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If you’re an avid Twitch viewer, you know Pokimane. The streaming sensation has been a Twitch fixture since her account’s meteoric rise back in 2017. Now, she’s one of the most popular personalities on the platform, which means she must be earning some serious cash for her efforts. Can you guess how much this 25-year-old makes for being a top Twitch streamer? Here, we break down Pokimane’s net worth and investigate a rumor about the source of some of her (supposed) earnings.
Pokimane Is A Popular Streamer In The Twitch Community
Born on May 16th, 1996, Pokimane’s real name is Imane Anys. When she was in high school, she played League of Legends and MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) like Maplestory with her friends and occasionally entered into tournaments. Her streaming career began to heat up while she was studying chemical engineering at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. At first, Pokimane says she had a hard time juggling her game playing with her studies.
“Whenever I was doing schoolwork, I felt like I could be spending more time streaming because there is a direct correlation between channel growth and the time you spend on stream,” she said in a 2020 interview with Forbes. “On the other hand, even streaming part-time left me feeling like I wasn’t entirely devoting myself to my school work or getting the best grades.
Fortunately, Pokimane found success fast and was soon earning enough to stream full time. With the blessing of her parents, she decided to put her college career on hold. “Over the year that I took off, my parents saw my career continue to grow bit by bit, so it was understood between us that it would be best to ride the momentum as long as it lasted,” she explained. “My mom would occasionally bring up getting my degree, but we both realize that school will always be there. However, the opportunity to be a full-time streamer may not. It may not have been the conventional career path, but they’re proud of what I’ve made of it and how much the gaming industry has grown.”
In 2017, Pokimane gained 450,000 followers and was given the Shorty Award for Best Twitch Streamer of the year. Currently, she has more than 7.8 million followers on the platform and a whopping 179 million total views. According to TwitchTracker, she’s the most followed female streamer on the platform.
Pokimane Has A Significant Number Of Paid Subscribers
With more than 8,000 paid subscribers on Twitch, Pokimane reportedly makes at least $20,750 a month on subscriptions alone. That’s in addition to the ad venue and donations she earns from live broadcasts, as well as cash from her overall broadcast deal with Twitch.
But you may be surprised to learn that while this income is certainly nothing to scoff at, Pokimane uses a significant portion of it to cover her production costs. In an interview with YouTuber Graham Stephan (as reported by Win.gg), the superstar streamer estimated she spends between $10,000 and $20,000 a month employing various staff members on her team, including video editors, a video editor manager, a talent agent, a general manager, and a social media assistant.
Still, Pokimane clearly makes enough to be very comfortable. Last year, she even put a $5 cap on all her viewer donations, so we know she must not be hurting for cash.
But even with all the money in the world, Pokimane admits it’s not always easy being a public figure on Twitch. “It’s hard growing up and putting your whole life on the internet,” Pokimane told Forbes. “When you make a mistake, it’s on display for the world to critique and judge. There’s also pressure to share everything in your life because so much of it is public already. Your personal and work-life become so blurred when your job is to create content about yourself. Many of my friends are also in the same industry. Just hanging out can become an opportunity to create content and, therefore, work. Moreover, it can be hard to ‘clock out’ and permit yourself to relax.”
There Was A Widespread Rumor That Someone Donated $80 Million To Her
Back in 2020, the internet went nuts went it heard that a fan had given Pokimane an $80 million donation. People were shocked by the enormous amount — who on earth would donate that kind of money to one Twitch superstar? One who was clearly making plenty of cash on her own?
Well, it turned out to be just a rumor. The story had spread as a result of a video created by a viewer to mock the “simp” behavior of overzealous fans who donate massive amounts of money to hear their names said during live streams. The video clip went viral and even got the attention of Pokimane herself!
What Is Pokimane’s Net Worth Now?
Minus the falsely rumored $80 million donation, Pokimane’s net worth is estimated to be somewhere around $2 million. In addition to what she earns from all of her Twitch-related activities, the streamer makes major bank on YouTube. She currently has more than 6.6 million followers, which likely earns her between $5,000 and $10,000 a month.
On top of that, Pokimane has a number of lucrative sponsorship deals with brands like CashApp, NZXT, and Postmates. Those endorsements must be pretty substantial, as the streamer recently revealed she was in a position to turn down a $3 million dollar deal with an undisclosed potential client.
So what would Pokimane say to all the eager streamers out there, hoping to find fame and fortune like she has?
“I would advise any aspiring streamer to make sure they’re getting into streaming for the right reasons,” she told Forbes. “If your goal is to make money or become famous, those high expectations can potentially lead to burnout or lack of fulfillment. In my opinion, streaming what you’re passionate about should be your primary focus. You’ll be able to enjoy yourself along the way and build a community with similar values.”