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For six years, nobody on YouTube had more subscribers than PewDiePie. Felix Kjellberg is the Swedish creator who turned screaming at horror games into a global brand, survived several major controversies, and now makes videos at his own pace from Japan. He's still one of the most-subscribed individual creators on the platform.
Quick facts
Photo: Cold Ones Clips / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
PewDiePie
YouTube creator · Let's Play pioneer
- Real name
- Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg
- Born
- 24 October 1989 (age 37)
- From
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Reported net worth
- $45M–$60M (Celebrity Net Worth estimates, 2026; not confirmed)
- Lives
- Japan (since 2022)
- YouTube
- @PewDiePie · ~109M subscribers (Oct 2026)
- Known for
- Horror Let's Plays, the Minecraft series, memes and commentary
- Record
- Most-subscribed YouTube channel, 2013–2019
- Family
- Married to Marzia (2019); son Björn (2023)
- Latest project
- Odysseus, a self-hosted AI workspace (2026)
Who is PewDiePie?
PewDiePie is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, born on 24 October 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden, which makes him 37. He made his name with Let's Play videos of horror and action games, then branched out into comedy, memes, commentary, vlogs and, more recently, tech and self-hosted AI projects.
He's a YouTuber rather than a livestreamer, but his influence on gaming video is hard to overstate: he's widely credited with popularising the Let's Play format. As of 26 October 2026 his channel had about 109 million subscribers.
Early life
Kjellberg grew up in Gothenburg with his older sister, Fanny. His parents were both corporate executives, and his mother was named Sweden's CIO of the Year in 2010. As a child he loved drawing game characters such as Mario and Sonic, and in his last year of high school he bought a computer with money from selling his artwork through his grandmother's gallery.
He went on to study industrial engineering and management at Chalmers University of Technology, the same university his mother attended. 'I was bored,' he told ESPN in 2015. 'It was not what I wanted to do with my life.' When he dropped out, his parents refused to support him, so he worked at a hot dog stand to fund his videos.
Rise to YouTube fame
He launched the PewDiePie channel on 29 April 2010. According to ESPN, the name combines the 'pew' of a laser, 'die', and 'pie', added after he forgot his password. His videos opened with a screamed 'My name is PewDiePie!' and ended with a 'brofist'. He soon learned that the bigger his reactions to the jump scares in horror games such as Amnesia, the faster his audience grew. If those games are your thing, see our pick of the best horror games.
Growth was explosive. His channel became YouTube's most-subscribed on 15 August 2013 and was also the most-viewed from December 2014 to February 2017. Forbes named him the highest-paid YouTuber in 2016, with an estimated $15 million in the 12 months to June, helped by his YouTube Red series Scare PewDiePie and his book This Book Loves You.
Career timeline
| When | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 29 April 2010 | Launches the PewDiePie YouTube channel |
| 15 August 2013 | Becomes YouTube's most-subscribed channel |
| 2016 | Forbes names him YouTube's highest earner ($15M) |
| February 2017 | Maker Studios cuts ties after the Wall Street Journal report |
| 14 April 2019 | T-Series overtakes him as the most-subscribed channel |
| June 2019 | Starts his hit Minecraft series |
| 19 August 2019 | Marries Marzia Bisognin in London |
| 25 August 2019 | Passes 100 million subscribers |
| 2022 | Moves to Japan |
| 11 July 2023 | Son Björn is born |
| 31 May 2026 | Releases Odysseus, a free self-hosted AI workspace |
| 22 September 2026 | Ends family vlogs to protect his son’s privacy |
Biggest moments
PewDiePie vs T-Series
In late 2018 the Indian record label T-Series closed in on his subscriber count, and the race to stay number one became an internet event. Fans and fellow creators such as MrBeast, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye and Logan Paul pushed the 'subscribe to PewDiePie' campaign, and he released the diss track 'Bitch Lasagna'. T-Series overtook him for good on 14 April 2019, and he conceded defeat. On 28 April he asked supporters to end the campaign, after the perpetrator of the Christchurch mosque shootings had mentioned his name.
The Minecraft comeback
In June 2019 he went back to gaming with a Minecraft series that became one of the biggest runs of his career. Dexerto reported that his monthly views roughly doubled, from about 300 million to close to 600 million, in the first three months, and he passed 100 million subscribers on 25 August 2019. Our Minecraft hub covers the game he helped bring back into the spotlight.
Odysseus and his AI projects
Lately his videos have taken a techy turn. On 31 May 2026 he released Odysseus, a free, open-source, self-hosted AI workspace, built after a year of documenting how he runs AI models on his own hardware. In October 2026 he followed it with Ajax, an 'uncensored' model designed to run on home PCs, and said OpenAI had banned him twice while he was making it, as Tom's Hardware reported.
