Who Holds the Title of the Richest Streamer in 2024?
Richest Streamers in 2024
- Félix Lengyel (xQcOW): Ranked as the richest streamer with a net worth of $50 million. xQc generates income through subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.
- Richard Tyler Blevins (Ninja): Known for his net worth of $40 million. Ninja reportedly earns over $500,000 monthly from his Twitch channel through donations, subscriptions, and ad revenue. He was the highest-earning Twitch streamer in 2023 as well.
- Nickmercs: As of March 2024, he holds the title with Tier 1 earnings of $1,216,012.
- Kai Cenat: Estimated earning of $600,000 per month, making him one of the top earners in the industry.
- Top Earners:
- Tfue: $1,332,408
- TimTheTatman: $1,332,009
- Ibai Llanos: Follows as one of the top earners with a net worth of $16 million. He is recognized for his engaging content across various game genres.
Other Notable Figures
- MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson): Earnings of $85 million with over 503 million followers across social media. Known for extreme stunts and contests.
- Dhar Mann: Earnings of $45 million with 120 million followers, focusing on videos that address social issues.
- Matt Rife: Earnings of $50 million, leveraging his digital popularity to fill theaters and appear in Netflix comedy specials.
Exploring the Top 5 Richest Streamers on Twitch
Here are the top 5 richest Twitch streamers in 2023:
- Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie) – $40 million. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg is one of the first content creators on YouTube. He began his online career before the ‘online influencer’ role became a viable career. In 2023, the Swedish gamer started posting videos of himself playing video games, such as the first-person shooter Call of Duty. Nowadays, he has been focusing on his family life in Japan. PewDiePie also has a clothing brand named Tsuki. His online career and business ventures combined enabled him to build a $40 million net worth, making him one of the richest Twitch streamers.
- Tyler Blevins (Ninja) – $40 million. Compared to Felix Kjellberg, Tyler Blevins started his online career in reverse. Initially, he posted professional gaming content on Twitch before transitioning to YouTube. In 2009, Blevins became well-known for playing the first-person shooter Halo 3. Eventually, he became the Twitch streamer Ninja, gaining recognition for his skills in the battle royale first-person shooter Fortnite. However, Ninja quit the platform in 2019 and continued streaming on YouTube. Nevertheless, Blevins remains one of the richest Twitch streamers, with a $40 million net worth.
- Michael Grzesiek (Shroud) – $22 million. Micheal Grzesiek, or Shroud, is the second richest Twitch streamer worldwide, with a net worth of $22 million. He started his online career as a professional esports athlete, focusing on the first-person multiplayer game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or CS:GO. He began his Twitch career in 2013, playing CS:GO, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), and Valorant. Nowadays, he has millions of fans and a considerable net worth, making him one of the richest Twitch streamers.
- Other Wealthy Twitch Streamers:
- Ninja – the highest-earning Twitch streamer in 2023, earning a whopping $500,000 per month.
- xQc (Felix Lengyel) – estimated net worth of $50 million.
- Amouranth – estimated net worth of $25 million.
- PewDiePie – estimated net worth of $45 million.
- Shroud – estimated net worth of $20 million.
- KaiCenat – broke the all-time Twitch subscriber record.
- Top Five Richest Twitch Streamers:
- Ninja (Richard Tyler Blevins)
- xQc (Felix Lengyel)
- PewDiePie (Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg)
- Pokimane (Imane Anys)
- Shroud (Michael Grzesiek)
How Much Do Streamers Really Earn?
Live streaming is big business. Gamers dominate Twitch’s list of wealthiest users. Top players of games like Overwatch, Fortnite, and Call of Duty rule the roost, making millions. Streaming platform Twitch is turning its most followed stars into mega millionaires.
A new generation of social media stars, Twitch streamers can potentially earn big bucks from various sources, including:
- sponsorships
- advertising revenue
- influencer partnership programmes
- tiered subscriptions
- merch sales
- tips from their subscribers
Now, let’s explore the highest-earning Twitch streamers:
- Ninja (Richard Tyler Blevins) – Estimated net worth: $25-40 million
- PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg) – Estimated net worth: $40 million
- xQc (Felix Lengyel) – Estimated net worth: $50 million
- Amouranth (Kaitlyn Siragusa) – Estimated net worth: $25 million
- Shroud (Michael Grzesiek) – Estimated net worth: $20-30 million
Additionally, the following information highlights individual streamer earnings:
- Raúl Álvarez Genes (AuronPlay) – Estimated net worth: $10 million, Twitch followers: 16.7 million. AuronPlay is reportedly the third-most followed account on Twitch and was included in Forbes Spain’s list of the 100 best influencers in 2020.
