Fans are always curious regarding what content creators on YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms earn. This curiosity is rarely sated, as content creators tend to be very private regarding what they earn, whether it's through the platform itself or the many partnerships popular content creators. In somewhat of a surprise, YouTuber Markiplier recently answer a question about his income candidly. While Markiplier didn't broach any specifics, he talked about what having more money has meant to him and how he's used it.
The response from Markiplier came as part of an interview with Anthony Padilla, who asked about a variety of aspects of Markiplier's personal life. To start, Padilla asks how Markiplier's financial situation changed from when he was growing up to now. Markiplier responded, explaining that when he was growing up, his family had very little money at times. He remembers a Christmas where his father was sad he couldn't purchase more presents, but Markiplier himself was always content regardless of the financial state of his family.
In college, Markiplier says he got into trouble with his financials. He characterizes his problems as, for example, acquiring a credit card to get a free pizza and then purchasing alcohol with it. At one point, he says he was in "very bad debt" to the point that he was no longer able to afford an apartment. It was at this point that, having moved back in with his mother, his brother paid off his credit card debt and helped him take the next step forward in his life.
He goes on to explain that he started doing Let's Plays, which enabled him to get his own apartment, which gave him the freedom to create the content he really wanted. At that point, Markiplier said he was bringing in money as if it was falling out of a giant YouTube bucket.
Markiplier describes this windfall of YouTube money modestly, describing it as "unfair." The amount of money that Markiplier agrees he has is "unfathomable," to a point where he'll never need more money again unless he makes some "very bad decisions."
All in all, Markiplier's YouTube channel has drawn over 18 billion views. His net worth is estimated to be in the tens of millions. Markiplier has also raised millions for charity and contributed a significant amount himself. He may not be sure if he deserves what he's made, but he does seem to understand the value of it. Clearly, YouTube has the possibility of changing lives.