7-year-old is this year's highest-paid YouTube star with earnings of USD22 mn: Forbes

With impressive earnings of USD 22 million, a seven-year-old American boy has become this year's highest-paid YouTube star, beating out established adults in the business like Daniel Middleton and Jake Paul, according to Forbes.

Forbes' list of "Highest-Paid YouTube Stars 2018" is topped by Ryan of Ryan Toysreview, who makes his millions by reviewing everything from toys, cars, Legos through simple home-made videos that are then uploaded on his YouTube channel by his parents.

The prestigious US business magazine said these short videos have made Ryan one of the most popular influencers online, with 17.3 million followers and a total of nearly 26 billion views since he and his parents launched his main channel, Ryan ToysReview, in March 2015.

"For Ryan, this means not only an endless stream of toys to play with but also a seemingly endless stream of money: He was this year's highest-paid YouTube star, earning USD22 million in the 12 months leading up to June 1, 2018," Forbes said.

"I am entertaining and I am funny," Ryan recently said in an NBC interview, explaining the popularity that has led him to become a mini-millionaire.

The Forbes list includes American actor Jake Paul who comes in at the 2nd spot with earnings of USD 21.5 million, British gamer who specializes in Minecraft, DanTDM ranked 4th with earnings of USD18.5 million, Hawaii-native Markiplier ranked 6th with USD17.5 million earnings and Swedish gamer PewDiePie with USD 15.5 million earnings, who is ranked 9th.

"Brand partnerships, a clothing line, millions of fans: What was once solely the province of superstar athletes and Hollywood A-listers now includes 'Markiplier', one of the world's highest-earning YouTubers, who hauled in USD 17.5 million over our 12-month scoring period," Forbes said.

On Ryan, Forbes said he is part of the YouTube trend of unboxing, in which content creators film themselves opening up toys, tech products and other consumer goods, explaining different features and, in Ryan's case, "screaming and giggling with enthusiastic delight as he does so."