- Jaryd Russell Lazar (Summit1g) – Estimated net worth: $12 million, Twitch followers: 6.3 million. Lazar launched his Twitch channel in 2012 after retiring from professional esports and signed an exclusive deal with Twitch in 2020.
Trainwreck claims to be the highest-paid streamer globally, emphasizing his high viewer count and chat activity. Top streamers like xQc and Amouranth secure lucrative Kick deals, though their exact earnings remain undisclosed. Rubius is among Twitch’s highest earners, making an estimated $183,000 per month with almost 15,000 subscribers.
Moreover, Twitch’s highest-paid streamers include:
- CriticalRole – $9.6 million
- xQcOW – $8.4 million
- summit1g – $5.8 million
- Tfue – $5.2 million
Comparing Earnings: Twitch vs. YouTube Streamers
The amount of revenue you can make on Twitch or YouTube is directly related to your follower base.
The higher the number of followers/viewers, the more you will earn. Here are the considerations for each platform:
- Due to the lower threshold for monetization, Twitch pays more to new content creators and offers more monetization options.
- However, it is difficult to grow on Twitch compared to YouTube, which has a stronger user base.
- YouTube is easier to generate income in the long run as you can upload recorded gaming videos which can get more viewers as they are always available on the platform.
- Moreover, you can also make more from YouTube ads than on Twitch.
On YouTube, a streamer mainly gets paid based on the ads, which is between $0.10 to $0.30 per ad view. Therefore, if your video gets up to 50,000 views, you can earn between $5,000 to $15,000 for that content alone.
Additionally, YouTube ads pay more than Twitch. For each 1,000 ad views, you will get $18, meaning you can earn up to $3 to $5 per 1K video views.
In terms of payout, what pays more, YouTube or Twitch, depends on the individual streamer’s audience. Nevertheless, YouTube tends to offer more flexibility in how you can earn.
The top Twitch streamers don’t earn quite as much as the top YouTubers, though they’re not far off. Some make millions of dollars per year. If we only consider ad revenue, YouTube is significantly better than Twitch.
Moreover, Twitch streamers keep half of their earnings from subscriptions, while YouTube Live creators keep 70%.
In contrast, Kick is especially popular with streamers for its 95/5 split for content creators, allowing streamers to keep 95% of earnings from subscriptions.
In 2022, Twitch averaged 7.62 million active streamers per month, with exponentially more individual streams.
Estimated income for streamers with 1,000 average viewers per stream is $5,000 per month, while those with 10,000 average viewers can earn up to $30,000 per month.
Who is the Wealthiest Female Streamer?
The wealthiest female streamer in 2023 is Aphmau, with a reported net worth of a whopping $84.8 million. Her content focuses on Minecraft and Roblox.
Following her, Kaitlyn Siragusa, also known as Amouranth, is one of the wealthiest female streamers, with an estimated net worth of $25 million. She is recognized for her Twitch streams, YouTube videos, and OnlyFans account.
In terms of earnings from Twitch subscriptions, the highest-earning female Twitch streamer last year was the German DJ, producer, and streamer Sintica, who earned an estimated $913,365.74. Sintica typically streams DJ sets or Just Chatting to her 230,185 Twitch followers.
Additionally, according to Social Blade’s Top 100 Most Followed Twitch Accounts, Pokimane ranks as the 6th most followed streamer on Twitch, with 8 million followers.
Amouranth has 3,821,163 Twitch followers and often streams in the new Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches category of the platform.
Overall, the top 3 most popular female streamers collectively boast over 31 million followers on social media. Notably, Pokimane has an incredible 13,969,727 followers across both Twitch and Instagram, which is 60% more than Amouranth, who takes second place.
Lastly, it is worth noting that the top female streamer of 2023, based on viewership, is Usada Pekora, who is ranked as the number 1 most-watched female streamer across YouTube and Twitch.
