While "most searched" can fluctuate, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) is consistently the most popular person on YouTube by subscriber count and search interest, with millions searching for his stunts, challenges, and massive giveaways, though general searches often favor terms like ASMR or music. For overall platform influence and subscriber volume, MrBeast is the undisputed individual leader, with music channels like T-Series often competing for most-viewed channel overall.
The number one YouTube channel by subscriber count is MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), who surpassed Indian music network T-Series in early 2025 and now leads with over 450 million subscribers, known for massive stunts, giveaways, and philanthropy. T-Series remains a strong second, followed by children's content creators like Cocomelon, making MrBeast the top individual creator on the platform, according to data from late 2025 and early 2026.
The top 3 YouTubers by subscriber count in early 2026 are MrBeast, followed by corporate/music channels like T-Series, and children's content creators such as Cocomelon or Kids Diana Show, with MrBeast being the leading individual creator by a significant margin, dominating the global rankings.
TL;DR: MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTube channel in 2026, while T-Series is the most-viewed channel. Other popular channels include Cocomelon, SET India, and Kids Diana Show.
The Minecraft community has crushed one trillion views on YouTube. Celebrate this huge milestone with a look back at some of the biggest moments in Minecraft history.
“Gangnam Style” by South Korean musician PSY became the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views. By the end of 2012, the song had topped music charts in more than 30 countries around the world. #song4theweekend #PSY #GangnamStyle #musichistory #music.
100 Million YouTube Subscribers was first achieved by Pewdiepie, one of YouTube's most legendary creators, and then by T-Series, a media company based in India.
The richest YouTuber in the world is Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, with estimated net worths ranging from $500 million to over $1 billion and reported earnings exceeding $700 million in 2025, thanks to his massive YouTube presence, business ventures like Feastables, and ventures such as Beast Games on Amazon Prime. He leads a list of high earners that includes Jeffree Star, Logan Paul, and Anastasia Radzinskaya (Like Nastya), who also generate significant wealth from branding, merchandise, and other entertainment projects.
The first "YouTuber" was Jawed Karim, one of YouTube's co-founders, who uploaded the platform's first video, "Me at the zoo," on April 23, 2005, making him the first person to post content on the site, which marked the beginning of user-generated video sharing.
To make $1,000 on YouTube, you generally need between 100,000 to 500,000 views, but this varies wildly, often requiring 250,000 to over 1 million views depending on your niche (finance pays more than gaming), ad engagement (RPM), audience location, and if you use other income streams like sponsorships, as YouTube's payout is roughly $1-$10 per 1,000 views (CPM/RPM).
The "30-second rule" on YouTube refers to the critical first moments of a video, where creators must hook viewers within about 30 seconds to get them to keep watching, as YouTube registers meaningful engagement after this mark, impacting visibility and watch time. It's a key focus for audience retention, with strategies involving dynamic editing (B-roll, angles), emotional hooks, and clear value propositions, but it's distinct from copyright myths about using 30-second music clips.
The most viewed video on YouTube, and generally online, is "Baby Shark Dance" by Pinkfong, with over 16 billion views, followed by music videos like "Despacito" and kids' content like "Johny Johny Yes Papa". While "hottest" can imply trending or mature content, the all-time most-viewed videos are dominated by children's songs due to high repeat viewership, with "Despacito" being the top non-kids' song.
On February 23, 2021, Baby Shark surpassed 8 billion views, becoming the first video to do so. On July 20, 2021, Baby Shark surpassed 9 billion views, becoming the first (and currently only) video to do so.
You can make money on YouTube through the following features: Advertising revenue: Earn revenue from Watch Page ads and Shorts Feed ads. Shopping: Your fans can browse and buy products from your store, or products you tag from other brands through the YouTube Shopping affiliate program.
The #1 trending song today varies slightly by platform, but "Die With A Smile" by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars is huge globally and on pop charts, while "Man I Need" by Olivia Dean is a top hit in Australia, and "End of Beginning" by Djo is #1 on Spotify's global chart, showing different popular tracks across charts.
Yes, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) became a billionaire in 2024 based on his business value, but he keeps very little cash, reinvesting almost everything into his videos and philanthropy, stating he often has less than $1 million in his personal bank account, per People.com and Forbes https://people.com/mrbeast-net-worth-11879997,. His net worth is estimated at over $1 billion, potentially reaching $2.6 billion by early 2026, but he has said his personal funds are minimal as his wealth is tied up in his media empire and he pays himself only personal expenses.
How Nine-Year-Old Ryan Kaji, YouTube's $30 Million Man, Just Keeps Getting Richer. A crackdown on child advertising clipped Ryan's World revenue this year. Hedging YouTube kept him at the head of the pack.
MrBeast recently celebrated reaching 100 million subscribers, prompting a reflection on his first subscriber, Roggan Minoggan, who subscribed in 2011. Minoggan created his YouTube account in 2006 and was the first to support MrBeast's initial channel, Beast5YT.
To make $2,000 a month on YouTube from ad revenue, you generally need 400,000 to 1 million monthly views, depending heavily on your niche's CPM (cost per mille/thousand views) and RPM (revenue per mille), but many creators report needing 500,000 to 1 million+ views for a comfortable living, with high-value niches like finance potentially reaching it with fewer views and lower-value niches needing significantly more, plus other income streams like sponsorships.
The number one streamed song of all time, primarily on Spotify, is "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd, having surpassed 5 billion streams and holding the top spot over other massive hits like Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and The Weeknd's "Starboy".
1 billion YouTube views can earn anywhere from a few thousand dollars (for Shorts) to several million (for long-form videos), with estimates often falling between $250,000 and $5 million, heavily depending on the Cost Per Mille (CPM) and viewer engagement, with gaming/music potentially earning $0.50-$1/1000 views and high-engagement content seeing higher rates. The wide range is due to factors like viewer location, ad types, video niche, and if it's a YouTube Short (which pays much less) versus longer content.