PewDiePie Biography, Career, Net Worth, And Other Interesting Facts

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg also known as PewDiePie is a Swedish guy famous for making funny videos on YouTube. He’s popular and lots of people watch his stuff. He started his channel in 2010 mostly playing scary and action video games. His channel grew super fast and became the most-subscribed on YouTube in 2013. He also became the most-viewed from 2014 to 2017. Over time his videos changed from just gaming to vlogs funny skits and even music videos.

Some people liked his videos while others didn’t. In the late 2010s, his content got more controversial and people started talking about him a lot in the news. He had a big competition with an Indian record label called T-Series in 2019 and they became the most-subscribed channel for a while.

PewDiePie started uploading less often and taking breaks from the internet. He decided to slow down and enjoy making videos instead of doing it as a full-time job. He also moved to Japan with his wife Marzia who is also famous online.

Even though he’s not as active as before PewDiePie still has over 111 million subscribers and billions of views on YouTube. His videos even help sell the games he plays and he’s known for supporting charity fundraisers. In 2016 Time magazine even called him one of the most influential people in the world.

PewDiePie Early Life and Education

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg known as PewDiePie was born on October 24, 1989, in Gothenburg Sweden where he grew up with his parents and older sister. His mom was a top information officer and his dad worked in business.

As a kid, PewDiePie loved drawing video game characters like Mario and Sonic. He spent a lot of time playing games like Star Fox and Donkey Kong on his Super Nintendo. In high school, he was hooked on gaming often skipping class to hang out at Internet cafes with friends. He even sold artwork to buy his computer.

After high school PewDiePie started studying industrial engineering and management at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. But in 2011 he dropped out. While some say it was to focus on YouTube he later explained he just wasn’t into his studies. He admitted that quitting university for YouTube would be a bad idea.

PewDiePie was also into Adobe Photoshop and wanted to do photo manipulation art instead of going to school. After leaving Chalmers he entered Photoshop contests and almost got a job at an advertising agency. When that didn’t work out he sold his art to buy a computer for making YouTube videos.

PewDiePie Career

Odd Jobs to YouTube Stardom

Kjellberg started his YouTube journey in 2006 with the name “Pewdie.” Later he forgot the password and made a new channel called “PewDiePie” in 2010. When he left college his parents stopped supporting him financially. So he did odd jobs like being a harbor captain selling art and working at a hot dog stand to fund his early videos. Making videos was more important to him than having a fancy job.

At first, he focused on commenting on video games, especially horror and action games. Some of his earliest videos were about popular games like Minecraft and Call of Duty but he became famous for playing Amnesia: The Dark Descent and its mods. He felt awkward talking into a microphone alone in his room something uncommon back then.

He started posting weekly vlogs titled Fridays with PewDiePie in 2011 which was different from his usual Let’s Play videos. These vlogs showed his daily life and sometimes fulfilled viewer requests.

By December 2011, he had around 60000 subscribers which grew rapidly in 2012. He reached 1 million subscribers in July 2012 and 2 million in September. In October his channel was ranked as the top YouTube channel. He then partnered with Maker Studios in December.

Early in his career, he made jokes about sensitive topics like rape which stirred controversy. However, he later apologized and stopped making such jokes showing that he listened to feedback and learned from his mistakes.

From YouTube Sensation to Record-Breaking Star

In February 2013, PewDiePie hit 5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. In April of the same year, he got a shout-out in The New York Times for reaching 6 million subscribers. He won an award in Singapore for being a social media star from Sweden. At the award ceremony, he won the title for the most popular social media show beating out other famous YouTubers.

By July he became the second most-subscribed YouTuber surpassing Jenna Marbles and hit 10 million subscribers in July 2013. In August he joined Maker Studios’ gaming network Polaris. He became the most subscribed YouTuber beating Smosh in August and even got a certificate from Guinness World Records for it.

Later YouTube’s channel became more subscribed than his but by December he was back on top. He was one of the fastest-growing YouTubers in 2012 and 2013 gaining more subscribers than anyone in 2013 according to Billboard.

