These days, the gaming and eSports world has become nearly as popular — and lucrative — as other big sports in America. Back when Richard Tyler Blevins — who goes by the moniker “Ninja” in the online world — got his start, gaming was far from becoming the respected career path it is today. These days, professional gamers rake in cash for their contributions to popular eSports groups like Cloud9 and FaZe Clan, as well as for simple uploads of their favorite in-game moments, but this is a relatively recent change.
Ninja is a major contributor to this change, as one of the Western world’s first prominent figures in competitive online gaming. His star has faded somewhat as the field becomes more populated with streamers, but Ninja will always be among the gamers who paved the way for those who came after.
Ninja first came to mainstream prominence in 2018, after his Fortnite streams on Twitch began to break records. Since then, the streamer — rocking a range of brilliantly-colored hair — has maintained his status as one of Twitch’s top earners. With more than 18 million followers, he is also the most-followed channel on the video game streaming platform.
This popularity also extends to YouTube, where Ninja has amassed upwards of 24 million subscribers. His YouTube channel, which has been around since 2011, has collected a staggering total view count of more than 2.4 billion, with most individual videos earning view counts in the hundreds of thousands, at least.
This year, he was named one of Forbes‘ “Top Creators of 2023.” He was one of very few streamers/video game creators to make the list, indicating how influential he is in the space. Ninja also created a podcast this year, called “AFK w/Ninja”, allowing him to connect with his fans even more. In addition, he joined GameSquare in February of this year as its chief innovation officer. In this role, he will be spearheading the talent incubator’s growth opportunities.
Despite the greater competition he now faces in the eSports arena, Ninja has maintained as one of the gaming world’s most recognizable figures, leading many to wonder how much he is now worth.
Ninja’s net worth explained
All the work Ninja has done over the last several years has paid off in a big way. The popular gamer was making “a lot more” than $500,000 a month at the peak of his popularity in 2018, according to Dexerto.
While that monthly revenue has likely decreased somewhat, he still makes an enviable living through advertisements, partnerships, and donations. Add to this the money he makes through YouTube and his apparel line ⏤ fittingly themed around “Team Ninja”⏤ and his earnings get a big boost. His online shop offers a variety of gaming-centric merchandise, including a range of brightly-colored casual attire and outerwear.
When all is said and done, Ninja is estimated to have a net worth of around $40 million in 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This is particularly impressive given the creator’s young age ⏤ he turned 32 last year ⏤ and comparatively sparse presence on YouTube.
Even without daily uploads, Ninja is going strong. He continues to dominate a field he helped to legitimize, and⏤despite the occasional controversy⏤seems poised to do so for years to come. Even a recent cancer diagnosis won’t be enough to slow the popular creator down, as he continues to serve as one of Twitch’s most prominent streamers, and a treasured internet figure with fans in the millions.