looking for a little clarity.

In this post, we’re going to provide some of that clarity as it pertains to YouTube Premium. Do YouTubers get paid if you have YouTube Premium? – YouTube Premium is an additional revenue stream for creators to replace YouTube ads for ad free video viewing. YouTube Premium membership fees are split between the creators a member watches based a percentage of their total watch history and behavior that month.

What is YouTube Premium

Let’s start with the basics; what is YouTube Premium?

YouTube, as we all know, is a free service. For those of us old enough to remember the early days of the platform, you might recall that YouTube’s ability to make a profit was one of its main criticisms, and the fact that it was free was a big part of it. These days, of course, YouTube displays advertisements on their content (sometimes excessively so) to make money, but that isn’t their only source of revenue.

YouTube Premium is YouTube’s subscription service, giving a subscriber a range of benefits like access to exclusive YouTube content… and ad-free viewing. It is this last one that is the reason why there is any confusion about whether YouTubers get paid—if there are no ads being shown, there is no ad revenue to split with the YouTuber.

Do YouTubers Get Paid if You Have YouTube Premium?

The short answer is yes.

YouTube Premium users do not get shown ads on content they watch—regardless of who made that content—but the content creator receives a share of the YouTube Premium revenue in place of that ad revenue.

This share is proportionate to the amount of watch time you receive. So, to pull some completely unrealistic numbers out of thin air for an example, if the total YouTube Premium earnings for one month was $1,000, and your content accounted for 0.1% of all YouTube Premium watch time, you would earn $1 of YouTube Premium revenue.

There are other factors you could take into account, such as YouTube Premium exclusive content.

A mixture of more traditional television and network style TV show creators and regular YouTubers have found themselves making content for YouTube Premium in much the same way that Netflix Originals are made. In this case, though, the deal regarding what the YouTuber is paid and when would be agreed beforehand.

There are also rumours (though nothing official at the time of writing this post) that there will soon be an option for YouTube Premium members to donate to a channel of their choice as part of their membership.

Much like how Amazon Prime members get one free Twitch sub as part of their subscription.

Why Does YouTube Want a Subscription Model?

You might be asking why YouTube would want to offer a model like this, rather than stick exclusively to advertisements. After all, a YouTube Premium subscription is a fixed amount per month, regardless of how much content a user watches, whereas a user could watch a ridiculous number of ads in that same period, easily overtaking the value of a Premium subscription.

There are a few reasons why this model is appealing to YouTube, and the fact that it is a fixed amount per month is one of the bigger ones.

Advertisement revenue is erratic by its very nature. Trends in marketing, the economy, regulatory changes, and more can all have a profound and immediate impact on the revenue of an ad-based business.

For example, COPPA regulations surrounding how the personal data of underage users is treated forced YouTube to make changes that effectively stopped advertisements from being shown on a substantial number of YouTube videos. This naturally affected a lot of YouTubers, but it affects YouTube as well. If there are no ads being shown at all, there’s no revenue for anyone. While Premium subscriptions can still fluctuate (user’s can cancel any time) it is a far more reliable source of revenue than advertising.

It is also an easier source of revenue. Advertising online is a game of information; the more information you can collect about a user, the more relevant ads you can show them.

This is increasingly becoming a problem as more people become hostile to the idea of big tech companies collecting their data, and actively resist with ad blockers and VPNs (virtual private networks). And, of course, regulations like the aforementioned COPPA situation.

With a Premium membership, YouTube does not need to collect any information about its users to make the revenue from those subscriptions, making that particular revenue stream impervious to ad blockers and regulations around data protection. In fact, we might expect, going forward, that privacy could become one of the selling points of services like YouTube Premium. “Want to protect your data? Go Premium!”

Do YouTubers Pay Tax? 5

Should YouTubers Do Anything Differently?

A natural follow-up question for a YouTuber here is whether they should be changing their approach because of YouTube Premium, and the short answer is no. Not yet, at least.

Stats from 2020 show that there were around twenty million YouTube Premium subscribers. Given that there are several individual YouTube channels with more than twenty million subscribers, it is safe to say that the majority of YouTube viewers aren’t on a Premium subscription.

Going forward, however, it would be reasonable to believe that YouTube would prefer more Premium users than not, and if they achieve this goal, it opens up an interesting new paradigm for YouTube content creators.

Since Premium revenue is paid based on watch time, and since there are no restrictions on Premium revenue (other than being eligible to monetise your content, of course), there really would be no other onus on a YouTuber than to make quality content.

Sure, you would still need to think about discoverability, but the need to think about advertising niches and advertiser-friendly content would be gone. You could make content for anyone and about anything (within YouTube community guidelines) and not have to worry about your revenue being hit.

Of course, this is an unlikely situation any time in the near future, but it is an interesting one to think about.

Does YouTube Premium Affect Other Revenue Sources?

The only revenue source that is affected by YouTube Premium is advertising revenue, since the fact that you are earning any Premium money means that somebody definitely was not watching ads on your content.

Everything else, however, is unaffected.

You can still earn revenue from things like Super Chat, Memberships, merchandise, and, of course, any external revenue sources like brand deals and Patreon are completely unaffected by YouTube Premium.

Should I Focus on Watch Time?

While Premium users make up a small number of the overall viewership of YouTube, we would still argue that focusing on watch time as long as it doesn’t harm the quality of your content is a good strategy.

This is because it should result in more revenue regardless of whether a viewer is a YouTube Premium subscriber or a regular user. The more watch time you have, the more of a share of the YouTube Premium earnings you get, but also the more opportunity there is for YouTube to display ads.

It should be stressed, however, that this is only the case if people are actually watching your whole videos. If you make your videos longer, but most viewers switch off after the first few minutes, you will not benefit from the additional length of the video. In other words, making your content longer does not guarantee more watch time.

What Do You Get With YouTube Premium?

In addition to ad-free viewing and exclusive content, there are other benefits to YouTube Premium. These include;

As the name suggests, background play lets you play videos without actually having the video onscreen, which is good for content that is primarily audio-based, such as podcasts or long music tracks.

It should be noted for the content creators who make those kinds of content that background plays still count as far as revenue share goes, so don’t worry if people are putting your content on in the background; you’ll still get paid. Watch time from downloaded videos is also counted.

Final Thoughts

While YouTube Premium is not a particularly significant thing that YouTubers should be changing their strategy for—especially since there is not much strategy changing that would be necessary—it does represent a possible future for YouTube that is more creator-friendly.

Right now, YouTube is essentially beholden to advertisers as their main source of revenue, so if advertisers want something, YouTube generally has to give it to them.

If Premium were to become a substantial part of the YouTube system, it would mean that YouTube could be more consistent—and more fair—with their creators, both in revenue sharing and policy changes.

Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube

Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.

1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search

I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.

Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!

2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos

I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.

When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.

Big mistake!

I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.

That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.

Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.

3. Rev.com helps people read my videos

You can’t always listen to a video.

Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.

This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.

Rev.com can help you translate your videos, transcribe your videos, add subtitles and even convert those subtitles into other languages – all from just $1.50 per minute.

A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.

4. Learn new skills for FREE with Skillshare

I SUCK reading books to learn, but I LOVE online video courses.

Every month I learn something new. Editing, writing, video skills, how to cook, how to run a business – even how to meditate to calm a busy mind.

I find all of these for FREE with Skillshare – Sign up, pick all the courses you want and cancel anytime you need.

5. Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways

I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.

And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.

I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.

I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.

They have a wide library of videos, graphics, images and even a video maker tool and it wont break the bank with plans starting from as little as £8.25 ($9) per month.