- 6/5/2025
From humble beginnings to internet sensations, join us as we celebrate the content creators who shaped YouTube's landscape! From gaming legends and educational pioneers to viral sensations and entertainment innovators, these creators have left an indelible mark on digital culture. Who's your favorite content creator?
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00:00This is $20,000 in cash. It's real. You can split it 50-50 with a random stranger, or you can steal
00:07it and walk away with all $20,000 in cash. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our
00:12picks for the most popular and successful content creators that ever achieved great celebrity on
00:17YouTube. The bite? Yeah. What bite? It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal
00:23wall. Why? Number 25. Technoblade. One of many Minecraft players, this YouTuber first began
00:31uploading videos in 2013. Technoblade's prowess at Minecraft became evident when he beat it on
00:37Hardcore Mode in 2017. He also beat several players in Keemstar's Minecraft Monday in 2019.
00:43Everyone's childhood heroes are here, and I'm gonna stab all of them. MrBeast even hosted a
00:48player-versus-player tournament, which Technoblade also easily won. Sadly, he passed away from cancer
00:53in 2022, leaving his over 10 million subscribers in mourning. But his legendary gameplay, as well
00:59as his rapport with fans, gained his YouTube channel Posthumous Fame, now with 11 million
01:04subscribers. Rest in power, King. But that's all from me. Thank you all for supporting my content
01:09over the years. If I had another hundred lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again
01:14every single time. Number 24. SS Sniperwolf. This gamer turned social media influencer YouTuber,
01:22real name Aaliyah Shalish, began in 2011. Her content was initially Let's Play videos of games
01:27such as Call of Duty and Metal Gear. So today I'm playing MGS1, and I'm in the snowfield,
01:33I just beat Liquid, and I'm about to fight Sniperwolf for the second time. In 2017, she made a shift from
01:38gaming videos to reaction videos with success. Even so, she won Favorite Gamer at the Nickelodeon
01:44Kids' Choice Awards and ranked third on YouTube's U.S. Top Creators list in 2021. There have been
01:49controversies, such as her dispute with ex-partner Evan Young. She also clashed with YouTuber Jack
01:54Douglas, who accused her of doxing him. Still, she has almost 35 million subscribers, which makes
02:00her among the most successful YouTubers. Hello friends, it's me. Today we're checking out some
02:05cool things you've probably never seen before. Number 23. Jacksepticeye. This Irish YouTuber has
02:11done a ton. Voice impressionist, gamer, actor, host, business co-founder, you name it. I poked the nest
02:18purposefully, but just to allay any fears, no, I'm not retiring from YouTube. Real name Sean William
02:25McLaughlin. He gained fame as a gameplay YouTuber, gaining greater attention when he was mentioned
02:30in a PewDiePie video. In 2017, he was hired by Disney XD to star in the series Polaris Player Select.
02:37Ryan Reynolds even appeared on one of McLaughlin's videos, playing the Deadpool video game together.
02:41Oh, and he founded a clothing brand with Markiplier. Lauded by Forbes as Ireland's most popular YouTuber,
02:47he ended up on its Top Creators list for 2024, at number 23. By June 2014, his channel was among
02:53the top 100 most subscribed ones. What a success. You stayed for the start of this video, that means
02:58now that you have to watch the rest of it, okay? Number 22. Stokes Twins. Things are sometimes
03:02better in twos. Alan Chen and Alex Chen Stokes' YouTube channel is the ninth largest as of this
03:08video. Today, we're going back to middle school. We'll be enrolled in an actual middle school with
03:13middle schoolers and teachers. They specialize in vlog and prank videos, with their view count in the
03:18billions. One of their prank videos even went too far, when the twins pretended to rob two
03:23banks. The Stokes were charged with one felony and one misdemeanor count, and did a plea bargain in
03:282021. The video is not extant, but their channel still is. With over 120 million subscribers and
03:34over 300 videos, these twins just can't be stopped. Before we compete in this deadly challenge,
03:39we're actually going to show you guys how to make the honeycomb candy, so you guys can play as well.
