Who’s the Richest YouTuber in the World?

Answer: Ryan Kaji (Ryan's World)

Current net worth: Estimated $32 million

Closest competitor: Mr. Beast

Ryan Kaji became famous on YouTube when he was too young to use a smartphone. He was actually only 3 when his parents launched his YouTube channel — barely old enough to use the toilet. Initially, the family posted toy reviews and unboxing videos, the first of which now has 50 million views. 

In 2021, the now-9-year-old has 29 million YouTube subscribers on his channel "Ryan’s World," plus an additional 140 thousand followers on Instagram. He’s partnered with several companies over the years. He even had his own Colgate toothpaste line. 

But the Federal Trade Commission wasn’t sold on his family’s methods of advertising, claiming that they didn’t disclose sponsored content clearly enough. Even with that hiccup, Ryan’s World is ranked by Forbes as the most lucrative YouTube channel, with an estimated $29.5 million in earnings from the platform.

These are his most popular videos on YouTube.  

25. The Incredibles 2 Jack Jack Escape From Ryan

Year: 2018

Views: 133 million

Length: 19:55

Bottom line: Jack Jack, from Disney's "The Incredibles," might be the toughest baby to babysit in the history of animated babies. Is the richest YouTuber up for the challenge?

Little Ryan was determined to find out, and 282,000 viewers liked his attempts. 

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24. Ryan in a Giant Box Fort Maze Challenge

Year: 2018

Views: 137 million

Length: 15:18

Bottom line: Mazes are fun, challenging and a great way to kill time.

Over the summer of 2018, Ryan Kaji worked his way through a massive fort made of boxes to win an exciting prize.

The video got 333,000 likes.

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23. ABC Song Learn English Alphabet for Children With Ryan and Kids Nursery Rhymes

Year: 2019

Views: 137 million

Length: 23:50

Bottom line: Learning the alphabet is more fun with friends. In this episode of "Ryan's World" from 2019, Ryan made a video to help kids learn the alphabet and improve their English.

Even though this video got less hits than some of his other videos, 540,000 people liked it. 

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22. Disney Cars Toys Giant Egg Surprise Opening Lightning McQueen

Year: 2015

Views: 137 million

Length: 7:11

Bottom line: Most little boys in 2015 were crazy about Disney's Cars, including the richest YouTuber.

Then little more than a toddler, Ryan Kaji opened a ginormous Easter egg surprise and had a blast playing with his favorite "Cars" characters.

The result was that 95,000 viewers gave the video a thumbs-up.

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21. Plants vs. Zombies Plush Garden Warfare Pretend Play with Ryan ToysReview

Year: 2018

Views: 137 million

Length: 8:48

Bottom line: Plants vs. Zombies, a kid-friendly video game that most parents recommend for ages 5 and up, was trending back in 2018. In this episode, "Ryan's World" featured stuffed animals of the game's characters.

Based on likes, 314,000 people think zombies and carnivorous plants are amusing to watch.

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20. Slime Baff With Surprise Eggs Hunt With Ryan ToysReview

Year: 2015

Views: 139 million

Length: 4:33

Bottom line: Ryan really goes the extra mile for his viewers. In this video, he slid into an entire bathtub of slime and opened surprise eggs while he was at it.

It was like opening presents in a pile of Jell-O, and 87 thousand people gave the experiment a thumbs-up.

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19. PJ Mask's Giant Egg Surprise Toys for Kids

Year: 2016

Views: 140 million

Length: 6:12

Bottom line: "PJ Masks" used to be all the rage, and Ryan Kaji capitalized on it.

In this 2016 video, the little, crazy rich YouTuber opened a "PJ Masks"-themed surprise egg that was about as big as he was.

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18. Twin Telepathy Slime Challenge Ryan vs. Mommy

Year: 2018

Views: 144 million

Length: 14:30

Bottom line: Are kids better at making slime, or are parents? YouTuber Ryan Kaji and his mom decided to answer that question once and for all in this fun (albeit sticky) video.

The slimy situation had millions glued to their screens, with 471,000 total likes.

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17. Ryan Opens Giant Superman Surprise Egg

Year: 2015

Views: 154 million

Length: 8:29

Bottom line: Three surprise eggs were an ongoing theme in early "Ryan's World" videos.

In this one, which got 113,000 likes, little Ryan Kaji got to pop open a giant Superman egg. 

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16. Dunk Tank Challenge Family Fun Games With Ryan ToysReview

Year: 2019

Views: 162 million

Length: 7:35

Bottom line: If you have enough money, you can buy just about anything. The richest YouTuber proved that in this video, bringing a giant dunk tank to their yard to send each other splashing into summer.

As usual, many people loved it, and the video got an impressive number of likes, 516,000, in less than two years

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15. Kid Playing Outside Riding Car and Playing With Bubbles

Year: 2015

Views: 166 million

Length: 2:28

Bottom line: Bubbles, giant Elsa dolls and rideable electric cars are a match made in heaven.

In this episode of Ryan's World, Ryan and his family show their audience that you don't need to go over the top to have a good time.

With 92,000 likes, viewers seemed to agree.

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14. Christmas Morning 2016 Opening Presents With Ryan ToysReview

Year: 2016

Views: 174 million

Length: 12:29

Bottom line: Christmas morning is fun for every kid, but it's something else in "Ryan's World."

This video of Ryan celebrating Christmas 2016 with lots of new toys for him and his twin baby sisters got an impressive 314,000 likes.

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13. Children's Museum Pretend Play Indoor Playground for Kids

Year: 2017

Views: 180 million

Length: 25:50

Bottom line: Rainy days call for fun, indoor activities. Ryan went to an indoor playground all about pretend play.

