In a world of increasingly warped values, an eight-year old boy has been reported by Forbes as having earned just over £17.5m (US$22m) in one year – by reviewing toys online.
According to Forbes magazine, in 2016-2017, Ryan ToysReview, featuring the seven-year old from Georgia in the US, was the eighth highest paid on YouTube, bringing in US$11m in revenue.
Having signed a product deal with US retail giant Walmart to supplement his income, the young entrepreneur is currently listed as the highest paid YouTuber, with total revenues of US$22m.
The channel, which features the helium-voiced juvenile along with his mother, father and twin sisters, releases a new video every day, plugging a variety of toys and games.
Since its launch in 2015, the channel has amassed over 17 million followers and around 26 billion views. There are about 7.7 billion people in the world.
One video, ‘Huge eggs surprise toys challenge with inflatable water slide’, has accrued over 1.6 billion views, making it the 39th most viewed video on YouTube.
The mind-boggling numbers (and perhaps the sheer inanity of content) drove one exasperated commentator to ask: “Is this an insult to all the hard-working artists and creators?”.
For a sobering value-readjustment, check the British Medical Association’s page on junior doctor pay scales.
