Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg

Web-based comedian and video producer PewDiePie was born Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg in Gothenburg, Sweden. The unusual online alias, he explained, was derived from the sound of a laser ("pew") and death ("die"). His interest in gaming took a front seat during his high school years, when he'd frequently cut classes and head to Internet cafes to play video games with friends. After graduating, he went on to study Industrial Economics and Technology Management at Chalmers University of Technology, but quit a few years later to pursue a career on YouTube. His parents weren't too pleased with their son's decision, and they withdrew their financial support. To fund his video making (and his daily life), PewDiePie began working at a hot dog stand. At the same time, his YouTube popularity on YouTube for his vlogs and "Let's Play" commentaries was quickly rising. Within two years, his channel had more than a million subscribers, prompting him to sign up with the worldwide multi-channel network, Maker Studios. They released a PewDiePie app for iPhone that allow his fans (aka, his "Bro Army") to view and share his videos, as well as create custom video feeds. PewDiePie told Icon Magazine, "The loneliness in front of the computer screens brings us together. But I never set out to be a role model; I just want to invite them to come over to my place." PewDiePie gained over 45 million subscribers and viewers that number more than 12 billion, earning him a place on Time Magazine's "The World's 100 Most Influential People" list. However, after a filmed prank piece in which he paid an unsuspecting pair of men to hold a sign reading "Death to all Jews," fans and reporters began noticing a strain of anti-Semitic images and statements in several of PewDiePie's videos. YouTube ended its association with PewDiePie in February 2017 as a result of the ensuing uproar.