On the latest edition of PEW NEWS, YouTube legend PewDiePie (aka Poppy Smoria) points to a rather consistent trend: when it comes to covering Pewds, both mainstream media outlets and Internet randos tend to focus on the negative. You don’t say! Using an article that misreports his earnings as a springboard, he highlights the broader tendency to over-emphasise his controversies in the press or outright mock him in various comments sections. In response, he attests that “you’ll never see a ‘PewDiePie’s Charity’s Deeds’ like a list randomly in an article or something.”
Related: Pewdiepie’s Camera, Desk Set-up & Gear
Well, that trend stops today, because it turns out that PewDiePie is indeed quite the charitable gent. Partly inspired by YouTube vloggers The Green Brothers, Pewds has produced numerous campaign videos and fundraisers throughout his career. Perhaps by highlighting his charity work and deeds, we can help tip the scales away from the overabundance of pessimistic coverage. Most of us can probably use a little more positivity in our lives anyway. Plus, it’s important to know that both PewDiePie and his supporters aren’t as juvenile 9-year olds (sorry, 19-year olds) or one-dimensional as you might presume them to be.
Table of contents
- 1. Charity: Water
- 2. Save the Children
- 3. (RED)
- 4. Ellen’s “Best Friends” Gaming Charity Competition
- 5. World Wildlife Fund
- 6. Child Rights for You (CRY)
- 7. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- 8. Crisis Text Line
- 9. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- 10. Team Trees
- 11. Black Lives Matter
- 12. Wildfires Emergency Appeal
We thus present a list of PewDiePie’s top charity work and deeds:
1. Charity: Water
Raised: US$446,612 + US$150,000
When PewDiePie reached 10 million subscribers, he asked his fans to help him celebrate by way of a fundraiser. All the proceeds went to Charity: Water, a non-profit that provides drinking water to developing nations. Pewds agreed to contribute one dollar for every 500 views the campaign video received, with a cap of US$10,000. His overall funding goal of US$250,000 was exceeded by just under 200k, reaching a grand total of US$446,612.
In 2016, PewDiePie held yet another fundraiser in support of Charity: Water. This time around, his initial goal was US$100,000 and he managed to generate just over 150k.
2. Save the Children
Raised: US$630,000
Upon reaching 25 million subscribers, PewDiePie celebrated with another charity drive. Save the Children was on the receiving end, meaning the funds went toward providing underprivileged youth with better education, better healthcare, and better economic opportunity. What began as an initial fundraising goal of US$250,000 ended up putting over US$630,000 in the proverbial pot.
In support of the campaign, Pewds said the following: “We’re all just kids who grew up (kind of). Can you imagine if you never got that chance? Save the Children is an awesome charity that has helped more than 125 million children around the world, providing everything from school books to food to blankets and shelter.”
3. (RED)
Raised: US$1.3 million
In 2016, PewDiePie and other Revelmode creators hosted a two-day livestream called Cringemas, raising over US$1.3 million for (RED) in the process. Part of that impressive haul came with a little help from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The proceeds went toward fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Later, PewDiePie participated in Apple’s Games for (RED) through his Tuber Simulator app, thereby raising even more money for the cause.
4. Ellen’s “Best Friends” Gaming Charity Competition
Daytime TV host Ellen Degeneres enlisted PewDiePie, 19 other Internet stars, and gamers at home to assist with an interactive charity drive, centered around “Best Fiends: Race Against Slime 2.” Pewds was joined by famous names such as Markiplier, Hayes Grier, and Rebecca Black, and the campaign generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for a number of charities, including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Hope for Holt, Malaria No More, Oceana, SpecialEffect, and War Child.
5. World Wildlife Fund
In 2012, PewDiePie ran for “King of the Web” in an online contest, eventually having to settle for the title of “Gaming King of the Web.” He donated his winnings to the World Wildlife Fund, which focuses on wilderness preservation while trying to reduce mankind’s environmental impact.
6. Child Rights for You (CRY)
Raised: US$200,000
After a subscriber war between PewDiePie and T-Series took on a racial dimension, Pewds launched a GoFundMe campaign in support of CRY, which helps Indian children living in poverty. He also donated all the proceeds from a livestream event to the organisation. When all was said and done, he’d raised over US$200,000.
7. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Raised: US$30,000
In the wake of YouTuber Etika’s tragic suicide in 2019, PewDiePie and actor Jack Black teamed up for a GoFundMe campaign. They streamed themselves playing Minecraft while raising support for NAMI, a grassroots group that builds better lives for those suffering from mental illness. Pewds donated US$10,000 of his own money and helped raised over US$30,000 in total.
8. Crisis Text Line
PewDiePie’s gaming collaborative Revelmode partnered with Humble Bundle when raising funds for Crisis Text Line, which provides text-based personal support for anyone who can use it.
9. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
No one would argue with the work that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is doing and Pewds isn’t about to start. He’s been known to give his own money to the organisation, which takes on children’s catastrophic diseases such as cancer.
10. Team Trees
Donated: $50,000
As part of MR BEAST’s initiative to plant 20 million trees to celebrate him reaching 20 million subscribers, Pewds donated $50k of his own money towards the cause.
11. Black Lives Matter
Raised: $106,000
As a show of solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement following the senseless death of George Floyd, PewDiePie took to YouTube to raise funds for the campaign. He raised $106,000 with help from the YouTube community, donating the contributions to the family of George Floyd and “other victims of police violence”.
12. Wildfires Emergency Appeal
Donated: $1,600
Following the recent fires and crisis in Australia, and despire only laughing 19 times in YLYL, Pewds donated $1,600 to the Wildfires Emergency Appeal.
Oh, and if you’re reading this, Pewds: “Is Maths related to Science?”
Related: Pewdiepie’s Camera, Desk Set-up & Gear
The YouTuber is famously generous, having raised over $1.3 million for RED and over $340,00 for Save the Children. His list of estimated charitable donations and fund-raisers is in the millions.
In his charitable work with Child Rights for You (CRY), PewDiePie has raised over $200,000.
As of 2020, PewDiePie’s net worth is estimated to be around USD$40 million.