In 2014, his videos changed a bit. Instead of just playing scary games he played whatever games he liked. YouTube also started categorizing its stars some aiming for traditional media while others like Kjellberg built their fame purely on YouTube.

In March 2014, he announced he would upload videos less often. Maker Studios made a PewDiePie app for iPhones. He also stopped allowing comments on his videos because they were often spammy. He still talked to fans on Twitter and Reddit.

Later that year he allowed comments again but only after he approved them. He began streaming a series with CinnamonToastKen on MLG.tv. He hinted he might not stick with Maker Studios but later said he was happy with them.

In 2014, he gained nearly 14 million new subscribers and got over 4.1 billion total views on his videos making him the most viewed channel on YouTube by December 2014.

From Gaming to Memes, Challenges, and YouTube’s Algorithm Frustrations

The New York Times looked back at PewDiePie’s videos around 2015 and noticed a shift. He started taking more risks with his content. While he still played video games he began trying out new things like viral challenges poking fun at other YouTubers and reviewing memes from his fans. PewDiePie himself said this change was partly because he felt bored with just playing games and YouTube’s rules and how they reward creators played a role too. One video that showed this change was him reading some pretty wild fan fiction about characters from Disney’s Frozen. This made the then-CEO of Disney pretty mad and put PewDiePie’s deal with Maker Studios a part of Disney at risk.

In September 2015, PewDiePie became the first YouTuber to hit 10 billion views. He also hinted at being part of a web series called Scare PewDiePie which later premiered on YouTube Red. In 2016 he teamed up with Maker Studios to create a sub-network called Revelmode featuring him and some other YouTubers in original shows.

As time went on PewDiePie’s videos changed even more. He made fewer videos playing horror games and his humor got drier. He also looked back at his older videos and regretted using certain words in a hurtful way. By 2016 his channel was going through some changes and PewDiePie talked about feeling frustrated with YouTube’s system especially when it came to losing subscribers and views without explanation.

Despite some ups and downs, PewDiePie didn’t give up on YouTube. He continued making videos but was vocal about his issues with the platform’s algorithms which he felt were hurting creators’ viewership. He even made videos poking fun at the algorithm changes asking his viewers to help him hit certain milestones like a million likes or dislikes.

Overall PewDiePie’s journey on YouTube has been filled with changes and challenges but he’s managed to stay on top even if things sometimes got a bit rocky.

Controversial Moments: A Recap of Online Upsets and Apologies

In a video from January 2017, Kjellberg had two people on Fiverr hold up a sign with a hateful message which caused a lot of upset. He later said he didn’t mean harm but wanted to show how crazy things could get online. The video got a ton of negative attention with many criticizing him for making jokes that were hurtful and dangerous.

The Wall Street Journal said this wasn’t the first time Kjellberg had done something like this. He and the two people in the video said sorry but it led to big companies like Maker Studios and Google cutting ties with him.

Later on, Kjellberg’s YouTube channel lost its spot as the most-viewed to an Indian record label. Despite this, he kept making new videos and started a Twitch channel called Netglow where he livestreamed a show called Best Club.

In another incident while playing a game online Kjellberg used an offensive word which got him in a lot of trouble. He apologized but some people were still really mad. Some game developers even said they’d take legal action against him.

It also came out that Kjellberg followed some pretty extreme people on Twitter which caused more controversy. He ended up deleting his account because he was tired of all the arguing.

In 2018, he continued making different types of videos like reacting to funny clips and reviewing memes. He even started a fake news show called Pew News.

In May of that year, he upset people again by using a disrespectful term in a video about female Twitch streamers. He got into more trouble in July for posting a meme about a singer who was struggling with addiction.

Near the end of the year, he recommended a YouTuber who turned out to have some offensive content. After finding out Kjellberg took back his recommendation and apologized.

At the end of 2018, he made a video in response to YouTube’s yearly rewind video which a lot of people didn’t like.

PewDiePie vs. T-Series

In September 2018, Kjellberg made a video called LWIAY talking about T-Series an Indian record label about to get more subscribers than him on YouTube. Then on October 5, he released a song called “Tseries Diss Track” (later changed to “Bitch Lasagna”) dissing T-Series. This video became his most popular one. Some parts of the song made fun of T-Series being Indian which some people said was racist.

