PewDiePie's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of PewDiePie.

Felix Kjellberg, known as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber renowned for his gaming content. His rise on YouTube and significant media attention have established him as a prominent online personality and content creator. He is considered a key figure on YouTube, especially within the gaming community.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

2010: Mother Named CIO of the Year in Sweden

In 2010, Lotta Kristine Johanna, PewDiePie's mother, was named the CIO of the Year in Sweden.

December 2011: Channel Reaches 60,000 Subscribers

By December 2011, PewDiePie's YouTube channel had approximately 60,000 subscribers.

December 2011: Channel subscriber count

By December 2011, PewDiePie's YouTube channel had approximately 60,000 subscribers.

February 2012: King of the Web contest

In February 2012, Kjellberg ran for King of the Web, winning the "Gaming King of the Web" title and donating his cash winnings to the World Wildlife Fund.

February 2012: Channel video view count

In February 2012, PewDiePie's channel accumulated 25 million video views.

March 2012: Channel video view count

By March 2012, PewDiePie's YouTube channel had accumulated 71 million total video views, with 25 million views in February 2012 alone.

May 2012: Channel reaches 500,000 subscribers

On May 9, 2012, PewDiePie's YouTube channel reached 500,000 subscribers.

July 2012: Channel Reaches 1 Million Subscribers

In July 2012, PewDiePie's YouTube channel reached 1 million subscribers.

2012: Fastest-Growing Channel

In 2012 and 2013, PewDiePie's channel was one of the fastest-growing on YouTube in terms of subscribers gained.

2012: Rapid Growth of PewDiePie's Channel

In 2012, PewDiePie's YouTube channel experienced substantial growth, becoming one of the fastest-growing channels on the platform.

May 2013: Wins Social Star Awards

In May 2013, PewDiePie won the awards for "Swedish Social Star" and "Most Popular Social Show" at the inaugural Starcount Social Stars Awards in Singapore.

August 2013: Most Subscribed YouTube Channel

On August 15, 2013, PewDiePie became the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2013: Fastest-Growing Channel

In 2012 and 2013, PewDiePie's channel was one of the fastest-growing on YouTube in terms of subscribers gained. Billboard reported that the channel gained more subscribers than any other channel in 2013.

2013: Channel growth and viewership

In 2013, PewDiePie's channel experienced significant growth, rising from 3.5 million to just under 19 million subscribers. The channel also gained the most subscribers compared to any other in 2013 and earned 1.3 billion video views in the second half of 2013.

2013: High video views

PewDiePie's YouTube channel was the most viewed channel in 2013.

January 2014: Channel reaches 20 million subscribers

In January 2014, PewDiePie's YouTube channel reached the 20 million subscriber milestone. His channel was also the most-viewed that month.

December 2014: Most-Viewed Channel on YouTube

From December 29, 2014, PewDiePie's channel was the most-viewed on YouTube, a position he held until February 2017.

2014: PewDiePie on The Verge's "Verge 50" List

In 2014, PewDiePie, subtitled as the "King of YouTube", was included on The Verge's "Verge 50" list. The outlet wrote that "Kjellberg's real talent is finding the human within games."

September 2015: 10 Billion Video Views

On September 6, 2015, PewDiePie's YouTube account became the first to surpass 10 billion video views. He also teased about having a role in a web television series in Los Angeles.

October 2015: Richest YouTube Star

In October 2015, Kjellberg topped Forbes' list of the richest YouTube stars, with a reported $12 million earned in 2015.

2015: PewDiePie on Time's List of Most Influential People

In 2015, PewDiePie was included on Time's list of the 30 most influential people on the Internet. Later in 2015, Kjellberg was featured on the cover of Variety's "Famechangers" issue.

December 2016: Highest-Earning YouTuber

In December 2016, Forbes named Kjellberg the highest-earning YouTuber, with an annual income of $15 million. This was largely due to his YouTube Red series Scare PewDiePie and his book This Book Loves You.

2016: Custom Creator Award received

In 2016, PewDiePie received his Custom Creator Award, nicknamed the Ruby Play Button.

2016: Reaches 50 million subscribers

In 2016, PewDiePie's channel experienced decreased viewership due to changes in YouTube's algorithm, but on December 8, it reached 50 million subscribers, becoming the first YouTube channel to do so.

2016: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2016, Time magazine recognized PewDiePie as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

June 2017: Forbes Includes PewDiePie in "Top Influencers" List

In June 2017, Forbes included PewDiePie in the gaming category of their "Top Influencers" list, despite citing that his brand suffered earlier in the year due to antisemitic content.

2017: Subscriber count

In 2017, PewDiePie's channel gained 7 million subscribers

2017: Subscriber Growth Amidst T-Series Competition

In December 2018, PewDiePie's channel gained 6.62 million subscribers due to online campaigns to "subscribe to PewDiePie" during the competition with T-Series. This was compared to the 7 million subscribers gained in all of 2017.

December 2018: Subscriber growth during T-Series competition

In December 2018, PewDiePie's YouTube channel gained 6.62 million subscribers due to online campaigns to "subscribe to PewDiePie" during the competition with T-Series. The channel also earned over 500 million video views, the single-highest monthly view count at the time.

July 2019: Video view surge

In July 2019, PewDiePie's YouTube channel surged in video views due to his Minecraft gameplay videos. The channel received 573 million video views, then a single-month record for the channel, and his daily number of new subscribers also grew from 25,000 to 45,000 during that month.

September 2019: Donation to ADL and Subsequent Withdrawal

In September 2019, PewDiePie announced a $50,000 donation to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to celebrate receiving his 100 million subscribers Play Button. Due to criticism from his fanbase, he withdrew the donation, stating he would choose an organization he was passionate about.

September 2019: PewDiePie Ranked on The Sunday Times' List of Influential People

In September 2019, The Sunday Times ranked PewDiePie first on their list of the UK's 100 most influential people online.

2019: Receives the Red Diamond Creator Award

In 2019, PewDiePie's channel became the second overall, and the first run by an individual creator, to receive the Red Diamond Creator Award.

2019: T-Series Surpasses PewDiePie and Diss Track Release

On March 27, 2019, T-Series surpassed PewDiePie in subscribers. On March 31, he released a diss track titled "Congratulations", sarcastically congratulating T-Series. The video led to him temporarily regaining the top position.