Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg is one of the most identifiable names in social media, and even those who don’t actually watch him are likely familiar with the Swedish YouTuber.
Few influencers have properly broken through to mainstream audiences. PewDiePie is among the handful who have, becoming a name that even grandparents have heard at some point. Whether that’s from a controversial misstep or his various competitions for subscribers is another matter entirely.
PewDiePie’s road to the top of YouTube was a bumpy one, and his time since reaching the top has been oddly quiet. Here’s everything you need to know about PewDiePie.
Who is PewDiePie?
PewDiePie is a Swedish YouTuber who became one of the platform’s first breakout stars. He was primarily known for his gaming content including let’s plays of the trendiest games of the time including AR mobile game Pokemon GO and Minecraft.
As time went on, PewDiePie moved away from gaming content and instead created more reaction-based content such as meme reactions, discussions of news involving other content creators, and the state of YouTube itself. He also began streaming on Twitch around this time, but found major controversies on both platforms. This stemmed from multiple incidents of racism and sexism.
Alongside this, PewDiePie had a prolonged rivalry for subscriptions with T-Series, an Indian record label that jockeyed for position with PewDiePie for being the most-subscribed YouTube channel in the world. T-Series ultimately won this rivalry, and stands as the most-subscribed YouTube Channel in the world.
Why is PewDiePie famous?
PewDiePie is famous for his run as the most-subscribed YouTuber in the world. He was long the most influential content creator on the platform, helping to popularize a number of different styles of content.
PewDiePie’s YouTube channel had the largest following of any on the platform for a long while. While multiple corporate channels eclipsed him over time, he remained the most-subscribed YouTuber for years after, losing that seat to Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson in November 2022. Though PewDiePie has stepped away from YouTube to some degree, his channel remains one of the biggest on the platform.
Did PewDiePie quit YouTube?
PewDiePie stated that he felt that he was retired from YouTube in November 2020. That said, he has never actually stopped producing content and his channel still remains active years after. In July 2023, he announced that he would take a hiatus from YouTube in order to prepare for the birth of his first child.
In a November 2020 fan Q&A on YouTube, PewDiePie was asked by fans about what he envisioned retired life to be like.
“I already retired, I decided a couple of months ago I’m doing youtube any more low pace I’m sorry that means I am not uploading as frequently…but I just decided f— it I’m retired,” he said.
Though Pewediepie said that he retired in 2020, he continues posting videos on YouTube. He has acknowledged the contradiction, but stated that the content he posts now is done simply for the enjoyment of it rather than looking to maximize views and grow his subscriber count.
Does PewDiePie have a girlfriend?
PewDiePie has been married to Marzia Kjellburg since 2019. She initially rose to fame as Marzia Bisognin, running the beauty and makeup YouTube channel CutiePieMarzia. Marzia and PewDiePie started dating in 2011.
Despite having a large following, Marzia announced her retirement from YouTube in 2018 which was followed by the de-listing of most of the content she had created. Sometime later, the remaining videos were taken down and her channel is now empty.
Fans of Marzia have had the opportunity to occasionally see her on PewDiePie’s channel, with the two creating content together. In February 2023, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child.
Is PewDiePie the biggest YouTuber?
MrBeast dethrone PewDiePie to become the world’s biggest YouTuber in November 2022. MrBeast’s subscriber count surpassed that of PewDiePie on November 15, 2022, and the difference between them has since grown significantly since then. As of this writing, MrBeast has more than 25 million more subscribers than PewDiePie.
MrBeast’s content is quite different from what PewDiePie has put out over the years, instead focusing on giveaways, challenges, and contests. These often revolve around large sums of money changing hands, or MrBeast providing a service of some kind to strangers.
Much like PewDiePie, MrBeast’s content has been highly influential. Many other YouTubers have attempted to imitate his style of content, or presented their content in a way that emulates him.
Is PewDiePie the richest YouTuber?
PewDiePie is no longer the richest YouTuber, with estimates placing MrBeast ahead of him alongside other YouTubers.
Most estimates suggest that PewDiePie’s net worth is around $40 million while MrBeast’s is over $50 million. Alongside this are other YouTubers who have merchandise deals outside of YouTube, most notably Ryan Kaji whose likeness is used on lines of children’s toys and clothes which have made him tens of millions of dollars.
PewDiePie notably denied this $40 million estimate in a video, simply replying “come on” in a sarcastic tone. Whether his net worth is higher or lower is unknown.
Does PewDiePie live in Japan?
PewDiePie moved to Tokyo, Japan in May 2022 after living in England for several years. He had planned to move to Japan a few years prior, but this was delayed due to travel restrictions in the country.
After situating himself in Japan, much of his content focused on his new life in the country. This included vlogs about Grand Sumo, and more. He stated that his move to Japan was tied to a five-year business visa. It’s unknown if he plans to leave Japan after the visa’s expiration or if he will attempt to make Japan a permanent home for himself and his wife.
