YouTube has risen to prominence as a leading platform, presenting creators with abundant avenues for income generation. The company shared in June that its creative environment contributed more than $55 billion to the U.S. GDP and was responsible for the creation of over 490,000 full-time positions.
Nevertheless, a significant number of YouTubers have lessened their dependency on income derived from advertisements and collaborations with brands. This evolution is due to several factors. For one, ad revenue can fluctuate considerably. As YouTube consistently revises its guidelines, certain creators encounter obstacles in acquiring advertisements for their content, which in turn can adversely affect their earnings. They have also come to the realization that revenue from these sources can disappear without prior notice.
Acknowledging the instability of earnings tied to a particular platform, numerous YouTubers are evolving beyond their roles as mere creators. They are now functioning as comprehensively integrated media enterprises, featuring supplementary businesses like product lines, physical retail locations, and consumer-facing brands capable of withstanding algorithmic adjustments and modifications to policies.
In select scenarios, these supplementary ventures exhibit expansion rates that surpass and sustain their associated YouTube channels.
MrBeast
Jimmy Donaldson, recognized as MrBeast, boasting a subscriber base of 442 million, transcends the status of a prominent YouTube figure, embodying the essence of a driven entrepreneur.
What began with a merchandise outlet in 2018 – ShopMrBeast – has since blossomed into a diverse business collection, notably featuring his three-year-old snack label, Feastables.
The inaugural offering from Feastables, the “MrBeast Bar,” a confection, amassed revenues exceeding $10 million within the initial 72 hours, propelled by sales of over 1 million units upon its introduction. Presently, Feastables surpasses his YouTube material and even his “Beast Games” series on Prime Video in terms of profitability. In 2024, Feastables generated around $250 million in income and over $20 million in earnings, whereas his media endeavors encountered losses nearing $80 million.
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Additional ventures encompass his packaged food enterprise, Lunchly (established jointly with YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI), the toy range MrBeast Lab, MrBeast Burger, and the analytics resource Viewstats. He also explored the acquisition of TikTok’s U.S. operations through involvement with the American Investor Consortium, spearheaded by Employer.com’s founder, Jesse Tinsley.
Currently, MrBeast is investigating novel domains. Intentions are in place to inaugurate a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), potentially through collaboration with major carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. Moreover, the YouTuber’s trademark application for a mobile application facilitating banking, financial consultancy, and cryptocurrency trading has been observed.
Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain, recognized for her ascent to prominence as a teenage vlogger from 2016, presently commands a subscriber base exceeding 12 million and has achieved prosperity within the beverage sector.
She created her coffee label, Chamberlain Coffee, in 2019, presenting a spectrum of goods, spanning from cold brew and coffee capsules to selections of ground and complete beans, in addition to tea and matcha. It’s noteworthy that fellow YouTubers have embraced comparable trajectories, such as Jacksepticeye with his Top of the Mornin’ Coffee brand and Philip DeFranco through Wake & Make Coffee.
In 2023, Chamberlain Coffee marked a year of substantial progress, unveiling canned ready-to-drink lattes and generating revenues approximating $20 million, according to Forbes. The label has lately witnessed amplified expansion, inaugurating its inaugural physical outlet in January. Prior to this, its existence was confined to online platforms and retail locations, encompassing entities like Target, Sprouts, and Walmart.
While Chamberlain Coffee encountered hurdles during the previous year stemming from supplier-related challenges, anticipation is for a resurgence, forecasting revenue escalations surpassing 50% by 2025, culminating in figures beyond $33 million, as per Business Insider. The label further aims for profitability by 2026.
Logan Paul
Logan Paul (23.6 million subscribers) has transitioned into wrestling, but his past includes controversies like a 2017 video and the CryptoZoo NFT project.
His energy drink, Prime, co-founded with KSI, experienced viral success in 2022, exceeding $1.2 billion in 2023 sales, surpassing content creator earnings from views, ads, and deals. However, it now faces declining sales, regulatory scrutiny for caffeine content, and lawsuits. U.K. revenue dropped approximately 70% from 2023 to 2024.
Another venture, Maverick Apparel, earned between $30 million and $40 million in 2020.
His brother, Jake Paul, co-founded the Anti Fund, which invested in OpenAI, Anduril, Ramp, and Cognition. He also owns a grooming line, W, and Betr, a mobile betting platform.
Ryan’s World
Ryan’s World, featuring 13-year-old Ryan Kaji, is a popular YouTuber. Ryan became known for his toy reviews and unboxing videos, captivating nearly 40 million young viewers.
Kaji expanded his brand with a toy and apparel line sold in retail chains, generating over $250 million in 2020. The Kaji family diversified into a TV show and an educational app for children.
Rosanna Pansino
Rosanna Pansino, with 14.8 million subscribers, is a popular baker on YouTube known for her baking tutorials and themed treats. She is recognized for recipes inspired by pop culture, gaming, and movies.
Pansino expanded her Nerdy Nummies brand with well-received cookbooks. She also markets baking tools through retailers, including Amazon.
Other YouTubers have pursued cookware and food products as additional revenue streams, including chef and author Andrew Rea (Babish), who launched Babish Cookware in 2021, and comedy duo Rhett & Link, who sell MishMash Cereal.
Michelle Phan
Michelle Phan rose to prominence in 2007 with makeup tutorials, becoming an early beauty influencer who monetized content effectively. In addition to her YouTube success, she co-founded Ipsy, a popular beauty subscription service, and has her own makeup line, EM Cosmetics.
Huda Kattan
Huda Kattan established Huda Beauty, a globally known beauty brand, in 2013. While she divested a minority stake to TSG Consumer Partners, a private equity firm, in 2017, she reacquired it in June due to investor pressure for senior leadership conflicting with her vision for the brand, which reportedly generates hundreds of millions in annual sales.
Many influencers have developed their own makeup brands, including Jeffree Star Cosmetics and Tati Beauty.
