How YouTube Star PewDiePie Makes His Millions

If you thought it was a fluke when word got out last year that YouTube star PewDiePie was making $4 million a year playing video games and filming his reaction to them, think again. Back then Felix Kjellberg had 27 million subscribers; today he sits atop YouTube with 37.7 million subscribers, and he banked $7.4 million in 2014. So reports Swedish newspaper Expressen, which analyzed dividends paid by his companies to come up with the number. "It's strange to imagine that somebody can earn so much from YouTube, but the equivalent of half the UK is watching his videos," one analyst tells the BBC. (Several of his most recent videos have tallied at least 2 million views each in a matter of hours.)

Kjellberg reported on Reddit about a year ago that he still gives more money to charities than he spends on himself, and he acknowledged that he makes more money than he needs to through YouTube. And it could be more. "With that freedom, but also to respect my fans for making that possible, I don't end up doing many endorsements," he wrote. His next project? This Book Loves You, in which he's compiled his own inspirational quotes from his YouTube channel, such as: "Don't be yourself. Be a pizza. Everyone loves pizza." It's due in October, reports Engadget. (Ever wonder what happened to the creator of "Flappy Bird"?)