YouTube has long become a huge platform that brings career opportunities to millions of content creators.
In the US alone, the platform's ecosystem contributes more than $55 billion to GDP and creates nearly half a million full-time jobs, according to the company's June report.
However, over-reliance on advertising and brand contracts has exposed risks.
Advertising revenue is unpredictable, policies are constantly changing, causing many creators to suddenly lose their revenue.
Realizing this, a new generation of YouTubers is gradually transforming, building their own businesses and diversifying revenue from non-platforms.
Mr.Beast (Jimmy Donaldson), with more than 442 million subscribers, is a typical example. In addition to famous videos, he also owns the snack brand Feastables, bringing in more than 250 million USD in revenue in 2024.
Feastables even has higher profits than his YouTube channel, while his media segment lost about 80 million USD.
In addition, MrBeast has also ventured into toys, packaged foods, analytics applications and even planned to establish a virtual mobile network.
Once famous for teenage vlogs, Emma Chamberlain has affirmed his position as a businessman with Chamberlain Coffee, a coffee brand launched in 2019.
In 2023, the company achieved a revenue of 20 million USD and is expected to grow by more than 50% in 2025. After opening its first physical store, Chamberlain Coffee aims to make a profit by 2026.
Logan Paul and KSI co-founded the energy drink brand Prime, achieving 1.2 billion USD in revenue in 2023.
Despite a decline in the UK and many controversies, Prime proves the strength of the YouTuber's personal brand. Logan also made a splash with the Maverick Apparel fashion line, bringing in 3040 million USD in 2020.
Other faces also successfully expanded their business. Ryan Kaji (Ryan's World) built a children's toy and show empire, generating more than 250 million USD in revenue in 2020.
Rosanna Pansino transforms the Nerdy Nummies brand into a series of books and cake making tools sold on Amazon.
In the beauty industry, Michelle Phan co-founded Ipsy services and owns EM Cosmetics, while Huda Kattan built Huda Beauty into a global brand worth hundreds of millions of USD.
This trend shows that YouTubers are not only content creators but are becoming multi-industry entrepreneurs, using online influence to build sustainable brands.
In the context of unstable advertising revenue, diversifying their income not only helps them maintain their careers but also opens up a long-term development path outside of YouTube.
