Linus Sebastian is the main man behind the YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips, the largest technology-related channel on YouTube.
With most videos exceeding a million views, Linus Sebastian has been launched into the public eye, and many may wonder how much he is worth.
Linus Sebastian has a net worth of approximately $85 million. He earns most of that money through ad revenue, video sponsors, affiliate marketing, and merch sales from his YouTube channels managed by his company Linus Media Group.
In this article, we’re going to look at how Linus built up this wealth and this company, as well as dive into his career and many successes.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents:
Overview
Linus Sebastian is a YouTuber from Canada. He specializes in videos about technology. The videos include step-by-step guides on how to build a computer, reviews, and technical advice.
He actively still hosts four YouTube channels (and features in others): Linus Tech Tips (LTT), Techquickie, TechLinked, and ShortCircuit.
The main channel, Linus Tech Tips, was Sebastian’s first YouTube channel. Sebastian joined YouTube with Linus Tech Tips (LTT) in 2008.
He is one of the most popular tech YouTubers on the platform today. Linus Tech Tips has over 15.2 million subscribers, which is steadily rising. It is the number one most-watched tech channel on YouTube.
Linus Sebastian also founded and owns Linus Media Group, a corporation that helps manage YouTube channels. Sebastian founded the group in 2013.
Early Life
Linus Sebastian was born in 1986 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has two sisters named Isabelle and Emily. He also has two brothers named Asher and George.
Linus Sebastian attended the Garibaldi Secondary School. After graduation, he enrolled at the University of British Columbia.
Sebastian dropped out of the University of British Columbia a few years after joining the school. He said he preferred to spend time working on his computer and figuring out tech and decided to devote his time to those ventures instead.
While he was still at the University of British Columbia, he got a job working for NCIX. NCIX was formerly known as Netlink Computer Inc. The company sells computers.
After leaving school, Sebastian started working full-time for NCIX. He worked hard and impressed his supervisors, and they promoted him.
In 2007, NCIX put Linus Sebastian in charge of their technology video channel. This gave him a taste of content creation that inspired him to launch Linus Tech Tips in 2008.
Career
Linus Tech Tips had a relatively modest start on YouTube. It began mostly as an offshoot of the technology channel that he was running for NCIX. Linus also focused on other work, so YouTube did not immediately become his full-time career.
After leaving NCIX, Linus negotiated with the company to let him keep the channel as long as he signed a non-compete clause.
In 2013, Sebastian created the Linus Media Group (LMG) to devote more time and attention to content creation. The group employed Brandon Lee, Edzel Yago, and Luke Lafreniere. Today, the group is headquartered in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
The Linus Media Group also hosted the LTX expo. The LTX Expo was created to be a convention for technology-based content creators.
The Linus Media Group has now created numerous channels that Linus Sebastian manages. Those channels include:
- Linus Tech Tips
- Techquickie
- Channel Super Fun
- TechLinked
- Linus Cat Tips
- LMG Clips
- ShortCircuit
- They’re Just Movies
- Mac Address
Linus Tech Tips is the most popular channel, with over 15.2 million subscribers and over 6.6 billion views.
They’re Just Movies is the smallest channel, with around 138,000 subscribers and around 4.27 million views. However, this channel is fairly new compared to LTT and has much fewer videos (around 150 compared to the 6,000 videos present on LTT).
The most popular video on Linus Tech Tips is “Building a PC… using only Wish.com”. The video has garnered over 22 million views.
Unlike many channels where some videos greatly exceed others in the view count, LTT has a consistent viewership, with most videos uploaded averaging around 2 million views.
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Other Ventures
Linus Sebastian and Luke Lafreniere host a podcast called The Wan Show. They have hosted the show since 2013. The podcast talks about news and updates happening in the world of tech. It is available on most podcast streaming platforms.
The Linus Media Group has taken more of Sebastian’s time, and the organization is expanding into more content creation.
Sebastian currently serves as the CEO of the Linus Media Group, and his wife, Yvonne Ho, is the CFO. Nick Light is the COO.
While most channels managed by Linus Sebastian and Linus Media Group focus on the world of technology and electronics, Linus Cat Tips and They’re Just Movies are not within the realms of the tech space.
Linus Cat Tips features videos about Linus Sebastian’s cats. The videos are short and primarily filmed in an at-home video style.
They’re Just Movies used to be called Carpool Critics but has since been renamed.
The videos feature a small group of LMG employees who watch movies and discuss them together. Linus only occasionally appears in these videos.
They’re Just Movies is also available as a podcast.
How Much Money Does Linus Make On YouTube?
Linus Tech Tips, the main channel in the Linus Media Group lineup, has over 15 million subscribers and over 6.6 billion views. These views have earned Linus Sebastian approximately $66 million from YouTube ads alone over the course of the channel’s lifetime.
This does not include the revenue generated from merchandise, the many sponsors on almost every video, the affiliate sales, and other income sources. This also does not consider how much money Linus has made from his other YouTube channels.
