PewDiePie- Biggest Independent YT video -maker

Who is PewDiePie?

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, popularly known as PewdiePie, is one of the most popular YouTubers, comedians, and philanthropists.

The name “PewDiePie” comes from ‘pew’ like the sound of a laser gun firing and ‘die,’ meaning death. Initially, his name was just “PewDie,” but after forgetting his password to his first channel, he returned with his new channel, PewDiePie.”

The 30-year-old Youtuber is one of the most influential online personalities and has been reviewed as “Youtube’s greatest successes” by Douglas Holt of Harvard business review in 2016.

He is known for his signature “brofist” that he always does at the end of his YouTube videos and is known for his vast fan base called “Bros.”

So without further ado, hop on to read all about PewDiePie’s journey to success and how he acquired everything.

Quick facts

Full Name Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg
Nickname PewDiePie “Pewds” 
Birthday October 24, 1989
Age  34 years old
Sun Sign Scorpio
Traits Positive: Ambitious, intelligent, and confident
Negative: Jealous and aggressive
Birthplace Gothenburg, Sweden
Currently residing Brighton, England
Nationality Swedish
Education -High school degree from Göteborgs Högre Samskola in 2008.
-Degree in Industrial Economics & Technology Management at the Chalmers University of Technology (dropped out)
Parents Lotta Kristine Johanna (mother)
Ulf Christian Kjellberg (father)
Siblings Fanny (sister)
Marital Status Married
Spouse Name Marzia Bisognin
Profession YouTuber
Net Worth USD 54 million
Social media Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Interesting facts

1. PewDiePie’s real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg

While billions of people know him as PewDiePie or even Pewds, the actual name of this YouTuber is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg. He has two middle names since he is from Sweden, and it is common to have double middle names here. 

2. PewDiePie’s name has a meaning

The name of his channel was originally pewDie. However, he lost the login information of his channel, so he came up with PewDiePie. 

Here, Pew means the sound of the laser gun; Die is when you get shot by the laser. Pie is just there to sound funny.

3. He dropped out of college

Felix was accepted at the Chalmers University of Technology to get a degree in industrial economics and technology management. However, he dropped out in the middle to pursue his artistic endeavors as he was more interested in Adobe Photoshop and gaming.

4. PewDiePie has two licensed video games

It was a dream of PewDiePie to have his videogame. So, in 2015, he released “PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist.” in 2016, he released “PewDiePie’s Tuber Simulator.”

5. He is not just a YouTuber

PewDiePie is also an author. He has released his book titled ‘This Book Loves you’ in 2015. He is also a philanthropist and supports charities like W.W.F., St.Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Save the Children, and Product Red.

6. PewDiePie has been a subject of controversies

He has stirred a lot of controversies, which has cost him lucrative deals. He was accused of anti-Semitism in 2016 after he posted videos that alluded Nazi and anti-Semitic imagery. 

He made an apology video concerning this incident. However, he lost his deal with Disney and YouTube Red series. 

In 2017, PewDiePie used a racial slur while live-streaming P.U.B.G. His video was taken down after the game developer Campo Santo issued a DMCA takedown.

PewDiePie’s childhood and education

Felix Kjellberg was born on October 24, 1989, to Lotta Kristine Johanna and Ulf Christian Kjellberg.

He grew up in Gothenburg, Sweden, with his older sister, Fanny. His mother was a former KappAhl CIO and was also named the CIO of the year in Sweden. His father was also a corporate executive.

As a child, he was interested in arts and would draw popular video game characters like Mario and Sonic the HedgeHog. He was an avid videogames fan from his early years and would even skip school to play video games at an Internet Café with friends.

Felix completed his high school degree from Göteborgs Högre Samskola in 2008.

He went to pursue a degree in Industrial Economics & Technology Management at the Chalmers University of Technology. He dropped out in the middle due to his lack of interest in the course of study.

