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.
| Full Name | Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg |
| Date of Birth | October 24, 1989 |
| Place of Birth | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Occupation | YouTuber, content creator |
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm) |
| Spouse | Marzia Kjellberg |
| Net Worth | $45 million |
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.
Career
PewDiePie also known as “Pewdie” started his YouTube journey in December 2006. The name came from “pew” like the sound of lasers and “die” referring to the gaming term. After a password mix-up, he created the “PewDiePie” channel in April 2010.
When PewDiePie left college without financial support from his parents he funded his early videos by working various jobs like selling artwork and working at a hot dog stand. Making videos meant more to him than pursuing a traditional career.
In his early YouTube days, PewDiePie focused on commenting while playing video games, especially horror and action games. Some of his earliest videos featured games like Minecraft and Call of Duty but he gained fame for his Let’s Plays of Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
By 2011 PewDiePie’s channel had around 60000 subscribers growing quickly in 2012 when it hit 1 million subscribers by July and 2 million by September. His channel was ranked the top YouTube channel in October by OpenSlate.
In his early years, PewDiePie faced criticism for using insensitive humor in his videos including jokes about serious topics like rape. He later apologized and stopped making such jokes acknowledging their harm.
From 2013 to 2014 PewDiePie became the most-subscribed YouTuber reaching milestones like 5 million and 10 million subscribers breaking records and receiving recognition from Guinness World Records.
In 2014 PewDiePie’s content expanded beyond horror games to include a wider range of interests. He also began to explore new avenues for content creation beyond gaming as YouTube itself grew as a platform.
PewDiePie’s journey continued with changes in his video style around 2015 experimenting with viral challenges and reviews of fan-submitted memes. He also ventured into producing original series like “Scare PewDiePie” for YouTube Red.
Despite his success, PewDiePie faced challenges with YouTube’s algorithms and policies often criticizing changes that affected how content creators reached their audiences. He engaged with his fans through various platforms adjusting to the evolving landscape of online video.
In a video from January 2017, Kjellberg paid two people on Fiverr to hold up a sign saying “Death to all Jews.” He claimed it was to show how bizarre things could get on the internet. This caused a huge backlash with many criticizing him for normalizing dangerous beliefs like fascism and white supremacy.
The Wall Street Journal reported that this wasn’t the first time Kjellberg used anti-Semitic language and images. After the uproar, he and the two individuals apologized. Maker Studios and Google then cut ties with him affecting his advertising deals and a YouTube series.
Later while playing a game on his YouTube channel in September Kjellberg used a racial slur which spread widely online despite him deleting it and apologizing. This led to further criticism including game developers targeting his videos.
Despite these controversies, Kjellberg continued posting videos on YouTube and started a new channel on Twitch called Netglow. He also created different series on his channel like Pew News and Meme Review which parodied news and internet culture.
In 2018 he faced more backlash for various incidents including mocking female Twitch streamers and posting insensitive memes about singer Demi Lovato. He also recommended a controversial YouTuber in a video leading to accusations of promoting hateful content.
Throughout 2018 and 2019 Kjellberg competed with T-Series to remain the most-subscribed YouTube channel. His efforts included diss tracks and rallying his fans to support him against the corporate channel. Despite losing the title temporarily he continued to attract millions of subscribers.
By the end of 2019, Kjellberg reached a major milestone becoming the first individual YouTuber to surpass 100 million subscribers. He also focused on gaming content especially Minecraft which helped boost his channel’s popularity.
In October 2019 Kjellberg said in a video that his YouTube videos and mentions of him on sites like Reddit were blocked in China. This happened because of his comments about the Hong Kong protests and showing an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping compared to Winnie the Pooh.
Later in November Business Insider reported Kjellberg as a client of Re6l a company in Toronto that deals with influencers and e-commerce. In December he announced a break from YouTube for the next year and deleted his Twitter account because he wasn’t happy with it.
His break didn’t last long though ending after about a month in early 2020. He started taking short breaks regularly after that.
In one of his first videos back in 2020 Kjellberg made jokes about COVID-19 and spoke in a way that mimicked the Chinese language. After facing criticism for these jokes he defended them in another video.
In May Kjellberg signed an exclusive deal to stream on YouTube as the platform was competing with others like Twitch and Mixer for popular streamers. Despite having a large following on DLive he hadn’t used it for four months and it wasn’t clear if he was still connected to it.
In October fans thought Kjellberg’s channel was being shadowbanned because his videos weren’t showing up in YouTube searches. YouTube responded blaming their system and delays due to COVID-19 for the issue.
From 2020 onwards Kjellberg started to consider retirement from YouTube but continued uploading videos though less regularly. He also began posting more informal content like vlogs.
In January 2021 Kjellberg made a deal with Jellysmack to distribute his content on Facebook Watch while still debuting it on YouTube.
On Valentine’s Day 2021, Kjellberg uploaded a diss track about Cocomelon a popular kids’ channel. The video was later removed by YouTube for violating their policies.
In May 2022 Kjellberg and his wife moved from England to Japan. His content began to focus more on vlogs about life in Tokyo.
In November MrBeast surpassed Kjellberg as the most-subscribed creator on YouTube. Despite this, they remain friends and Kjellberg supported MrBeast’s success.
After a period of inactivity, Kjellberg started streaming on Twitch in March 2023 showing episodes of Trailer Park Boys. His Twitch account was later banned despite only streaming previously aired content.
In June Kjellberg announced a break from YouTube due to becoming a father soon but returned in August.
By May 2024 Kjellberg voiced frustration about other YouTubers visiting Japan for attention-grabbing content that he described as annoying and seeking negative attention.
YouTube Content
In the early days of his career, Kjellberg’s videos mainly focused on Let’s Play especially horror games which became his most popular content initially. Unlike typical gameplay walkthroughs, he personalized his approach talking directly to his audience in a friendly informal style. His videos were known for their unique humor often described as silly lively and sometimes loud and crude yet authentic and unfiltered.
As his channel grew Kjellberg diversified his content beyond gaming to include vlogs short comedy skits and structured shows. He also ventured into reaction videos and occasionally uploaded music often collaborating with other artists.
Initially, Kjellberg handled all aspects of video production himself preferring a hands-on approach. Over time he started using editing software and eventually hired an editor and production assistant to support his content creation.
Known for his prolific output Kjellberg uploaded videos frequently sometimes facing challenges like burnout from the demanding schedule. Despite controversies and ups and downs, his channel grew steadily propelled by dedicated viewers rather than viral hits.
Kjellberg’s journey on YouTube has been marked by rapid growth achieving subscriber milestones that reflected his increasing popularity and influence on the platform. His content although polarizing among critics has maintained a strong following due to its direct and engaging style.
Net Worth
PewDiePie’s Net Worth is estimated to be $45 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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.
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.
Other ventures
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.
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 on 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.