He said he wasn’t worried about T-Series passing him but he was worried about a big company like T-Series becoming the top channel on YouTube. People started campaigns to get more subscribers for him and he gained a lot in December 2018.

In March 2019, Kjellberg talked about a terrorist attack in India on his show Pew News. T-Series removed some songs by Pakistani artists from their channel because of pressure from a political party. Kjellberg didn’t agree with this and was criticized for his comments.

Then in March during the Christchurch mosque shootings, the shooter mentioned “subscribe to PewDiePie.” Kjellberg was upset that his name was linked to the attack and expressed his condolences.

T-Series finally became the most subscribed channel on YouTube in March 2019. Kjellberg made another song called “Congratulations” sarcastically congratulating T-Series. After this, he briefly became the most subscribed again.

In April, Kjellberg announced he’d livestream only on DLive. T-Series went to court to get Kjellberg’s diss tracks removed from YouTube claiming they were offensive. They won and the videos were blocked in India.

Later in April Kjellberg asked people to stop saying “Subscribe to PewDiePie” because it was causing problems. He mentioned it being used in bad ways like being written on a war memorial. He then showed a plane with a banner saying “Subscribe to PewDiePie” flying over New York City during one of his live streams.

Controversial Promotion of Nimses & Record-Breaking Achievements in 2019

In 2019, PewDiePie faced more controversies. He made a video in June promoting an app called Nimses. The app became popular after he talked about it on his YouTube channel. However, some people got worried about the app’s privacy settings and how it tracks location. They thought it might be a scam because it had a referral program that gave users more points.

The Pirate Party Germany criticized PewDiePie for promoting Nimses saying it could harm a lot of people. The company behind Nimses defended itself saying it wasn’t invading people’s privacy.

PewDiePie responded to the criticism saying it was just rumors and that Nimses wasn’t any worse than other social media apps.

Even though PewDiePie lost his spot as the most subscribed YouTuber and faced criticism he kept getting lots of views especially when he started posting more gaming videos. In June he did a “Gaming Week” where he played games like Minecraft every day. He enjoyed it a lot and decided to make more Minecraft videos afterward. This helped him get even more views and subscribers.

In August, PewDiePie became the first individual YouTuber to have over 100 million subscribers. YouTube congratulated him and gave him a special award. By the end of the year, he was recognized as the most-watched creator of 2019 with over 4 billion views.

China Ban, Business Ventures, and YouTube Drama

In October 2019, PewDiePie said in a video that his YouTube videos and mentions of him on other websites like Reddit were blocked in China. This happened because he talked about the protests in Hong Kong and showed an image of China’s President Xi Jinping being compared to Winnie the Pooh in a previous video.

In November a news source called Business Insider said Kjellberg was working with a company called Re6l which helps influencers with media and online shopping based in Toronto. Then in December Kjellberg said he was taking a break from YouTube and deleted his Twitter account because he didn’t like it.

But his break from making videos didn’t last long. After about a month in early 2020, he started making videos again. He started taking short breaks from making videos more often after that.

In his first video back in 2020, he made jokes about the COVID-19 pandemic and pretended to speak Chinese. Some people didn’t like these jokes so he made another video defending himself and making more jokes about COVID-19.

In May Kjellberg signed a deal to only stream on YouTube. YouTube was trying to get popular streamers to choose their platform over others like Twitch and Mixer. He had a lot of followers on another platform called DLive but it’s not clear if he’s still using it because of his deal with YouTube. Eventually, his DLive channel was shut down.

In October some of Kjellberg’s fans thought YouTube was hiding his channel because they couldn’t find it in search results. YouTube said it was because of a problem with their system maybe because of COVID-19 slowing things down. They said sorry and promised to fix it.

From Controversies to Fatherhood

In November, PewDiePie posted a video where he talked about his time on YouTube. He said he feels like he’s retired from it even though he still uploads videos sometimes but not regularly. He mentioned he wants to post more casual videos like vlogs.

In January 2021, Kjellberg made a deal with Jellysmack a company that helps spread videos on Facebook. Even though his videos also go on Facebook now he still first releases them on YouTube.

