MrBeast Tops $85 Million: The 10 Highest-Earning YouTubers of 2025
From viral stunts to snack empires and Amazon deals, here's who made the most money on YouTube this year—and what their earnings reveal about where the creator economy is headed.
The Creator Economy
Editorial oversight by the Editor-in-Chief
In 2025, Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson isn't just the biggest YouTuber on the planet. He's a one-man conglomerate pulling in an estimated $85 million annually—more than most Fortune 500 CEOs and a growing number of Hollywood A-listers.
But MrBeast isn't the only creator cashing massive checks. Behind him sits a diverse roster of YouTubers earning eight figures through a combination of ad revenue, brand deals, product lines, and media ventures that would have been unthinkable five years ago.
Here's the definitive breakdown of the 10 highest-earning YouTubers of 2025—and what their success tells us about the future of digital media.
The 2025 YouTube Rich List
These estimated earnings reflect total income across YouTube ad revenue, sponsorships, merchandise, business ventures, and media deals.
1. MrBeast — $85 Million
Jimmy Donaldson remains the undisputed king of YouTube, and it's not particularly close.
His earning engine runs on multiple cylinders:
- YouTube ad revenue from videos averaging 100M+ views each
- Feastables, his snack brand now available in 30+ countries and generating nine-figure revenue
- A landmark deal with Amazon for "Beast Games," one of the most-watched unscripted shows in streaming history
- Sponsorship deals commanding $3M+ per integration
What makes MrBeast's position remarkable isn't just the number—it's the trajectory. His earnings have grown roughly 40% year-over-year since 2022, with Feastables alone expected to surpass $500 million in annual retail sales.
The playbook is clear: use YouTube as a top-of-funnel attention machine, then monetize through diversified business ventures that extend far beyond the platform.
2. Dhar Mann — $56 Million
Dhar Mann has quietly built one of the most impressive media operations in the creator economy.
Operating out of Dhar Mann Studios—a full-scale production facility—he produces high-volume, scripted inspirational content that consistently pulls massive viewership. His videos follow a proven formula: morality tales with clear emotional arcs, produced at a pace that rivals traditional television networks.
Key revenue drivers:
- Ad revenue from an enormous content library generating billions of monthly views
- Dhar Mann Studios producing content for multiple channels and formats
- Brand partnerships aligned with his family-friendly positioning
- Licensing deals for international distribution
Dhar Mann represents a model few creators replicate: building a studio-first operation where the creator is the brand but not the bottleneck.
3. Jake Paul — $50 Million
Jake Paul has evolved from controversial YouTube provocateur to legitimate multi-platform entertainer.
His boxing career alone generates tens of millions per fight, but the YouTube ecosystem amplifies everything. Training content, behind-the-scenes vlogs, and fight promotion videos drive massive engagement that feeds his broader business empire.
Revenue sources include:
- Boxing purses and pay-per-view revenue shares
- YouTube ad revenue from lifestyle and training content
- W by Jake Paul, his personal care brand
- Betr, his sports betting platform
- Sponsorship deals leveraging his 20M+ subscriber base
Love him or not, Paul has proven that YouTube fame can be a launchpad for a diversified entertainment career.
4. Matt Rife — $50 Million
The breakout story of 2024-2025, Matt Rife represents what happens when a comedian goes viral at scale.
His trajectory: short-form clips from stand-up specials exploded on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, driving massive demand for his Netflix specials and sold-out arena tours. The YouTube-to-touring pipeline generated enormous income.
Earning breakdown:
- Touring revenue from sold-out arena shows across North America and Europe
- Netflix special deals worth eight figures
- YouTube and TikTok ad revenue from comedy clips
- Merchandise and brand partnerships
Rife's success highlights a key trend: short-form video platforms have become the most powerful discovery engine for live entertainment.
5. Rhett & Link — $36 Million
Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have done something almost no one else in the creator economy has achieved: sustained top-tier earnings for over a decade.
Good Mythical Morning, their flagship show, continues to pull millions of views per episode. But their business extends far beyond a single show.
Their empire includes:
- Good Mythical Morning and related shows generating consistent daily viewership
- Mythical Kitchen, their food-focused channel
- Mythical Society, a membership community
- Consumer products including Mythical branded merchandise
- A full-scale production company with dozens of employees
Rhett & Link prove that longevity in the creator economy is possible—but it requires building infrastructure, not just content.
6. Ryan Kaji — $35 Million
At 14 years old, Ryan Kaji remains one of the highest-earning creators in any category.
Ryan's World has expanded from unboxing videos into a full children's entertainment brand:
- Multiple YouTube channels with billions of cumulative views
- Licensed toy lines generating massive retail revenue
- An animated series extending the brand into traditional media
- Brand partnerships with major children's product companies
The children's content space on YouTube continues to generate outsized revenue due to high viewership volume and advertiser demand for family-friendly content.
7. Markiplier — $32 Million
Mark Fischbach has parlayed gaming content into a diversified media career.
Beyond his core gaming and commentary content, Markiplier's income streams include:
- YouTube ad revenue from consistent, high-engagement uploads
- "In Space with Markiplier," an interactive YouTube series that pushed platform boundaries
- Cloak, his clothing brand co-founded with Jacksepticeye
- Podcast and audio content ventures
- Film and media projects expanding beyond YouTube
Markiplier represents the gaming creator archetype: massive loyal audience, consistent content, and strategic diversification into adjacent media.