Here’s a breakdown of how much Linus has made with all of his channels:
| Channel | No. of Views | AdSense Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Linus Tech Tips | 6.6 billion | $66.1 million |
| Techquickie | 773 million | $5.41 million |
| TechLinked | 420 million | $2.94 million |
| ShortCircuit | 407 million | $4.07 million |
| Channel Super Fun | 289 million | $2.89 million |
| LMG Clips | 168 million | $1.17 million |
| Mac Adress | 77 million | $769,000 |
| Linus Cat Tips | 11.2 million | $62,600 |
| They’re Just Movies | 4.3 million | $34,200 |
All of these are the estimated amounts generated over the life of each channel and only the income generated from YouTube ads appearing on videos. Again, this does not account for other revenue streams, such as merchandise sales, sponsorships, or affiliate marketing.
Linus has made approximately $83 million from YouTube ads alone from all his channels, with his total revenue from YouTube-related activities surpassing $120 million once other income sources are considered.
While this is a substantial amount, it should be noted that this is not what Linus would be netting as he has a large team of staff that needs to be paid, and indications show that LMG does pay quite well.
How Much Money Does Linus Make Per Month?
Linus Media Group is estimated to make approximately $4.86 million per month in total revenue. This revenue is generated primarily through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, merchandise, and YouTube AdSense.
In 2020, a video was uploaded to Linus Tech Tips discussing how much the company makes and how they earn its income. While the exact figure was not released, the following graph was shared, breaking down the income:
The Linus Media Group generates approximately $1,592,032 from YouTube AdSense per month (depending on the number of video views received that month). The most recent month would’ve brought in this estimation and is broken down as follows:
| Channel | Monthly Views | AdSense Income |
|---|---|---|
| Linus Tech Tips | 101 million | $1.01 million |
| TechLinked | 8.5 million | $59,500 |
| Techquickie | 9.25 million | $64,800 |
| ShortCircuit | 16 million | $160,100 |
| LMG Clips | 7.94 million | $55,600 |
| Mac Adress | 6.7 million | $66,500 |
| Channel Super Fun | 17.2 million | $172,000 |
| They’re Just Movies | 142,000 | $1,133 |
| Linus Cat Tips | 19,500 | $110 |
As we have this figure, and the portion of the income from each revenue stream is most likely similar to 2020, we can estimate that the LMG generates approximately $6.12 million per month and close to $73 million annually.
This is only revenue, though, and doesn’t consider the salaries of the approximate 60 employees of LMG, as well as the general company running costs, taxes, infrastructure, etc.
Note: The above YouTube income estimates have been made using our YouTube Money Calculator. This considers the most important variables that affect how much a channel can earn, unlike other calculators that show vague and vast estimate ranges.
Personal Life
Linus Sebastian has been in a long-term relationship for over a decade. In 2011, he married his girlfriend Yvonne Ho. Yvonne Ho now also serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Linus Media Group.
Sebastian and Ho have three children: one son and two daughters.
Sebastian’s accounts have been hacked several times. In 2011, a public, prominent hack ended with the hacker blackmailing Sebastian.
In 2014, fellow tech YouTuber Austin Evans lost his home in a house fire, and Sebastian and other Tech YouTubers like Marques Brownlee helped raise funds and donate to help rebuild.
In 2020, Sebastian briefly toyed with the idea of retiring, but he has since changed his mind and continues to make content, with plans of greater expansion in the tech research space.
On the 19th of May 2023, Linus announced that he will be stepping down as CEO of LMG, but this wouldn’t mean he was retiring or selling the company (he turned down a $100 million offer); instead, Terren Tong (Linus’s former boss at NCIX) will take over as CEO (on July 1st 2023), while Linus will continue leading the company as owner (along with Yvonne) and Chief Vision Operator.
Highlights
Linus Tech Tips is considered the most-watched technology channel on YouTube.
With billions of views on the channel, it has become one of the most popular places for people to learn about building computers and technology news.
All nine Linus Media Group channels have received silver 100,000 subscriber YouTube Play buttons. In contrast, five channels (Linus Tech Tips, Techquickie, TechLinked, ShortCircuit, and Channel Super Fun) have received golden play buttons for reaching 1 million subscribers.
The main channel, Linus Tech Tips, also received the diamond play button for reaching 10 million subscribers in 2020.
Final thoughts on Linus Tech Tips’ net worth
Linus Tech Tips is one of the most popular YouTube channels, with over 15 million subscribers and over 6.6 billion views. The Linus Media Group has grown to include around 60 employees and keeps growing.
Linus Sebastian’s net worth is estimated to be around $85 million, most of which is generated from his YouTube endeavors, owning and operating Linus Media Group.
As you can see, Linus has found success in more than just running a single YouTube channel and has developed his channel into a sizable business.
Overall, Linus Sebastian is a huge success story and an inspiration to anyone looking to turn their passion into a career.