On Valentine’s Day Kjellberg made a song called “Coco” dissing Cocomelon a popular kids’ channel. He explained that the kids in the video were just acting and their parents were okay with it. But YouTube removed the video because they thought it was mean.

In May 2022, Kjellberg and his wife moved from England to Japan. He started making videos about their life in Tokyo. In September he said he’s going back to making videos just for fun like when he first started.

On November 14, MrBeast got more subscribers than Kjellberg on YouTube. They’re friends and Kjellberg thinks MrBeast deserves the top spot.

After not using Twitch for a while Kjellberg started streaming a TV show in March 2023. It was a test for a service called CoPilot Media which was planning to make a non-stop stream of Kjellberg’s videos. But in May Twitch banned his account even though he was just streaming old stuff. On June 29 he said he’s taking a break from YouTube because he’s going to be a dad soon.

YouTube Content

Gaming Guru to Multi-Talented Content Creator

PewDiePie mostly made videos where he played video games and talked while playing. His spooky game commentaries were his most popular videos at first but he later started making videos about other types of games too. Unlike regular game guides, Kjellberg focused on chatting with his viewers in his videos.

People know Kjellberg for his unique sense of humor. Some say his videos are silly full of energy and maybe a bit annoying but they also think he’s genuine and honest. Time magazine said he’s not polished but his timing is always right. Most of the criticism about PewDiePie is about his language and crude jokes but some people appreciate that he’s just a regular guy having fun playing games and being himself.

Sometimes Kjellberg plays games without talking much and sometimes he gets emotional. For example, he played a game called The Last of Us and was so moved by the ending that he couldn’t say anything.

As his channel grew Kjellberg started making different kinds of videos. Along with gaming videos, he began sharing vlogs funny short videos, and organized shows. Towards the end of the 2010s, he started reacting to things like TikTok videos. He’s also put music on his channel sometimes with animations or footage from his fans. Many times he collaborates with other artists like The Gregory Brothers Boyinaband Roomie and Party In Backyard.

YouTube Evolution

In the early days of his YouTube journey, PewDiePie didn’t get any help editing his videos. He wanted to keep things simple and authentic. At first, his videos were just raw footage but later he started editing them using Adobe Premiere Pro.

As time went on he realized he needed some assistance. He hired an editor and a production assistant to help him out. Even though he had help with editing he made it clear that he was still just a regular guy making videos on his own. He mentioned having an office and a few employees at one point but he emphasized that he was still the main person behind his content.

Kjellberg was known for being super active on YouTube uploading videos very often. By early 2017 he had uploaded thousands of videos although he had made some private. But all this constant content creation took a toll on him. He talked about feeling burnt out and how it affected his mental health.

Despite the challenges he still enjoyed the daily grind of making videos. He liked the challenge of creating something new every day even though it didn’t always turn out perfectly.

How He Skyrocketed to YouTube Fame

People have noticed that PewDiePie didn’t become famous overnight with one viral video. Instead, he steadily built up his audience by consistently making videos. Despite this steady growth, his channel became popular very quickly, thanks to his loyal fans and the power of online communities.

Back in December 2011, Kjellberg had about 60,000 subscribers. But by May 2012, he reached half a million. He was uploading videos almost every day, which helped him rack up millions of views. By July 2012, he hit 1 million subscribers, and by September, he doubled that.

Throughout 2012 and 2013, his channel grew super fast, getting millions of new subscribers. He was one of the top YouTubers, with his channel gaining a new subscriber almost every second by the end of 2013. His gaming videos were especially popular, with millions of views.

In February 2013, he hit 5 million subscribers, and by April, he was covered in The New York Times for surpassing 6 million. Some of his most-watched videos were funny compilations of his gaming moments.

By July 2013, he became the second-most-subscribed YouTuber, and by October, he reached 15 million subscribers. He briefly lost the top spot but regained it by December, and by January 2014, he had 20 million subscribers.

In 2014, his channel was the most viewed on YouTube for many months. By December 2014, he became the most-viewed channel overall. That year, he gained millions of new subscribers and billions of views.