PewDiePie enjoyed working on photo manipulation art using Adobe Photoshop rather than being in school. After leaving his university, he followed his passion and entered Photoshop contests.

Personality traits

Since PewDiePie is a Scorpio, he tends to be confident and rebellious.

He is a high-pitched goofy guy with an “I don’t care” attitude. He is not afraid to address topics and give genuine reviews, no matter how offensive they may be. He is a big supporter of independent video game producers too.

But Scorpios, no matter how confident they might seem, can be very sensitive too. He is said to be very shy and of reserved nature.

He felt overwhelmed in his first moments of fame. After some time, he admitted to feeling heavy with the weight of his position as a celebrity and even thought about giving up.

PewDiePie relationships

Felix Kjellberg is married to his long-time girlfriend of 8 years, Marzia Bisognin. Marzia is an Italian beauty blogger based in Italy.

They were first introduced online in 2011 through Marzia’s friend, and from then on, they began a long-distance relationship.

They exchanged their vows in a private ceremony on August 19, 2019, in London’s Kews Garden. Daily Mail reports that the wedding ceremony is estimated to be worth USD 121,500 – or USD 148,860.46.

Road to fame

Early Years and Struggles

Felix set up his first YouTube channel as “PewDie” in 2006. Since he got busy with his studies and options about which career path to take, he disappeared from the YouTube scene for a while and eventually forgot his password.

After dropping out of Chalmers University, he returned to YouTube with a new channel, PewDiePie, in 2010.

He learned to edit videos by watching online tutorials and uploaded his first ‘Let’s Play’ video – of him playing Minecraft.

Since he dropped out of university, his parents refused to support him financially.

After failing to earn an apprenticeship with an advertising agency in Scandinavia, he decided to create YouTube content. Since he needed to support his keen interest in creating YouTube content, he started selling limited edition prints of his photoshopped images and sold hotdogs.

He worked hard to purchase a computer to work on Youtube videos.

Success

PewDiePie started getting noted for his ‘Let’s Plays’ of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and its mods.

He focused on video game reviews and commentaries, specifically horror and action video games.

He also started posting weekly vlogs: Fridays with PewDiePie. People began to love his high-pitched, goofy, energetic, self-giving, honest and unfiltered reviews of games.

On May 9, 2012, his channel reached 500,000 subscribers.

By September 2012, PewDiePie reached 2 million subscribers, and in October, he ranked as the ‘No. 1 YouTube Channel’ by Open Slate.

In December 2012, he signed with Maker Studios, a multi-channel network (MCN), a rival party to Machinima – his former network with which he was signed.

He hired a lawyer to free him from this network since he felt neglected and frustrated by their treatment.

In April 2013, he was covered by The New York Times after surpassing 6 million subscribers. He was also awarded the ‘Swedish Social StarAward’ at the inaugural Social Stars Awards in Singapore.

He also won the award for the ‘Most Popular Social Show’ on the same award show.

In July 2013, PewDiePie became the second most subscribed YouTube channel after 10 million subscribers surpassing Jenna Marbles.

It was on August 15, 2013. He became the leading channel after surpassing Smosh. He received a certificate from Guinness World Records for becoming the most subscribed YouTube channel.

It was one of the fastest-growing channels on YouTube in terms of subscribers gained throughout 2012 and 2013. He earned 1.3 billion views and had 19 million subscribers by the end of 2013.

In 2014, he deliberated the option of launching his network rather than renewing his contract with Maker Studios.

By September 2014, it became the first channel to have 10 billion video views.

PewDiePie the new saga

In 2015, he began to take more risks in his YouTube career and started experimenting more by doing viral challenges and making fun (also termed ‘dissing’) of other YouTubers.

He also started reviewing meme submissions from his fans.

In January 2016, he announced a partnership with Maker Studios to produce and star in a YouTube Original Series called Scare PewDiePie, which premiered on YouTube Red in February 2016.

On December 8, 2016, his channel reached 50 million subscribers, making him the first YouTube channel to reach that landmark. He even received a custom Play Button from YouTube as a reward.