03:43Number 21. A4. Also known as Vlad A4, this Russian and Belarusian YouTuber began as a musician,
03:50with his first parody song gaining over 30 million views. Eventually, he pivoted toward a vlog and
03:55challenge videos. Vlad A4 became one of the most popular Russian-speaking YouTubers,
04:00and the most popular in his country, even founding his own company. He has been the subject of
04:04controversy, such as when both MrBeast and JustDustin accused him of copying their video's
04:09thumbnails and ideas without permission. As of this video, he has over 75 million subscribers on his
04:14YouTube channel. Number 20. Fernanflu. This Salvadoran gaming YouTuber's username is a
04:20portmanteau of two names of his, Fernando and Flores. Flores began by uploading tutorials and
04:26eventually gameplay videos, such as God of War 3 and Mortal Kombat. In 2018, he announced he would
04:32pivot to Twitch to stream games such as Fortnite, and uploaded his Twitch streams on his auxiliary
04:37YouTube channel. Fernanflu even got bit roles in movies, and published a graphic novel called
04:42Curly is in Danger. He was nominated for many MTV Millennial Awards, and has over 45 million
04:48subscribers as of this video. Number 19. Ray William Johnson. Starting in 2009, this YouTuber has had a
04:55long career as an internet celebrity. So our first video, it's a cat video. Yeah, I know, you're already
05:01pissed off at me, but I don't want to hear it. He is best known, however, for his YouTube series,
05:06Equals 3, even making a Spanish-language version with Maker Studios. Johnson ended the series in 2013,
05:11though not before celebrities such as Robin Williams and John Cho appeared as guests.
05:16Since then, Johnson has ventured into producing other web series. He's even starred as an actor in
05:21film and TV commercials. Nowadays, he does YouTube shorts. No new videos for a week, so try and stay
05:27out of trouble while I'm gone. His web series, Riley Rewind, was called one of the best web series
05:32in 2013 by Variety. Although his channel currently has over 10 million subscribers, his producing prowess
05:38is extraordinary. Number 18. Kimberly Loaiza. From makeup tutorials to a singing career,
05:45this Mexican YouTuber is a bit of a Jill of all trades. Beginning in 2016, Loaiza later began
05:50releasing music in 2019, starting with her single, Inamorarme. She has then launched a clothing line
05:56and founded a telephone company. Loaiza has even starred in a reality TV show as a contestant. In 2023,
06:02she announced the last video she would be uploading to her channel in A Tearful Farewell.
06:06To this date, she has over 45 million subscribers with over 300 videos. Her music career isn't bad
06:12either, with millions of YouTube views and 4 million monthly streams on Spotify. What a run!
06:18Number 17. Juega Harman. One of the most successful Latin American YouTubers has to be this Chilean.
06:24The fifth most subscribed YouTuber in Spanish, Harman Harmen Diaz's most popular channel quickly
06:29became his gameplay one, which includes reaction videos. Although accused by other video content
06:34creators of artificially boosting views, Harmen Diaz's channel only grew in popularity,
06:39reaching over 50 million subscribers. And of course, he has a writing and a music career as
06:44well, releasing two books and becoming a singer in a band. Harmen Diaz was nominated for and won
06:49several awards, including the MTV Millennial Awards in 2014. How accomplished!
06:54Number 16. Lucas Neto. Beginning in 2014, this Brazilian actor is a true YouTube star.
07:00Lucas began in content aimed at adults, at one point getting sued for something he posted.
07:05In 2017, Neto pivoted to children's edutainment with both his main channel and his kids' channel,
07:11LucasToon Kids. Neto even made a leap from YouTube to TV. When he was contracted to do a
07:16children's program, SBT Presents LucasToon in 2024. He has two production companies,
07:21including LucasToon Studio, and even released a couple of books. His YouTube channel subscriptions
07:26over 50 million to date. Oh, and did we mention he is also the younger brother of Felipe Neto?
07:30Also a successful YouTuber? Color us surprised!
07:34Number 15. Preston Arsment. This YouTuber is a one-man band.
07:38How many rubber bands does it take to cross your car?
07:40Preston is known for his gameplay, challenge, reaction, and prank videos. He has many channels,
07:46but his most popular is PrestonPlays, known before as PrestonMinecraft. This channel features
07:51Preston playing a variety of video games, including Minecraft and Fortnite. He even partnered
07:56with other gameplay YouTubers, known as The Pack. The Pack includes Lashen, JeromeASF,
08:01Vickstar23, Mr. Woofless, and Bahan Canadian. That channel has over 15 million subscribers,
08:07while Preston's main channel received over 30 million.