In July 2015, his videos were getting over 300 million views every month. By September, he was the first channel to reach 10 billion views. His most-watched video was a funny compilation with around 68.8 million views.

In 2016, his viewership dropped because of changes to YouTube’s algorithm. But he bounced back and reached 50 million subscribers in December, a first for any YouTube channel.

Campaigns to “subscribe to PewDiePie” helped him gain millions of subscribers in December 2018. Despite losing the top spot to T-Series, he continued to have a huge audience, especially with his Minecraft videos in 2019.

His channel is one of only two on YouTube to receive all five levels of Creator Awards, which are given for reaching subscriber milestones. He’s nicknamed his Custom Creator Award the Ruby Play Button, and in 2019, he became the first individual creator to get the Red Diamond Creator Award.

Exploring PewDiePie’s Controversial Charm

PewDiePie’s YouTube videos get mixed reviews. Some say he’s super popular online even with all the controversies he’s been in. His stuff is often described as silly lively and full of swearing. Some folks think he’s genuine and unfiltered on camera.

But not everyone’s a fan. Some say his videos are annoying and they don’t get why so many people like him. Rob Walker from Yahoo! thinks Kjellberg is smart based on how he talks to his viewers. Time and The Verge also think he’s smart and self-aware.

On the other hand, Andrew Wallenstein from Variety isn’t a fan. He says Kjellberg’s videos are aggressively stupid and full of nonsense.

Time’s Lev Grossman says Kjellberg isn’t polished but he’s good at timing his jokes. He swears a lot and makes crude jokes but at the end of the day, he’s just a guy playing video games and yelling.

Walker describes Kjellberg’s way of criticizing stuff as wild entertainment. He jokes a lot makes weird voices says politically incorrect stuff and swears all the time.

Justin Charity from The Ringer says Kjellberg isn’t a typical comedian. His hosting style is crazy and irreverent. He’s like a mix of stand-up comedy shock jock radio and internet trolling.

A Swedish columnist named Lars Lindstrom likes Kjellberg’s early videos where he plays video games and jokes around. Even when it’s bloody and weird it’s still funny because Kjellberg enjoys playing.

In 2016, Kjellberg’s style changed a bit. Patricia Hernandez from Kotaku says he still acts immature sometimes but now he also talks about feeling lost and uncertain about making videos.

After the controversy about his videos possibly being antisemitic lots of media outlets slammed Kjellberg’s content. Some said he was promoting racist and fascist ideas. A Wired article even called him a hero for white supremacists.

Charity thinks that some people like Kjellberg because he’s unpredictable and rebellious. But others especially those who care about including everyone see him as part of what’s wrong with gaming culture.

Banned in India and Censored in China

In April 2019, two songs “Congratulations” and “Bitch Lasagna” got banned in India because of a court order favoring T-Series. They said the songs were mean and offensive and the comments on the videos were also really rude and even racist.

Later in the year, there was a settlement between the parties but PewDiePie’s videos are still not available in India.

Then on October 16, 2019, PewDiePie made an episode of his Meme Review show where he talked about memes related to the Hong Kong protests the China-NBA issue, and the Blitzchung controversy. He also joked about comparisons between the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Winnie-the-Pooh. After this, his content was censored in China. Some reports said that not all his content was banned but certain things related to him became hard to find online.

Business Insider noted that despite criticism YouTube hasn’t banned PewDiePie from the platform.

Other ventures

Video Game Ventures and Best-Selling Book

On September 24, 2015, Kjellberg launched his own video game called PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist available on iPhones and Androids. It was made by a Canadian company called Outerminds with Kjellberg’s help. Then on September 29, 2016, he released another game called PewDiePie’s Tuber Simulator also with Outerminds. It became really popular hitting number one on the App Store soon after its release.

Later on October 31, 2017, Kjellberg teamed up with Armin Ibrisagic the guy behind Goat Simulator to make a game called Animal Super Squad. Kjellberg helped with the main idea and gave feedback. In 2019 he released two more games: PewDiePie’s Pixelings on November 15 and Poopdie on December 12. Poopdie was kicked off the App Store because it was a bit gross but you can still get it on Android.

