PewDiePie Biography: Real Name, Early Life, YouTube Career and Facts

PewDiePie is the online name of Felix Kjellberg, a Swedish YouTuber who became one of the most influential figures in the platform’s history. He became famous in the early 2010s with energetic, comedic commentary on horror and indie video games, and his channel was the most-subscribed on YouTube for most of the period from 2013 to 2019. This PewDiePie biography follows his path from a university student in Gothenburg to a global internet personality, along with his ventures, charity work, controversies and later life in Japan.

Early Life and Family

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg was born on October 24, 1989, in Gothenburg, Sweden, and grew up there. As a child he was interested in art and played Super Nintendo games such as Star Fox and Donkey Kong Country 2. Both interests later carried directly into his career.

Education

After secondary school, Kjellberg enrolled at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg to study industrial engineering and management. He left the program in 2011. He later explained that he had lost interest in the degree and wanted to focus on making videos,. His parents declined to support him financially after he left, so he paid his own way. He sold limited-edition prints of his Photoshop artwork to buy a computer and worked at a hot dog stand.

Career Beginnings

Kjellberg first created a YouTube account called “Pewdie” in December 2006. He registered the channel that made him famous, “PewDiePie,” on April 29, 2010. His early uploads were mostly “Let’s Play” videos, where he recorded himself playing games while reacting out loud. Horror games, especially Amnesia: The Dark Descent, became his trademark.

What set him apart was his personality on camera. His exaggerated reactions, running jokes, and direct, informal way of talking to viewers made his audience feel like a community. His fan base became known as the “Bro Army,” a name that also appeared on an early fan website and forum.

Rise to Fame

Growth came quickly once his channel took off. On August 15, 2013, PewDiePie passed the comedy channel Smosh to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube. He briefly lost the position later that year and regained it on December 23, 2013. He then held the top spot for more than five years.

In December 2016 he became the first YouTube channel to reach 50 million subscribers. In the late 2010s his content moved away from straight game playthroughs toward commentary, meme compilations and comedy formats. Recurring series such as Meme Review became fan favorites.

In 2018 and 2019 his rivalry with the Indian music label T-Series turned into a widely covered internet event. Fans ran “Subscribe to PewDiePie” campaigns, and Kjellberg released the diss track “Bitch Lasagna.” T-Series passed him on March 27, 2019, and he briefly took the lead back in early April before T-Series moved ahead for good. On August 25, 2019, PewDiePie became the first individual creator to reach 100 million subscribers.

Milestone	Date
“PewDiePie” channel registered	April 29, 2010
Became YouTube’s most-subscribed channel	August 15, 2013
First channel to reach 50 million subscribers	December 8, 2016
Overtaken by T-Series	March 27, 2019
First individual creator to reach 100 million subscribers	August 25, 2019

Major Works Beyond YouTube

Kjellberg turned his brand into several other projects:

• Scare PewDiePie (2016), a reality-horror series made for the paid service YouTube Red. A planned second season was canceled in 2017.
• This Book Loves You (2015), a humorous book of parody inspirational sayings published by Penguin’s Razorbill imprint. It reached No. 1 on the New York Times young adult paperback bestseller list.
• PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist (2015), a mobile action game based on his persona.
• PewDiePie’s Tuber Simulator (2016), a free mobile game that briefly topped the App Store charts.
• PewDiePie’s Pixelings (2019), a mobile collecting and battling game.

He and his wife also started Tsuki, a clothing brand.

Awards and Achievements

• Named to the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people in 2016.
• Shorty Award for gaming in 2013.
• Teen Choice Awards in 2014 (Web Star: Gaming) and 2019 (Choice Gamer).
• Golden Joystick Award for Gaming Personality in 2014 and 2015.
• Streamy Award for Best Gaming channel in 2015.
• YouTube’s Red Diamond Creator Award in 2019 for passing 100 million subscribers.

Philanthropy

PewDiePie has organized many fundraisers through his channel. Charity livestreams and campaigns raised money for Charity: water in 2013 and 2016, and a 2014 drive for Save the Children raised more than $630,000. A December 2016 livestream for (RED) raised more than $1.3 million. In December 2018 he raised more than $200,000 for the Indian children’s rights charity CRY. He also gave to Mark Rober and MrBeast’s #TeamTrees campaign in 2019 and raised money for the Sentencing Project in 2020.

Personal Life

Kjellberg met Italian creator Marzia Bisognin in 2011, and the couple became one of YouTube’s best-known pairs. They married on August 19, 2019, at Kew Gardens in London, eight years to the day after they met. After years living in England, they moved to Japan in May 2022, a move they had planned since a 2018 trip there.

In June 2023 he announced an indefinite break from regular uploads because the couple were expecting their first child. Their son was born on July 11, 2023. Kjellberg has said he wants to protect his son’s privacy, and in 2026 he said he would stop featuring him in family vlogs.

Since the early 2020s he has described himself as semi-retired. He posts less often and focuses on personal interests and life in Japan. In November 2025 he said he was finished, at least for now, with making video game content.

Controversies

PewDiePie’s career has included several widely reported controversies. In early 2017 a Wall Street Journal report on videos containing anti-Semitic jokes and imagery led Disney’s Maker Studios to end its partnership with him, and YouTube canceled the second season of Scare PewDiePie. He apologized and said the material had been meant as shock humor. In September 2017 he apologized again after using a racial slur during a livestream. In 2019 he announced, then withdrew, a donation to the Anti-Defamation League after fan backlash. These episodes led to wider debates about creator responsibility and platform moderation.

Legacy and Influence

Kjellberg helped show that one person with a webcam could build an audience as big as a major media company. His style of informal, personality-driven gaming commentary influenced a generation of creators. His record as the most-subscribed channel, together with the T-Series contest, made the race for subscribers a mainstream news story. He is still often cited as the defining YouTuber of the 2010s.

Interesting Facts

• His first YouTube account, “Pewdie,” dates back to 2006, years before his famous channel.
• He was the first YouTube channel of any kind to reach 50 million subscribers.
• His book This Book Loves You sold more than 100,000 copies.
• His wedding took place on the eighth anniversary of the day he met Marzia.
• He went to Japan on a long-term visa after planning the move for several years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PewDiePie’s real name?

PewDiePie’s real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, usually shortened to Felix Kjellberg.

When was PewDiePie born?

PewDiePie was born on October 24, 1989, in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Where is PewDiePie from?

He is from Gothenburg, Sweden. He later lived in England and moved to Japan with his wife, Marzia, in 2022.

What is PewDiePie famous for?

He is famous for comedic gaming commentary and meme videos on YouTube. His channel was the most-subscribed on the platform from 2013 until 2019, apart from brief interruptions.

Who is PewDiePie married to?

He married Italian creator and designer Marzia Bisognin on August 19, 2019. The couple had a son in July 2023.

Sources and Further Reading

• PewDiePie – Wikipedia
• PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg) – Biography.com
• YouTube star PewDiePie announces marriage – NBC News
• PewDiePie becomes first YouTuber to hit 100 million subscribers – CBC Kids News
• PewDiePie – official YouTube channel