Steffan Powell wrote this article in BBC:

Jimmy Donaldson, the 23-year-old American better known as MrBeast, was YouTube’s highest-earning content creator in 2021, according to Forbes.

His elaborate stunts have generated more than 10 billion views on the platform and earned him $54m (£39m).

He has overtaken 10-year-old toy reviewer Ryan Kaji, who has topped the annual list for the past two years.

Together, the 10 best-paid YouTubers made a combined $300m (£218m) in 2021, the US magazine estimated.

Jake Paul is in second place, his first appearance in the top 10 since 2018, and his brother Logan also returns after being absent since 2017.

Minecraft player Nathan Graham, known as Unspeakable, makes the list for the first time in fifth place.

YouTube trends expert Chris Stokel-Walker said this year’s list is interesting because it shows “how stale” YouTube has become. “It strikes me how white and male this whole list is,” he said.

During the pandemic, lots of traditional entertainment media had a difficult time adjusting. Movies were delayed, soap opera schedules were altered and video game releases were postponed.

For YouTube, however, it was a time of boom.

Research suggests that in 2021, the platform had 2.3 billion users worldwide. YouTube says one billion hours of video content is consumed on the platform every day.

The top earners as identified by Forbes are not necessarily those with the most views, but rather those who have been able to successfully earn money through brand partnerships, sponsorship deals and merchandise sales.