Kjellberg also wrote a book called This Book Loves You which makes fun of self-help books. It came out on October 20 2015 and became a best-seller topping The New York Times list for two weeks in the Young Adult Paperback category. He and his wife Marzia also started a clothing brand called Tsuki which they talked about in one of their YouTube videos.

Celebrity Collaborations and TV Appearances

In addition to his own YouTube channel, Kjellberg has shown up in other YouTubers’ videos too. For example, in April 2013 he made a quick appearance in Epic Rap Battles of History as Mikhail Baryshnikov. Then in July 2013, he was a judge on Internet Icon alongside Anthony Padilla Ian Hecox from Smosh and Jenna Marbles. From 2013 to 2016 he was also part of YouTube’s Rewind series and he returned for the 2019 edition.

On June 3, 2014, Kjellberg got the opportunity to host his episode of a Swedish radio show called Sommar i P1. This was a big deal because he’s famous worldwide so they recorded it in both Swedish and English. The Swedish version aired on August 9 2014 while the English version was posted online. It got shared a lot especially the English one.

In December 2014, he made guest appearances in two episodes of the 18th season of South Park. They were the season finale split into two parts: “#REHASH” on December 3 and “#HappyHolograms” on December 10. In those episodes, he made fun of himself and other gamers who commented on games like Call of Duty in an exaggerated way.

Then in July 2015, he lent his voice to a character in a Vimeo series called Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures. In October of the same year, he was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert who called him the “Emperor of the Internet.” In February 2016 he appeared on Conan playing Far Cry Primal as part of a segment called Clueless Gamer. And in 2019 he showed up on the Cold Ones YouTube podcast.

What is PewDiePie’s Net Worth?

PewDiePie’s Net Worth is estimated to be $45 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Philanthropy

PewDiePie has used his fame to support various charities over the years. Back in 2012, he participated in an online contest called King of the Web and although he didn’t win overall he did become the Gaming King for a period in February. During another round of voting, he won and donated his winnings to the World Wildlife Fund. Since then he’s raised money for organizations like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Charity: Water.

In 2014, when he hit 25 million subscribers he ran a charity drive for Save the Children raising over $630000. He’s also done charity livestreams like Cringemas in 2016 where they raised over $1.3 million for RED a charity fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. In 2018 he started a fundraiser for Child Rights and You (CRY) to help Indian children raising over $200000.

Kjellberg has been involved in raising awareness about mental health too. In 2019 after the suicide of a fellow internet personality Etika, he teamed up with Jack Black to raise money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). They played Minecraft together and managed to raise over $30000.

Even though he’s faced criticism like when he pledged to donate to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) but later withdrew it due to not feeling fully committed Kjellberg has continued to support causes he believes in. For example, in 2019 he donated $69420 to Team Trees a campaign fighting deforestation.

In 2020, amid the Black Lives Matter protests he raised over $116000 for organizations supporting victims of police brutality and small businesses affected by the unrest. He’s also committed to donating a portion of his YouTube earnings to various charities every month raising over $1 million by 2021 for causes like Red Nose Day Movember and Save the Children.

PewDiePie Personal life

Kjellberg and Marzia Bisognin got married on August 19, 2019. They now have a son born on July 11, 2023.

They first met in 2011 through one of Marzia’s friends. After chatting online Kjellberg flew to Italy to meet her. They moved around a bit living in Sweden and Italy before finally settling in Brighton England in July 2013. Kjellberg liked the idea of living by the sea and having better internet there. He also enjoyed the privacy Brighton offered him.

In 2018, a trip to Japan inspired Kjellberg to think about moving there. They even bought a house in Japan in 2019. Unfortunately, their house got robbed later that year. Plus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to delay their move to Japan. Finally, in May 2022, they were able to move to Japan with a 5-year business visa.

When it comes to politics Kjellberg doesn’t lean too much to the left or the right. He prefers to stay neutral. He also mentioned in 2014 that he’s an atheist.

Kjellberg follows a pescetarian diet meaning he mainly eats fish. To cope with stress from his work he used to drink whiskey every day. But after reading a book about Buddhism in July 2019 he decided to quit drinking.