Does the richest YouTuber like pretending to brush his dad's teeth? You bet he does.

And 187,000 people agreed.

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12. World Biggest Giant Egg Surprise Opening Mickey Mouse

Year: 2015

Views: 187 million

Length: 6:27

Bottom line: Ryan Kaji is teeny tiny in this video from 2015. At the time, "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" was his favorite show, so his family surprised him with a gargantuan Mickey Mouse surprise egg.

Over 180 million people had a blast watching him open it, and 187,000 clicked that like button.

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11. Body Parts Exercise Songs for Children? You Can Do It Too? Ryan ToysReview

Year: 2018

Views: 221 million

Length: 8:02

Bottom line: This video is like an updated version of head, shoulders, knees and toes. In it, Ryan from "Ryan's World" practices a fun nursery rhyme and encourages his young YouTube audience to join along and get moving.

Apparently, 432,000 viewers thought it was a good time.

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10. Giant Chupa Chups Lollipops Candy Review

Year: 2016

Views: 226 million

Length: 6:42

Bottom line: In this hit YouTube video, "Ryan's World" is even sweeter than usual. Giant Chupa Chups Lollipops join the scene along with several other sweet treats and a chocolate Kinder Egg Surprise.

The richest YouTuber holds firmly onto his title with videos like this one, which got 287,000 likes.

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9. Chuck E. Cheese Indoor Games and Activities for Kids

Year: 2015

Views: 259 million

Length: 7:25

Bottom line: What's not to love about a place where everyone's screaming, everything's sticky and a giant mouse stares at you while you eat a slice of greasy pizza? Kids love Chuck E. Cheese, and the richest YouTube of the year is no exception.

In this video, "Ryan's World" visits the timeless birthday party joint with his mom, walking away with an extra 160,000 likes.

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8. Ryan's Drive Thru Adventure with Lightning McQueen Power Wheels Ride On Car

Year: 2017

Views: 265 million

Length: 12:04

Bottom line: Adults like picking up takeout from the drive-thru. Why not kids?

Ryan decided to stage a drive-thru of his very own, feeding his family pretend food as they drive past his imaginary fast-food joint in their plastic vehicles.

The pint-sized YouTuber got 678,000 likes for the video. Even more than the number of likes on some of his most-watched videos.

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7. Ballon Pop Surprise Toys Challenge in Giant Ball Pit

Year: 2016

Views: 291 million

Length: 5:32

Bottom line: Kinder Eggs aren't the easiest to find, but for the richest YouTuber, it's not a problem.

Ryan splashed around in a pool full of colorful balls, eventually opening up the Kinder Egg Surprise to reveal a special toy.

If it sounds dull watching a kid play in the pool, the 245,000 people who liked it beg to differ.

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6. ABC Song Learn English Alphabet for Children With Ryan. ABC phonics + More Kids Nursery Rhymes

Year: 2019

Views: 297 million

Length: 4:10

Bottom line: This time, Ryan decided to branch out a little and go the educational route.

In a game of hide-and-seek with foam puzzle letters, he did his best to help his young audience learn the alphabet.

The video got this kid YouTuber another 362,000 likes.

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5. Indoor Playground for Kids With Giant inflatable Slides

Year: 2015

Views: 359 million

Length: 5:56

Bottom line: Ever been to an indoor playground? Ryan Kaji and family took to the slides at a local indoor playground, complete with bouncers, climbing areas and a toddler play center.

The popular little YouTuber reeled in 247,000 likes for the video. 

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4. Thomas and Friends Giant Ball Pits With Egg Surprise Toys

Year: 2015

Views: 361 million

Length: 5:48

Bottom line: On this episode of "Ryan's ToysReview," Ryan and his family played in a colossal ball pit, discovering a surprise egg in the process.

The richest YouTuber probably doesn't need more toys, but Ryan was excited to find a Mystery Model Hot Wheels car inside.

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3. Ryan in Giant Box Fort Maze Grandma Obby

Year: 2019

Views: 378 million

Length: 11:57

Bottom line: It's not hard to see how Ryan Kaji became the richest YouTuber. His life seems like any kid's dream.

Instead of wasting boxes, Ryan explored the house through a giant cardboard maze, entertaining himself and capturing 1.2 million likes in the process.

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2. Giant Lightning McQueen Egg Surprise With 100-Plus Disney Cars Toys

Year: 2015

Views: 1 billion

Length: 7:26

Bottom line: "Ryan's World" often reviews toys in their videos, and this time around they reviewed a massive Disney Pixar Lightning McQueen Easter egg.

The Egg was filled with toy cars and airplanes, much to Ryan's delight. The popular YouTuber earned 1.2 million likes for the video. 

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1. Huge Eggs Surprise Toys Challenge With Inflatable water slide

Year: 2016

Views: 2 billion

Length: 5:57

Bottom line: In April 2016, "Ryan's World" posted this video showing little Ryan having the time of his life finding toys hidden in a massive, inflatable water slide.

The fun-to-watch video got 2.6 million likes.

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Ryan Kaji's Competition: Mr. Beast

Jimmy Donaldson, better known by his YouTube name "Mr. Beast," is a rising star on YouTube. His videos revolve around creative stunts and lots of laughs, and his approach has worked well so far.

He currently has 55.4 million subscribers, partnerships with Microsoft and Honey and estimated YouTube earnings of $24 million. 

The Bottom Line

The key to winning the YouTube game is originality. Ryan’s World has claimed the top spot for the richest YouTuber for three years running, but it will be tough to stay there forever.

Don't be surprised if/when we see a new name at the top of this list.

Until that happens, Ryan Kaji is enjoying being the king of YouTube.

Related: Richest YouTubers in the World