08:10Behind me is a survey of our team members' biggest fears, and to help them overcome it,
08:14I'm going to scare them.
08:19Is this a responsible way to help your team members overcome their biggest fears?
08:23Probably not. Am I going to do it anyways? Yes.
08:25He also owns a Minecraft server with Mr. Woofless called CosmicPVP.
08:30Number 14. Mikecrack.
08:32Known for his gameplay and animation videos, Miguel Bernal Montes, or Mikecrack, is one of
08:37the most successful Spanish-language YouTubers. His first channel was dedicated to magic tricks.
08:42He later switched to gameplay videos, chiefly focused on Minecraft, creating his main channel
08:47in 2015. Montes also released music parodies, as well as original music, and animated videos.
08:52In 2021, he became the third most popular YouTube channel in Spain, surpassing 30 million. He was
08:58nominated for the Streamy Awards in both 2021 and 2022. To date, he has over 56 million subscribers.
09:06Number 13. Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox.
09:09It's rare for YouTubers to found a collective, but they did.
09:12What do you mean, us?
09:14Padilla first created a website for making Flash animations, Smosh.com, in 2002, and he was
09:19eventually joined by Hecox. These two began uploading YouTube videos in 2005, mostly lip-syncing
09:24videos. Smosh has since spawned multiple channels, including for gaming and variety skits.
09:30Smosh even expanded into a magazine, consisting of comics, behind-the-scenes, and interview content.
09:35In 2015, Smosh the movie was released, featuring the duo and other YouTube personalities.
09:41Watch the furniture!
09:42And of course, they were listed in the Guinness World Records as the most subscribed comedy channel in 2017.
09:48Number 12. Hank and John Green.
09:50You may know John Green as the Fault in Our Stars author, and his younger brother Hank as the co-creator
09:55of VidCon, and the blog EcoGeek. Or perhaps you may know them for their educational Crash Course YouTube channel.
10:01Hi, I'm John Green, and this is Crash Course World History. Let's begin today with a question.
10:05Why am I alive?
10:07Or maybe you know them through Hank's two web series adaptations of Jane Austen, the Emmy Award-winning
10:12The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and Emma Approved. It could be you were there from the beginning,
10:16with their first YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers, as a way for the two brothers to connect.
10:20Good morning, John. I am currently standing outside of the old library at Trinity College,
10:24Dublin, where I was recently giving a talk. The regular library's over there,
10:27but that's the old library. The one with the very long room.
10:31And all the very old books.
10:32Either way, it's almost impossible not to know the brothers in some way,
10:36making them one of the most influential YouTube-based celebrities yet.
10:39Number 11. Mark Rober.
10:41Can you believe he was once a NASA engineer? Well, perhaps it's not that surprising.
10:46This is my brand new, custom-built satellite called SatGus,
10:50and in about a month, she'll be zooming by way up in space at 5 miles per second.
10:54Rober eventually launched a YouTube channel about various science topics,
10:58DIY tutorials, and lifehack videos. In 2019, he partnered with Mr. Beast to raise money to
11:04plant 20 million trees for the Arbor Day Foundation. Rober also launched an educational
11:08technology company, Crunch Labs, in 2022. The Institution of Engineering and Technology
11:13even awarded Rober a one-off STEM Personality of the Year prize in 2021.
11:18Because by building this super precise little robot, I discovered arcade games like this are
11:22pretending to be one thing, when in fact, they're total scams.
11:25Rober also won tons of Streamy Awards between 2019 and 2022. His YouTube channel currently has
11:31over 65 million subscribers for just 206 videos. Amazing.
11:37Number 10. Dude Perfect.
11:39Five former college roommates from Texas A&M University launched a YouTube channel,
11:43and the rest was history. This is for the tube. Got a tube down there on the court, so.
11:54Their videos focused mainly on stunts, trick shots, and contests, in which various members
11:59would compete against each other. They even created a show, Overtime, about their feats.
12:04They first beat a Guinness World Record for the longest basketball shot in 2009. In 2016,
12:08they shattered many world records for basketball in just one video. In fact,
12:13they currently hold more than 20 Guinness World Records.
12:17Oh, that's a little deep. Oh, no.
12:21That is not...
12:23In 2016, Nickelodeon aired The Dude Perfect Show, the group's own TV series. Oh,
12:28and they just may open a theme park. Their channel has over 60 million subscribers.