An interesting fact, he declared that he would delete his channel once he had reached this milestone. Thankfully, he didn’t. From then on, it just kept getting better for him.

He was included on Time’s list of the 30 most influential people on the internet. The Sunday Times ranked him first on their list of the UK’s 100 most influential people online.

Net worth

Forbes named him the highest-earning YouTuber with an annual income reaching USD 15 million in 2016. PewDiePie has a net worth of USD 54 million as of 2021, making him one of the world’s wealthiest YouTubers.

These are not just his earnings from his YouTube channel. He has earned from his own game called PewDiePie: Legend of Brofist.

He also has released his book called “This Book Loves You.”

Felix and his wife, Marzia, also own a unisex clothing brand called “Tsuki.”

On top of that, he also has contracts with several brands. He lives in Brighton, the UK, known as a Youtuber’s valley, and owns a Porsche 911 worth USD 76,400. He also drives a MINI Cooper convertible.

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PewDiePie merch

Besides his Unisex clothing brand ‘Tsuki’ that he owns with his wife, Marzia. He also has his own merchandise. His online store offers a wide range of PewDiePie T-shirts, hoodies, masks, backpacks, hats, caps, and more. 

Pewdiepie store also sells PewDiePie figurines.

His gaming chair

Fans of PewDiePie love his gaming chair. He uses a Clutch Chairz Throttle Series: PewDiePie edition. It is a high-quality chair that has incredible support and comfort. 

Customers get customization options such as height, arms, and the back.

PewDiePie keyboard

PewDiePie also has a Keyboard and mouse collection. He has collaborated with Ghostkeyboards and has developed an epic keyboard called ‘Ghost K1’ that comes with a free mouse. This keyboard is excellent for gamers.

PewDiePie headphones

He uses the Razer Nari Ultimate PewDiePie Limited Edition Headphones. However, since his fans also wanted the same headphones, Razer brought a limited edition of PewDiePie’s Custom Red Razer Kraken v2 Headset.

PewDiePie rewards and recognitions

Felix Kjellberg is recognized for his popularity for his YouTube content and starring in different videos and films.

Filmography

DATE TITLE ROLES
2013 Epic Rap Battles of History

 

Internet Icon

Mikhail Baryshnikov

 

Himself

2013, 2015 Smosh Babies Baby Pewds
2013-2016, 2019 YouTube rewind Himself
2014 Asdfmovie

 

SouthPark

Lonely Guy

 

himself

2015 Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures

 

Purgatory

Brock

 

Edgar

2016 Scare PewDiePie Himself

He has also won many prestigious awards as an online influencer.

Awards

DATE AWARD CEREMONY CATEGORY
2013 Starcount Social Star Awards

 

 

5th Shorty Awards

Most Popular Social Show

 

Sweden Social Star Award

Gaming Award

2014 Teen Choice Awards

 

Golden Joystick Awards

Webstar: Gaming

 

Gaming Personality

2015 5th Streamy Awards

 

Golden Joystick Awards

Best Gaming Channel/Show/Series

 

Gaming Personality

2019 Teen Choice Awards Choice Gamer

Controversies

If you’re an avid fan of PewDiePie, you must be aware of the controversies he has created or is involved in.

1. The Rape Jokes Controversy

Early in his YouTube career, he used rape jokes in his videos, for which he attracted a lot of criticism and hate from his viewers.

He addressed the issue through a Tumblr post and wrote, “ I just wanted to make clear that I’m no longer making rape jokes. As I mentioned before, I’m not looking to hurt anyone, and I apologize if it ever did. “

2. The Disney Fanfiction Controversy

Late in 2015, he angered the Walt Disney Company’s CEO for reading erotic fan fiction about the characters of the Disney film: Frozen.

3. The Anti-Jews Racial Controversy

In January 2017, he uploaded a video using a racial slur. In another video, he featured two paid individuals on Fiverr to hold a sign that read, “Death to all Jews.”