The Rise of Kick: Richest Streamers on This New Platform
The Rise of Kick: Richest Streamers on This New Platform
Kick has emerged as a formidable rival to Twitch, attracting high-profile streamers with its lucrative payout models and generous contracts. Below are some of the richest streamers currently on the platform:
- Trainwreckstv
- Net Worth: $360 million
- Kick Followers: 290,000+
- Earnings: $360 million for 16 months of gambling
- Deal: Co-owner in Kick; noted as the highest-paid streamer in the world.
- xQc
- Net Worth: $100 million
- Kick Followers: 740,000+
- Earnings: $35 million per year
- Deal: $100 million contract as the biggest juicer on the internet for a 2-year term.
- Adin Ross
- Net Worth: Less than $100 million
- Kick Followers: 1,260,000+
- Earnings: $10,000 to $99,000 per hour of streaming
- Deal: Rumored contract volume of up to $100 million; more tailored based on hourly rates.
- BruceDropEmOff
- Net Worth: $80 million
- Kick Followers: 330,000+
- Earnings: $40 million annually
- Deal: Non-exclusive contract with Kick.
Overall, Kick is popular among streamers due to its generous payout model. Creators on Kick keep 95% of their subscription revenue, a substantial increase compared to Twitch’s 50% and YouTube Live’s 70%. Additionally, Kick allows content that Twitch has restricted, including gambling streams and other sensitive topics.
Moreover, the most watched Kick streamers include Maherco, Westcol, ilyaselmaliki, and Drb7h. Maherco is the top streamer with 595 hours and 4 minutes of airtime, followed by Westcol with 96 hours and 30 minutes.
Followership and Wealth: Connection Between View Count and Earnings
Do Twitch Streamers Get Paid For Views?
Twitch streamers get paid depending on many different factors, but views are not one of them. While the number of regular viewers does play a role in their overall earnings, there is no direct correlation between viewership and earnings.
Earnings Based on Viewership
- Streamers with a slightly bigger audience can earn anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 per month, depending on their average viewership. Here are some averages:
- 1,000 average viewers: $5,000 per month.
- 5,000 average viewers: $13,000 per month.
- Small Twitch streamers can earn between $50 and $1,500 per month based on their average number of viewers:
- 5–10 average viewers: $50 – $200 per month.
- 20 average viewers: $200 – $400 per month.
- 1,000 average viewers: Approximately $2,500 per month (before Twitch fees).
- As for 2021, the average streamer with 100 viewers could earn around $1,500 per month on their Twitch channel.
Factors Influencing Earnings
Yes, streamers can earn money based on the number of viewers they have. However, the amount of money they earn is influenced by several factors, including their popularity, the types of monetization options they utilize, and the engagement of their audience. Twitch Statistics indicate that Twitch streamers’ earnings depend on their status and audience. Smaller streamers typically earn between $50 and $1,500 per month.
Challenges and Success Rates
While it is possible to make a living as a streamer, achieving the same level of revenue and popularity as the top streamers requires a significant amount of time, effort, and talent. There are millions of active streamers, and standing out among the competition can be challenging.
According to a poll of 2,000 U.S. video game players, 51% of streamers have made money from streaming. However, the average person has only made $1,264 within the past 12 months.
A Look at the Net Worth of Top Streamers Across Genres
The net worth of top streamers in 2023 varies significantly. Below are some notable streamers and their estimated net worth:
- PewDiePie – $40 million
- Ninja (Richard Tyler Blevins) – $40 million
- Shroud (Michael Grzesiek) – $22 million
- xQc (Felix Lengyel) – $13.5 million
- Summit1g (Jaryd Russell Lazar) – $11.5 million
- Nickmercs (Nicholas Kolcheff) – $9 million
- Ibai – $22 million
- The Grefg (David) – nearly $8 million
- Rubius – over $7 million
- Shroud – approximately $12 million
- Tfue – about $5 million
- juansguarnizo – about $2.5 million
- Pokimane (Imane Anys) – $2.5 million
- AuronPlay – $1.8 million
PewDiePie and Ninja are tied as the richest Twitch streamers of 2023, each with an estimated net worth of $40 million. Subsequently, Shroud follows with $22 million, while xQc has a net worth of $13.5 million. Other notable streamers are Summit1g and Nickmercs, with net worths of $11.5 million and $9 million, respectively.
In addition to their substantial net worths, top streamers like Ninja and PewDiePie reportedly earn around $500,000 monthly. Ibai, recognized for streaming League of Legends and Minecraft, has an estimated monthly intake of $261,000, contributing to his significant earnings in the Twitch community.