12:33Number 9.
12:34Shaifa. Hailing from the United Arab Emirates, this YouTuber's channel is undoubtedly beloved.
12:39With over 50 million subscribers, she specializes in kid-friendly videos,
12:43including vlogs, challenges, pranks, and skits. She even has a gaming channel called Shaifa Gaming,
12:49where she plays and comments on various kid-friendly games. Some of her content is also
12:53wholesome edutainment, such as the importance of going to the dentist every six months.
12:57Her other auxiliary channel, Shaifa Vlog Family, which features Shaifa's family members,
13:02has over 350,000 subscribers. This little girl has a big influence.
13:07Number 8.
13:08Alan Chicken Chow.
13:09This actor, writer, producer from Dallas, Texas is really something special.
13:13It is late at night right now, and I'm excited to get scared. Let's go!
13:17Before his YouTube career, Chow began as a model for JCPenney, as well as an actor on Disney Channel TV.
13:23He gained great fame, however, with the creation of his YouTube channel, a high school drama series,
13:28Alan's Universe. This series was featured on Good Morning America and CBS News. He also achieved
13:33major success on YouTube Shorts, reaching 500 million weekly views on average. He is the 18th
13:39most subscribed channel and the top 50 most subscribed channel on YouTube globally. To date,
13:44he has over 90 million subscribers.
13:46What's up, Alan Army? Today I'm here with my family, and we will be doing the What's in the Box Challenge.
13:51Number 7. Ryan Kaji.
13:53This kid's YouTuber hasn't made.
13:55This is so cool, Ryan.
13:57Inspired by other toy review channels, 4-year-old Kaji began making his own in 2015,
14:02mostly a vlog about unboxing toys. His channel became so influential, with nearly 40 million subscribers,
14:08that his video reviews often impacted toy sales. From there, the Ryan's World brand expanded into an app
14:14and a 20-episode TV series for preschoolers, Ryan's Mystery Playdate.
14:18They also released a racing video game, Race with Ryan. In 2024, a film based on the channel,
14:23Ryan's World, the movie, Titan Universe Adventure, was released.
14:27Ryan, look! Adventures of Skunk Boy, Super Rare, Scratch and Snip Edition!
14:34Oh, nasty!
14:37Awesome!
14:38According to Forbes, Ryan was the highest earning YouTuber in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
14:43Number 6. Rhett and Link.
14:46It really does take two. Rhett McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln,
14:49Link Neal III, launched their channel, Rhett and Link, in 2006,
14:53but they are best known for their YouTube series, Good Mythical Morning.
14:56Good Mythical Morning.
14:58Sometimes the internet's a great place to find out whether a restaurant is worth the visit or not,
15:03but when it comes to fast food, people love to complain.
15:06Other series followed, including The Mythical Show, a half-hour variety series,
15:11and Mythical Kitchen, for food-related videos.
15:14The Friends have also released several albums of musical comedy.
15:17They released a documentary in 2008 and starred in network TV shows and other web series.
15:22Their company, Mythical Entertainment, had even briefly acquired the Smosh brand
15:26before Padilla and Hecox bought back most of its shares.
15:29Talk about an empire.
15:30That's right!
15:31Number 5. Markiplier.
15:34We have talked a lot about wildly successful gaming YouTubers,
15:37but this one is perhaps the most versatile and the most beloved.
15:40But I'm back.
15:41From where?
15:43You don't need to know.
15:44You don't get to know.
15:46Born Mark Edward Fischbach,
15:48Markiplier began with comedy sketches before moving to gaming.
15:51He specialized in playing indie horror games, especially Five Nights at Freddy's.
15:55His channel reached 10 million subscribers in 2015 and 20 million in 2018.
16:00Since then, Fischbach has made the leap to other mediums,
16:03including film, TV, podcasts, and even an OnlyFans account for charity purposes.
16:08He even wrote and produced the upcoming film Iron Lung,
16:11an adaptation of the indie horror game of the same title.
16:14What's crazy is I already know the next thing that I want to do.
16:18I always do.
16:19Like, I always do.
16:20I know what I want to make next before the current one's even done,
16:23because I want to take all the lessons that I've learned and apply it to something bigger.
16:27His YouTube account has over 35 million subscribers
16:30and was the third highest paid creator on the platform in 2022.
