PewDiePie

PewDiePie
Name	PewDiePie
Birth name	Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg
Birth date	24 October 1989
Birth place	Gothenburg, Sweden
Occupation	YouTuber, comedian, commentator
Spouse	Marzia Bisognin (m. 2019)
Channel	PewDiePie
Subscribers	111 million
Views	29 billion
Associated acts	CinnamonToastKen, Jacksepticeye, Markiplier

PewDiePie, the online alias of Felix Kjellberg, is a Swedish YouTuber widely regarded as a pivotal figure in the platform's history and the modern influencer economy. His channel, which primarily features Let's Play commentaries, vlogs, and comedic reviews, amassed a global following and made him the most-subscribed individual creator on YouTube for several years. Kjellberg's career has significantly shaped internet culture, online video trends, and discussions surrounding content creation, though it has also been marked by significant public controversies.

Early life and education

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg was born on October 24, 1989, in Gothenburg. He is the son of Lotta Kjellberg, a former CIO at KappAhl, and Johan Kjellberg, a corporate executive. He attended Göteborgs Högre Samskola for his secondary education. Kjellberg subsequently enrolled at Chalmers University of Technology to study industrial economics and technology management. However, his growing interest in creating content for YouTube led him to drop out in 2011 to pursue his channel full-time, a decision he later documented in various vlogs.

Career

Kjellberg created his YouTube channel "PewDiePie" in 2010, initially gaining traction with Let's Play videos of horror games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent. His energetic and exaggerated commentary style resonated widely, leading to rapid subscriber growth. By 2013, he had become the most-subscribed channel on the platform, a position he held consistently until being overtaken by the Indian music label T-Series in 2019. His career expanded beyond Let's Play to include series like "LWIAY" and "Pew News," collaborations with creators like Jacksepticeye and Markiplier, and ventures into publishing with his book *This Book Loves You*. He has also engaged in high-profile charity livestreams, notably for Child Rights and You and the World Wildlife Fund.

Content and style

The channel's content evolved from focused Let's Play series to a broader mix of internet culture commentary, meme reviews, and reaction videos. A hallmark of his style is direct, often self-deprecating engagement with his audience, whom he refers to as the "Bro Army." Recurring segments like "LWIAY" feature user-submitted memes from Reddit, while "Pew News" offers satirical commentary on online events. His production often incorporates references to anime, YouTube drama, and video game culture, utilizing fast-paced editing and hyperbolic reactions. This approach has been widely imitated across the platform.

Influence and impact

Kjellberg is frequently cited as a central figure in popularizing the Let's Play genre and professionalizing content creation as a career. His success demonstrated the commercial viability of YouTube personalities, influencing the platform's Partner Program and the broader influencer marketing industry. He has been featured in major media outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and has appeared at events like the YouTube Rewind series. The rivalry with T-Series sparked the "Subscribe to PewDiePie" meme, involving prominent figures like Elon Musk and MrBeast, and became a significant internet phenomenon highlighting the clash between individual creators and corporate entities.

Controversies

Kjellberg's career has been punctuated by several controversies that attracted widespread media scrutiny. In 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported on videos containing anti-Semitic imagery and Nazi-related humor, leading YouTube to cancel his series Scare PewDiePie and his removal from the Google Preferred advertising program. He was also criticized for using a racial slur during a live stream on DLive and for promoting the YouTube channel of E;R, known for anti-Semitic content. These incidents prompted discussions about responsibility on YouTube and led to temporary suspensions of his Monetization by the platform.

Personal life

Kjellberg has been in a relationship with Italian web personality Marzia Bisognin since 2011; the couple married in a private ceremony in London in 2019. They resided for several years in Brighton, England, before relocating to Japan in 2022. His interests include anime, manga, and video game design, and he has invested in ventures like the blockchain-based video platform DLive. In 2023, he announced a significant reduction in his YouTube upload schedule to focus on other projects and his personal life.

Category:Swedish YouTubers Category:Internet celebrities Category:1989 births