Jeffree Star, Shane Dawson, James Charles and 4 more millionaire LGBTQ+ YouTube stars
LGBTQ+ icons Jeffree Star, Shane Dawson, James Charles, Lilly Singh, Joey Graceffa, Tyler Oakley and Ingrid Nilsen have all earned millions of dollars by sharing their lives on YouTube
Many places around the world are still intolerant, forcing the queer youth to the internet to find people they can relate to and who will accept them for who they are. YouTube’s popularity makes it a bastion for social change, but it is also an opportunity to amass staggering amounts of wealth. The overlap of these two realities can be seen in these top-earning LGBTQ+ YouTubers.
There are a few ways people make money on YouTube, including collective revenues from Google AdSense and AdWords, affiliate marketing (such as Amazon), in-video sponsorship, endorsements and product placements, crowdfunding through sites like Patreon, as well as the celebrities' own direct merchandising.
These YouTubers are all part of a growing online representation of the LGBTQ+ community, and they’re making an impressive amount of money while doing so. Read on to find out more.
Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star is gay, and has been with boyfriend Nathan Schwandt since 2015. In 2006, he was known as the most followed person on MySpace. His fame has only increased over the years, along with his wealth; he has 16.3 million subscribers and earns US$16 million per year. His total net worth is US$50 million. He recently revealed that a brand offered him the staggering sum of US$165,000 to use its product in one of his videos.
It’s no wonder that Jeffree is often seen sporting designer pieces, including a Hermès Niloticus crocodile Himalaya Birkin that’s reportedly worth US$379,200.