Collaborations and achievements
His most famous partnership is with his wife, Marzia, a former YouTuber herself, who appeared in his videos for years. The T-Series battle also brought out support from across YouTube, with MrBeast, Markiplier and Jacksepticeye among those backing him. He has also featured on the Cold Ones podcast, and he worked with YouTube itself on Scare PewDiePie, one of the first original shows for its subscription service.
His achievements are mostly records. He held the most-subscribed channel title from August 2013 to April 2019 and was YouTube's top earner in Forbes' 2016 ranking. In June 2025 his channel slipped out of YouTube's top 10 most-subscribed for the first time in 12 years, which reflects how much he has stepped back from chasing growth. For another streaming 'Felix' with record numbers, see our profile of xQc.
Personal life, controversies and net worth
Marzia, Japan and family life
He met Italian creator Marzia Bisognin in 2011, and they married on 19 August 2019 at Kew Gardens in London. In 2022 the couple moved to Japan, and their son, Björn, was born on 11 July 2023. In March 2025 he said in a vlog that they had decided to stay in Japan, despite being far from family, as Dexerto reported.
On 22 September 2026 he posted 'Thank you and Goodbye', ending the family vlogs to protect Björn's privacy. He made clear he isn't quitting YouTube. 'I love making videos, and I'm going to keep making videos obviously,' he said, adding that he does not love being famous.
Controversies
In February 2017 The Wall Street Journal reported that nine of his videos since August 2016 contained anti-Semitic jokes or Nazi imagery. Disney's Maker Studios cut ties with him, and YouTube cancelled the next season of Scare PewDiePie and dropped him from its premium advertising programme, as The New York Times reported. He apologised for some of the content, but said other material had been taken out of context.
Seven months later he used a racial slur during a PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds livestream. He apologised, calling himself 'an idiot' and saying there were 'no excuses'. Campo Santo, the developer of Firewatch, filed copyright takedowns against his videos of its games.
PewDiePie's net worth
There's no verified figure for PewDiePie's net worth, so be wary of sites quoting a precise number. The best public guide is Forbes, which estimated his earnings at $15 million for the year to June 2016 and $12 million for the year to June 2017, when the controversies cost him advertisers. He has earned from YouTube ads, merchandise, his book and other business projects for well over a decade, but his total wealth has never been disclosed.
Published estimates do exist. Celebrity Net Worth put his net worth at $60 million in September 2026, while its August 2026 ranking of the richest YouTube stars listed him at $45 million. The gap between the two shows how rough these models are.
Frequently asked questions
What is PewDiePie's real name?
His real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg. Fans often call him Felix or Pewds.
How old is PewDiePie?
He was born on 24 October 1989, so he is 37.
Who is PewDiePie's wife?
He is married to Marzia Kjellberg (née Bisognin), an Italian former YouTuber. They married in London on 19 August 2019.
Does PewDiePie have a child?
Yes. Their son, Björn, was born on 11 July 2023. In September 2026 the couple stopped making family vlogs to protect his privacy.
Where does PewDiePie live?
He has lived in Japan since 2022, and said in March 2025 that the family had decided to stay there.
Is PewDiePie quitting YouTube?
No. His September 2026 'Thank you and Goodbye' video ended the family vlogs, but he said he will keep making videos.
How many subscribers does PewDiePie have?
About 109 million as of October 2026. He was YouTube's most-subscribed channel from August 2013 until T-Series overtook him in April 2019.
What is PewDiePie's net worth?
It has never been disclosed. Celebrity Net Worth estimates it at $45–60 million (2026), and Forbes estimated his annual earnings at $15 million in 2016 and $12 million in 2017.
Sources and further reading
This profile is based on reporting from major news outlets, Forbes and PewDiePie's own videos. His subscriber count was checked on 26 October 2026, and we update the page as things change.
- ESPN: How PewDiePie gamed the world
- Forbes: The highest-paid YouTube stars 2016
- The New York Times: Disney drops PewDiePie
- BBC: PewDiePie apologises for using racial slur
- BBC: PewDiePie concedes defeat to T-Series
- USA Today: PewDiePie ends family vlogs
- Tom's Hardware: PewDiePie unveils Ajax
- PewDiePie on YouTube
Written by
Jessica ThompsonAs a dedicated gaming journalist with over five years of experience, I've immersed myself in the ever-evolving world of video games. Currently, I contribute to Gamerbolt.com and PS6news.com, where I cover the latest in gaming news, in-depth game reviews, and industry trends. At Gamerbolt.com, I've had the privilege of shaping content strategies, writing comprehensive articles, and engaging with a passionate community of gamers. My role involves not only crafting engaging narratives but also staying ahead of the curve with the latest gaming innovations and upcoming titles.