16:34Number 4.
16:35Logan Paul.
16:36From YouTube to professional wrestling?
16:38Mr. Cole, I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize.
16:42I didn't mean to expose any private business conversations.
16:45I was hungover.
16:45I had a crazy night in Vegas.
16:47I was on my podcast, and sometimes I say too much.
16:49In fact, most times I say too much.
16:51This controversial celebrity YouTuber got his start in the now-defunct Vine,
16:55becoming extremely popular on the platform.
16:57Paul also achieved massive success with his Facebook and, of course, his YouTube videos.
17:01Some videos even sparked controversy, including an uncouth music video
17:05and a vlog where he and his friends stumble upon a corpse in Japan.
17:09Paul went on to star in several films and TV shows,
17:11although at least one of his projects was postponed due to his many controversies.
17:15Whatever your view of him, Paul has over 25 million subscribers to his channel
17:19and 4 million to his podcast, Impulsive.
17:22That sounds like a myth.
17:24No, no, no.
17:25It's science.
17:26And, of course, there's his brother, Jake Paul,
17:28also a popular Vine creator turned professional boxer.
17:31It runs in the family.
17:33Number 3.
17:34Like Nastya.
17:35Child YouTubers are a powerful force indeed,
17:38and this Russian-American content creator is an adorably formidable one.
17:42Nastya!
17:45Professor, why am I so small?
17:48Like Ryan Kaji, Anastasia Sergei Nevya is an edutainment creator
17:52with children's songs, unboxing videos, roleplays, and vlogs.
17:56In 2017, Nastya ranked third on Forbes' top-earning YouTube stars list.
18:02Her videos have been dubbed in over 12 languages, including English,
18:05and her YouTube channel has over 120 million subscribers.
18:09And, of course, Nastya has launched her own brand of toys and mobile games.
18:12One should never underestimate the power of children's content.
18:15Finally!
18:16Oh, yeah!
18:17Number 2.
18:18PewDiePie.
18:19Does this content creator even need an introduction?
18:21No matter who you are, you've probably heard of this controversial Swedish YouTuber,
18:26whose real name is Felix Schellberg.
18:28Most people ignore their dreams completely, myself included, my entire life.
18:32I did this experiment where I started a dream journal.
18:36I can't believe I'm saying that unironically.
18:38Schellberg launched his channel in 2010,
18:41playing horror and action video games before eventually expanding his field.
18:44From there, Schellberg moved to make vlogs, reaction videos, comedy shorts, and even music shows.
18:50His crude humor drew criticism, including his use of racial slurs and sexist and anti-Semitic language.
18:56Regardless, Schellberg has starred in many films, TV shows, music videos, and even video games.
19:01Despite the backlash and his move to Japan in a kind of soft retirement,
19:05his channel still has over 110 million subscribers.
19:08So many times I just catch myself surrounded by what feels like hundreds of people,
19:13and they have no idea who I am.
19:16Everyone is just doing their own thing, and that feels so fucking good.
19:20It is considered one of the most viewed of all time.
19:23Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
19:29You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
19:33If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
19:38Number 1. MrBeast
19:41Still, no YouTuber comes close to this beast.
19:44I just started this 10-minute timer, and when it hits zero, that room all the way over there full of money will explode.
19:50And the only man that can stop it is this man in this straitjacket.
19:53Jimmy Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video in 2012.
19:57Like many others, he began as a gaming YouTuber with a focus on Minecraft and Call of Duty.
20:02Since then, Donaldson has expanded into mobile games and films, but also the food industry.
20:06He even opened an actual restaurant.
20:09Like the top YouTubers, he has been the subject of multiple controversies, including a class-action lawsuit.
20:14Regardless, Donaldson's success is staggering, winning creator of the year four years in a row.
20:19Would you drop out of high school for $100,000 in cash?
20:23Why not?
20:28Because I can still make money going to college and get a career.
20:31He was the highest-paid YouTuber in 2024, with a subscriber count of over 350 million subscribers.
20:37If he weren't the beast, he'd be the G-O-A-T.
20:40Which other wildly successful YouTuber do you know deserves a spot on this list?
20:43Let us know in the comments down below.
20:45That's all for today.
20:46I hope you guys enjoyed this video.
20:47I hope you enjoyed watching this video.
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