Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTube content creator, online personality and comedian. He rose to fame largely due to his Let’s Play videos and gaming commentary which contributed to his popularity both on and outside of YouTube.
PewDiePie is widely regarded as one of YouTube’s most-followed and subscribed content creators and became synonymous with gaming and streaming on the platform. As his channel rapidly gained subscribers over the first few years of his career, his content has diversified to include vlogs, entertainment videos and scripted shows.
PewDiePie bio: Who is Felix Kjellberg?
There are a few key facts you need to know about the Swedish content creator to provide some background on who he is:
- Real name: Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg
- Alias: Pewds or PewDiePie
- Birthdate: 24 October 1989
- Place of Birth: Gothenburg, Sweden
- Age: 32 years
- Nationality: Swedish
- Height: 5ft 11 (181 cm)
- Games to Fame: Minecraft, Call of Duty, Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- YouTube Subscribers: ~110,000,000
- Combined Views (YouTube): ~28,000,000,000
History of PewDiePie
Let's take a dive into PewDiePie's history, starting with his early career and how he became the king of YouTube.
PewDiePie’s early career
PewDiePie began his streaming career in 2010 and garnered over 2,000,000 subscribers by 2012. At the time, PewDiePie was ranked the No. 1 YouTube channel by publication, OpenSlate.
In his early years on YouTube, his content primarily focused on gaming commentary, including Minecraft and Call of Duty. Pewds became synonymous for his Let’s Play content which he used to spotlight indie and horror games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
He would attend the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg to pursue a degree in industrial economics and technology management. He would later drop out in 2011 citing that he lost interest in his studies. This decision came a year after he registered his primary YouTube account.
PewDiePie’s current career
PewDiePie was named in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2016 largely due to his extensive exposure as one of the top content creators and online personalities on YouTube.
He became the most subscribed content creator on the platform multiple times during his career which had seen massive shifts away from what he became popular for.
PewDiePie also became the subject of multiple online feuds, in particular with the Indian music channel, T-Series between 2018 and 2019 and then with children’s entertainment channel, Cocomelon from 2020.
He was also at the centre of highly controversial scandals which included using provocative, anti-Semitic and racist language in his video uploads and livestreams. While he has apologised, through released statements or apology video uploads, he has received plenty of negative criticism and widespread backlash for his actions.
Despite the controversies, PewDiePie is one of only two YouTube channels to be recipients of all five tiers of YouTube Creator Awards: Silver, Gold, Diamond, Custom, and Red Diamond Creator. The latter, which he received in 2019, makes PewDiePie the first-ever individual creator channel to be awarded the Red Diamond Creator Award.
Channels and featured appearances
As previously mentioned, PewDiePie started off playing mainly horror and indie games before adding mainstream games like Minecraft and Call of Duty to his lineup.
Currently, Pewds has only one YouTube channel, which features a variety of content including Let’s Play, VODs, livestreams, reaction videos and more.
He has also ventured into entertainment-related content for which he has released several diss track music videos, highlighting some of his most notable feuds and controversies.
In addition to this, he frequently collaborates with fellow YouTube content creators including BoyinaBand, Roomie and Jackseptcieye in meme reactions and game walkthrough videos.
Streaming setup
Considering a career in streaming on YouTube? Well, if you want to replicate PewDiePie’s streaming setup, you may have to break the bank and your budget to acquire his streaming gear.
- Monitor: ASUS XG32VQ ROG Strix 31.5″ Curved Gaming Monitor
- Keyboard: Corsair Strafe Mechanical Keyboard
- Mouse: Glorious Model O Mouse
- Headset: Custom Razer Kraken Pro V2 Headphones
- Gaming chair: Custom PewDiePie LED Throttle series Clutch chair
- Webcam: Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K Camera
- Microphone: Sennheiser EW 100 Lavalier Microphone
There is so much we can learn about the Swedish content creator, but we suggest watching his VODs and livestreams on his YouTube channel. Additionally, you can follow Pewds on social media for which we have linked below.
So there you have it, everything you need to know about the undisputed king of YouTube, Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg.
Don’t forget to check out our dedicated YouTube section for the latest news, updates, streamer antics, drama and more.
Featured image courtesy of YouTube / PewDiePie.