8. Mark Rober — $25 Million
The former NASA engineer has become YouTube's premier educational entertainer.
Rober's videos—elaborate engineering projects like the world's largest Nerf gun or glitter bomb packages for porch pirates—combine genuine science education with viral entertainment. Each video takes months to produce and routinely exceeds 50 million views.
Revenue comes from:
- YouTube ad revenue from high-CPM educational content
- CrunchLabs, his subscription-based engineering kit company for kids
- Premium sponsorship deals (educational content commands higher ad rates)
- Speaking engagements and educational partnerships
CrunchLabs deserves special attention: the subscription box business has become a significant revenue driver, demonstrating how educational creators can build product businesses that align perfectly with their content.
9. Charli D'Amelio — $23.5 Million
The former TikTok queen has successfully diversified across platforms and business ventures.
Charli's earnings reflect the multi-platform creator model:
- Brand partnerships with major fashion, beauty, and lifestyle companies
- D'Amelio Footwear, her family's shoe brand
- Reality television appearances and production deals
- Social media revenue across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube
- Podcast and content ventures with the broader D'Amelio family
Charli's trajectory shows both the opportunity and challenge of platform-native fame: massive initial attention that must be carefully converted into sustainable business revenue.
10. Khaby Lame — $20 Million
The most-followed person on TikTok earns his spot through sheer global appeal.
Khaby's genius is simplicity: wordless reaction videos that transcend language barriers, giving him a truly global audience. This universality makes him exceptionally valuable to international brands.
His income sources include:
- Brand partnerships with global companies (Hugo Boss, Binance, Juventus)
- Social media revenue across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube
- Licensing and appearance deals
- Ambassador roles for international brands seeking global reach
Khaby's earnings are notable because they're built almost entirely on personal brand value rather than content-driven revenue. He's less a content creator and more a global celebrity brand.
Key Trends Shaping YouTube Earnings in 2025
The 2025 rich list reveals several structural shifts in how top creators make money.
Diversification Is No Longer Optional
Every creator on this list earns the majority of their income from sources outside YouTube ad revenue.
The pattern is consistent:
- MrBeast: Feastables and Amazon deals dwarf ad revenue
- Dhar Mann: Studio production and licensing extend beyond YouTube
- Jake Paul: Boxing and business ventures outpace content earnings
- Mark Rober: CrunchLabs represents a massive standalone business
YouTube ad revenue is the foundation, but it's no longer the primary wealth driver for top earners. The platform serves as an attention engine that fuels more lucrative business ventures.
The Rise of Scripted and High-Production Content
The list is increasingly dominated by creators producing scripted, studio-quality content.
Dhar Mann runs a full production studio. MrBeast employs hundreds of people to produce his videos. Mark Rober's engineering projects require months of development.
The era of the solo creator with a camera dominating YouTube's top tier is effectively over. The highest earners operate media companies, not personal channels.
Educational Content Commands Premium Value
Mark Rober's presence on the list highlights the premium value of educational content:
- Higher CPMs (advertisers pay more for educational audiences)
- Better brand partnership opportunities
- Natural product extension (CrunchLabs)
- Strong engagement and audience loyalty
Educational creators may not have the largest audiences, but they often have the most valuable ones.
Children's Content Remains a Powerhouse
Ryan Kaji's continued presence at $35 million underscores the enduring value of children's content on YouTube.
Kids watch more content, more frequently, and advertisers in the children's space pay premium rates. The category faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny, but the economic fundamentals remain strong.
Platform Is Launchpad, Not Destination
Perhaps the most significant trend: every top earner treats YouTube as a starting point rather than an end goal.
MrBeast launched a CPG empire. Matt Rife used short-form clips to sell out arenas. Jake Paul built a boxing career. Rhett & Link created a production company.
The message for aspiring creators is clear: build your audience on YouTube, but build your business beyond it.
What This Means for the Creator Economy
The 2025 earnings list paints a picture of an industry maturing rapidly.
The gap between the top 10 and everyone else is growing. MrBeast's $85 million is nearly 2.5x the tenth-place earner. Scale, production quality, and business diversification increasingly separate the mega-earners from the rest.
But the opportunity remains enormous. These 10 creators represent just the visible peak of an industry generating billions in total creator income. Behind them, thousands of creators earn six and seven figures through the same strategies at smaller scale.
The formula isn't secret. It's just difficult: build an audience, create exceptional content, and diversify into businesses that leverage your attention and trust.
The creators who master that formula in 2025 and beyond will continue to rewrite the rules of media, entertainment, and entrepreneurship.
By The Creator Economy Editorial Team
Editorial oversight by Ismail Oyekan
Ismail Oyekan is the Editor-in-Chief of The Creator Economy and the founder of IMCX (Influencer Marketing Conference & Expo), the premier industry gathering connecting creators, brands, and capital. Named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Influencer Marketing by Influence Weekly, he has managed over $20 million in influencer marketing budgets and worked with A-list talent including Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled. He is a sought-after advisor to creator economy startups.
