RHETT McLaughlin and Link Neal, creators of the popular YouTube channel Good Mythical Morning, went from childhood friends to multimillionaires.
The pair have become YouTube pioneers through their creativity and business ventures.
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Link Neal was born on June 1, 1978, in Durham, North Carolina.
When he was two years old, his parents divorced and his mother remarried, which led them to move to Buies Creek.
Rhett McLaughlin was born on October 11, 1977 in Macon, Georgia.
His family moved to Buies Creek in 1984.
Classmates
Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal first met on September 4, 1984, on their first day of first grade at Buies Creek Elementary School.
Their friendship was sealed early on when they were caught writing swear words on their desks, resulting in them being kept inside during recess.
During this detention, they were given colouring books with mythical creatures which ultimately sparked the inspiration for their future show.
Teenage time and university
As teenagers, Rhett and Link began exploring their creative side, starting with the writing of a screenplay at the age of fourteen titled Gutless Wonders.
Although the film was never completed, they revisited it years later by reading it in episodes of Good Mythical Morning.
Their high school years also saw the pair making a parody film of the classic Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, with Rhett starring as Oedipus and Link playing the servant of Oedipus’ father.
Additionally, they were part of a Christian punk rock band called ‘The Wax Paper Dogz’.
After high school, both attended North Carolina State University.
Rhett studied civil engineering and graduated magna cum laude, which means with great honour, in 2000.
Link pursued industrial engineering, graduating summa cum laude, which means with the highest honour, in 2001.
During his junior year of college, Link met his future wife Christy White at a rollerskating rink.
The pair married in 2000 in Kinston, NC and they have three children together, Lilian Grace Neal, Charles Lincoln Neal IV and Lando James Neal.
Rhett met his wife Jessica in college as well and they married in June 2001.
Life after graduation
They briefly worked in their respective fields but they continued collaborating on creative projects.
Their involvement with a religious organisation called Cru allowed them to hone their comedic talents by creating videos and sketches for meetings and conferences.
Their time with Cru sparked their desire to pursue a career in entertainment.
YouTube Beginnings
Rhett and Link started by creating videos for their website and eventually transitioned to YouTube, which was emerging as a platform for creators.
In 2008, they launched their Good Mythical Morning channel, which was a blend of quirky talk show segments, comedy sketches, and unique challenges.
Their natural charisma and hilarious chemistry quickly caught the attention of viewers.
In the early days of YouTube, they also created branded content and commercials for companies like McDonald’s, Alka-Seltzer, and Amazon.
These ads combined their signature style of humour with a marketing edge.
Good Mythical Morning
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In 2012, their show ‘Good Mythical Morning’ officially debuted and became Rhett and Link’s flagship show.
The daily format, where they discussed quirky topics, took part in wacky food challenges, and shared random facts.
Over the years, the show evolved to include even more elaborate segments and production value.
Their content became increasingly sophisticated, and they began diversifying their offerings with additional channels, including Mythical Kitchen, Good Mythical MORE, and their podcast, Ear Biscuits.
They also explored music, creating comedic songs and videos like ‘The S’mores Song’ and ‘Epic Rap Battle of Manliness’.
Mythical Entertainment
As their popularity surged, Rhett and Link transformed their passion into a business.
In 2017 they founded Mythical Entertainment, a company that oversees their various ventures, including video production, podcasts, live shows, merchandise, and digital content.
With the expansion of their business, they began to hire a team of creatives and production experts to help build the Mythical brand.
Buying Smosh
In 2019, they made a major move in the YouTube space by acquiring the channel Smosh, one of the platform’s longest-running comedy groups.
This acquisition came after Smosh’s parent company, Defy Media, abruptly shut down in late 2018, leaving the channel and its creators in a state of uncertainty.
The shutdown occurred after Defy Media failed to manage its business operations.
The deal was reportedly worth around $10 million.
Diversifying into New Media
Beyond YouTube, Rhett and Link have successfully branched out into other media.
They have authored books, including ‘The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek’, a novel that blends humor with mystery.
The duo have also toured the US, performing live shows for their massive fanbase, and have appeared on traditional media outlets like The Tonight Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Their podcast, Ear Biscuits, allows them to dive deeper into conversations and explore more personal and philosophical topics, giving fans a different glimpse into their dynamic.
Wealth and Influence
In September 2023, Forbes Magazine estimated Rhett and Link’s net worth to be around £29.35 million ($34.75 million).
Their business, Mythical Entertainment, generates revenue through multiple streams, including ad revenue, sponsorships, merchandise sales, live shows, and the Mythical Society subscription service.
Their YouTube empire reaches millions of viewers, with GMM boasting over 18.8 million subscribers and billions of views.