He later affirmed that his intention was not against Jews but to showcase how crazy the website was. Felix and the two individuals apologized for their actions.

That event led Maker Studios to cut their contract with him. Google also dropped him from its advertising program and canceled the Scare PewDiePie YouTube series’s upcoming season.

4. The Anti-Black Racial Controversy

In September 2017, Felix used the racial slur ‘nigger’ during an outburst with another Livestream player. He uploaded a short video to apologize for the language he used, considering his position as an influencer.

5. The Twitch Controversy

In May 2018, he used the term ‘Twitch Thots’ in a video that featured him watching a female Twitch streamer’s compilation.

6. The Demi Lovato Controversy

In July 2018, PewDiePie posted a meme with singer Demi Lovato’s face about Lovato’s addiction struggles. The meme was published around the same time Lovato was hospitalized for a drug overdose.

He received heavy criticisms from online users, fans of Demi Lovato, and people struggling with addiction. He apologized for this incident too.

7. The Big T-Series Controversy

In October 2018, Felix uploaded a diss track titled “T-Series Diss Track”—Bitch Lasagna, which was targeted at the Indian record label T-Series because theirs surpassed his channel in terms of subscribers.

It was described as racist in media publications. His video remains blocked in India after T-Series sought a court order from the High Court of India.

8. The Big T-Series Controversy 2.0 plus Pulwama Terrorist Attack Controversy

In 2019, he uploaded an episode of his show “Pew News,” in which he addressed the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack.

Following this, T-Series deleted several songs from Pakistani artists from its YouTube channel due to political parties’ oppression.

PewDiePie clarified on Twitter that he was not attempting to speak on the India-Pakistan relation but rather on T-Series’ specific context removing artists’ songs from its YouTube Channel.

PewDiePie charity

Apart from having a significant influence on the YouTube community and stirring controversies, PewDiePie is also a well-known philanthropist who has used his platform to support many fundraising campaigns.

  • Donated his cash winnings of ‘Gaming King of Web’ to the World Wildlife Fund.
  • Raised money for St.Jude Children’s Hospital.
  • Began a “Water Campaign” charity in celebration of reaching 10 million subscribers.
  • Announced another charity for children after reaching 25 million subscribers and raised over USD 630,000.
  • Raised money for RED, a charity committed to helping eliminate HIV/ AIDS in Africa. He raised over USD 1.3 million with help from Bill and Melina Gates.
  • Started a fundraiser for Child Rights and You (CRY) to help Indian children and raised over USD 200,000.
  • Started a fundraiser with actor Jack Black for National Alliance on Mental Illness.
  • Donated USD 69,420 to Team Trees, a fundraising drive that takes action against deforestation.

Social media

PewDiePie is very active on all social media platforms.

You can watch his videos on his YouTube channel named, PewDiePie, which has over 105 million subscribers and over 4,100 videos.

You can find his verified Facebook page under the same name, with more than 7,808,000 followers.

His Instagram account, @pewdiepie, has over 20.8 million followers. You can see his daily life, lots of adorable wedding photos, and cute couple photos with his wife, Marzia.

He has a Twitter account to his name but doesn’t use it. He has made it to avoid fake accounts that would misuse his name. Even though he hasn’t tweeted, he still has over 179.5 K followers.

He also has a Tumblr account, and you can find him as “officialpewdiepieblog.”

He has a verified Twitch account as well as a Mobcrush account under his name.

You can find him on MySpace as officialpewdiepie.

PewDiePie tattoo

PewDiePie has six tattoos. He has inked a ‘Swedish Church with an open roof’ and a ‘skeleton on cat’ on his upper right arm. In addition, he has a ‘girl’ tattooed on his right forearm, ‘Slippy’ and a ‘heart-shaped face with an eye and three drops’ on his left forearm.

He also has inked a ‘naked woman kissing skeleton’ on his left shoulder.

F.A.Q

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