KEY POINTS

  • Nathan Graham, also known as Unspeakable, started his YouTube channel UnspeakableGaming in 2012
  • Over 20 million people are subscribed to his four YouTube channels
  • Unspeakable sold the rights to his back catalog of YouTube videos to Spotter last year

Unspeakable is not only one of the most popular stars on YouTube today, but he's also one of the highest-earning personalities on the platform. Here's a look at his social media career and his YouTube earnings.

The 24-year-old social media personality, whose real name is Nathan Graham, was born in Houston, Texas. He had always been a fan of playing video games, and as a child, he would ask for a new video game for his birthday or Christmas.

His interest in video games only grew, and by 15 years old, he'd created his first YouTube channel, MrGaming1000. He later deleted it.

In 2012, he launched a new channel on the platform called UnspeakableGaming, where he's been regularly posting videos of himself playing "Minecraft." The channel has received 4.7 billion views and attracted 11.2 million subscribers to date.

The remarkable success of his YouTube gaming channel prompted Unspeakable to start another one. In 2016, he created his Unspeakable channel, where he uploads mostly vlogs in which he is seen pulling pranks on his friends and taking on some crazy challenges.

The channel, which currently has 13.2 million subscribers, has gained 6.7 billion views so far, with some recent videos featuring Unspeakable filling his home with slime and getting trapped in a fridge.

Unspeakable has two other channels that were created in 2017, Unspeakableplays and ASWDFZXCVBHGTYYN. They are his second and third gaming channels, respectively. Over 20 million people are subscribed to his four YouTube channels.

Today, Unspeakable is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. He ranked fifth on Forbes' list of the highest-earning content creators on the platform for 2021 after he made $28.5 million over the past year.

Part of Unspeakable's 2021 income came from his deal with Spotter, which has become one of the largest independent owners of YouTube content.

Unspeakable sold the rights to his back catalog of YouTube videos to the company last year, "betting that he can use the lump sum to grow his business more quickly rather than wait for the videos to accrue ad revenue," according to Forbes.

The highest-paid YouTuber was Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, who made $54 million last year. According to Forbes, his 2021 earnings were almost double what the previous year's no. 1, Ryan Kaji, brought in.

MrBeast is followed by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who reportedly made an estimated $45 million in 2021.

Altogether, the top 10 highest-paid YouTubers collectively earned about $300 million last year. The figure is 40% higher than what the previous year's top earners on the platform raked in. Forbes attributed the jump in earnings to "increasing views on their YouTube channels and the ad revenue they generate from those videos."

YouTube's music streaming service says it is growing quickly as it tries to catch up with rivals like Spotify
YouTube's music streaming service says it is growing quickly as it tries to catch up with rivals like Spotify AFP / Eric PIERMONT