Making millions of dollars while only using a camera and a computer might seem like something too good to be true. However, Graham Stephan is one of the many examples of a millennial who earns millions for showing up in a recorded video on YouTube.
The moment you enter Stephan’s Las Vegas home, the first thing you’ll see is a massive 310-gallon aquarium in the entryway.

“The level of enjoyment I get from the aquarium is just unparalleled to any other experience that I would be able to buy,” the 31-year-old says. “This for me is the tank I would have set up as a kid when I was 12 if I had whatever I wanted.”

Stephan broke the $1 million annual income mark in 2019. However, his earnings for 2020 were around $6 million with $3 million coming from YouTube ad revenue and the rest coming from his courses on Teachable and affiliates revenue.

But what does Stephan do?

You’ll be surprised to know that Stephan was a full-time real estate agent who used to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars before he started his YouTube career. However, what is shocking is that he quit his old job during the coronavirus pandemic and turned to all-in-YouTube mode.

‘I want to go all-in on YouTube,’” he tells CNBC Make It.
When Covid-19 lockdowns began in mid-2020 and forced Stephan to stay in his relatively small Los Angeles home full-time, “it really made me re-evaluate where I wanted to be and where I wanted to work,” he says.

Consequently, the 31-year-old millionaire moved to Las Vegas. This is when he started working in his home instead of the garage where he used to record. Additionally, Stephan had prepared his house with a full office and a bedroom for his employees, as well as a professional podcast studio complete with soundproofed ceilings.

Now what is shocking about Stephan is his spending. Despite earning millions of dollars, the young enterpreneur goes for a frugal lifestyle. Here is his spending list:

• Las Vegas home: $6,448 for the mortgage, property taxes and HOA fees.
• Food: $820 covers restaurant spending and team dinners. Stephan’s girlfriend handles the couple’s monthly grocery bill.
• Car: $632 for his Tesla payment.
• Utilities: $570 for gas, electric and internet bills.
• Discretionary: $446 goes toward entertainment, pool tech, house cleaner and credit card fees.
• Insurance: $437 for health and car insurance.
• Phone: $50
• Subscriptions: $20 for Spotify and Amazon Prime.