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A first grader is the highest-paid YouTube star of 2018, according to Forbes.
Eight-year-old Ryan from the United States stars in his own YouTube channel called “Ryan ToysReview.” The channel features videos that show Ryan unboxing toys, playing with them, and happily reacting to them, as a form of review. He reportedly earned $22 million through this channel in the past year.
The online celebrity currently boasts of more than 17 million subscribers—mainly elementary school kids—and around 26 billion views.
To determine Ryan’s estimated earnings, Forbes calculated his revenue from June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2018. The publication used data from several online sources and exclusive information from some industry insiders.
Forbes found that $1 million of Ryan’s earnings were from sponsored videos, while about $21 million came from advertisements that play before his videos.
In addition, Ryan earned money from numerous advertising deals. Last August, he launched his first toy and apparel line in partnership with famous US retailer Walmart. Called “Ryan’s World,” the collection features toys that Ryan loves to play with. Furthermore, it was announced last October that Ryan’s channel content will be distributed on streaming sites Hulu and Amazon.
Ryan’s income was able to surpass other YouTube personalities’ earnings, including those of American actor Jake Paul, Dude Perfect’s five-man sports crew, gamer DanTDM, and makeup guru Jeffree Star.
Although Ryan earns a lot of money, 15% of his income is put in a special account because of his age. This account will be protected until he becomes of legal age.