9-yr-old Ryan Kaji reclaims highest-paid YouTuber tag third year in a row

A nine-year-old boy from Texas has topped the list of the highest-paid YouTubers for 2020. Earning $29.5 million by reviewing toys and games on YouTube, Ryan Kaji has managed this feat for three consecutive years, being the highest paid star on the video-sharing platform in 2018 and 2019 as well.

Kaji reportedly earned additional $200 million more from Ryan's World brand of toys and clothing, including his line of pyjamas for Marks & Spencer. He has also signed a deal with Nickelodeon for his own TV series. Although the signing amount is undisclosed, it is estimated to be a multi-million-dollar deal.

Ryan Kaji, originally Ryan Guan, started making videos on YouTube in March 2015, being inspired by other YouTubers doing the same. His family now runs nine YouTube channels, Ryan's World being the most popular one with 41.7 million subscribers. His most popular video - Huge Eggs Surprise Toys Challenge - has more than 2 billion views, one of the 60 most-viewed videos on the platform.

Having said that, the US Federal Trade Commission has issued an investigation over allegations that the videos by the Kaji family has undisclosed sponsors. "Nearly 9 per cent of the Ryan ToysReview videos have included at least one paid product recommendation aimed at preschoolers, a group too young to distinguish between a commercial and a review," Truth In Advertising, a consumer watchdog organisation, said in its complaint.