Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg aka PewDiePie is a Swedish web-based comedian, video gam commentator, and video producer. He is also known for his vlogs on YouTube and Let’s Play commentaries.
Born on October 24, 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden, PewDiePie pursued degree in technology management and industrial economics at Chalmers University of Technology. During his term at university in 2010, he created his account in YouTube as PewDiePie. He dropped out of university the following year as he was bored with his field, despite dismay from his parents.
The Beginning of His Success – PewDiePie
He couldn’t earn apprenticeship in Scandinavia with an ad agency. So, he chose to focus on his YouTube channel and started creating content. He started selling his Photoshop art project prints to fund his videos and worked at hot dog stall. Soon, he gathered rapidly increasing fan following online and his channel outnumbered 1 million subscribers in July 2012.
Soon, PewDiePie has become a leading name as he signed under Machinima, a multi-channel network. He was disappointed with the network. So, he signed to have his chanel under Maker Studios’ Polaris sub network, and then Revelmode.
His Controversy
PewDiePie generated a lot of unfiltered and genuine praise-worthy contents in his time on YouTube but he also got abrasive comments and he soon became no stranger to controversies. In most of his videos, he was alleged to have anti-Semitism in early 2017. Hence, Maker Studios, which is operated by Disney, ended their partnership and dropped him out of the network. He criticized the coverage and defended himself by saying that his content is joke taken off the context and conceded its feeling of being offensive.
His Popularity and Following
Since August 15, 2013, PewDiePie has become the most subscribed YouTuber as he surpassed for 46 days by YouTube Spotlight in late 2013. He holds this position since December 22, 2013 and channel has up to 57 million subscribers, since September 2017. His channel became one of the most viewed YouTube channels of all time from December 29, 2014 to February 14, 2017. It received up to 16 billion views.
He calls his fan base “Bro Army” and his fans “bros”. Through his fanbase “Bro Army”, he raised funds for charities. His indie game coverage, with his popularity, created Oprah effect and he increased sales for the games he played. He was named “World’s 100 Most Influential People” by Time in 2016. He lives with his girlfriend in Brighton who is also a YouTube star, Marzia Bisognin.
What Kind of Videos Does Felix Kjellberg Makes?
He is exactly not called as quiet by his collective ‘Bro Army’ and bros. He is known for creating various quirky videos as well as shouting and screaming with enthusiasm. He also makes cheeky commentaries, plays indie games, and he is very loose lipped.
His Subscribers’ Base
Along with his 48 million YouTube subscribers, he has 10 million followers on Instagram, 8.8 million followers on Twitter, and website where he offers his official merchandise to his fans.
Born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1989, Felix was graduated from university with Industrial Economics & Technology Management degree. But he achieved a YouTube channel which had most number of subscribers in Sweden in 2013. Currently, he lives in Brighton with beauty and fashion vlogger and his Italian girlfriend Marzia and their two pugs, Edgar and Maya. The couple has been in relationship since 2011. They were introduced on the web and now called as “biggest power couple in YouTube”.
What about His Worth?
Exactly how much does he make is still not clear. But in his YouTube channel, his annual income is very high thanks to his low overheads. According to the most recent YouTube stars ranking by Forbes, he was making up to £11m or $15 million annually.
What Else Does Felix Do?
His work is not all about sitting behind his desktop screen. He has raised over £758,000 for different charities thanks to his fan base. He launched his official video game in 2015, PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist on Android and iOS. Later on, he launched a self-help parody book “This Book Loves You” and gave voiceover in fantasy series on Vimeo, Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures.
