Eight-year-old is highest paid YouTuber with Sh2.6 billion
By Chad KitunduEight-year-old Ryan Kaji earned Sh2.6 billion (US$26 million) in 2019 on his YouTube channel, making him the highest-paid creator on the platform, according to a list published Wednesday by Forbes magazine.
Kaji, whose real name is Ryan Guan, was already the video platform’s highest earner in 2018, with US$22 million, according to Forbes.
The boy reviews toys on his YouTube channel Ryan’s World with his family including his mother Loann Kaji, father Shion Kaji and twin sisters Emma and Kate.
Kaji’s YouTube channel, which has 22.9 million subscribers, is among the top 100 most subscribed in the US with his videos garnering more than 30 billion views.
His video ‘Huge Eggs Surprise Toys Challenge’ is the most viewed with over 1.9 billion hits.
This is the second time Kaji has been named as the highest-earning YouTube star.
The figures are based on estimated earnings between June 2018 and June 2019.
Because he is a minor, Kaji’s parents have previously said most of the money he makes is being held in a fund to be put towards his college education.
Also in this year’s list of top YouTube earners is five-year-old Anastasia Radzinskaya from Russia who pocketed Sh1.8 billion ($18 million).
Anastasia has cerebral palsy and appears in videos with her father to document her treatments.
“Born in southern Russia with cerebral palsy, her doctors feared she would never be able to speak,” Forbes reports.
Below is the list of Top 10 earners on You Tube in 2019:
- Ryan Kaji: Sh2.6billion ($26 million)
- Dude Perfect: Sh2 billion ($20 million)
- Anastasia Radzinskaya: Sh1.8 billion ($18 million)
- Rhett and Link: Sh1.75 billion ($17.5 million)
- Jeffree Star: Sh1.7 billion ($17 million)
- Preston (Preston Arsement): Sh1.4 billion ($14 million)
- PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg: Sh1.3 billion ($13 million)
- Markiplier (Mark Fischbach): Sh1.3 billion ($13 million)
- DanTDM (Daniel Middleton): Sh1.2 billion ($12 million)
- Vanoss Gaming (Evan Fong): Sh1.15 billion ($11.5 million)