The 10 Year Old Who Makes over a Million Dollars a Year on You Tube

This post has a personal connection for me.  Last Thanksgiving, I was invited to my sister's house in Greensboro (NC) for dinner.  She was cooking, family members were chatting, and my niece and nephew were texting.  Typical family during the holidays.  In the course of conversation, someone asked about my sister's best friend from high school.  My sister said something like, "She's doing great, she's married and has two kids.  Oh... and her 9-year-old makes over a million a year on You Tube."  I laughed.  My sister said she was serious, then pulled out her phone and showed me one of these EvanTube HD videos.  She wasn't kidding.  When Evan was five, his dad, who's an accomplished video producer, thought it would be fun to have Evan review some toys on You Tube.  So they made a video and uploaded it.  Then they made another video... and another.

In the clip above, you see Evan at age seven putting together a Lego set with 3,800 pieces, rated for ages 14 and up.  Evan is a really smart kid, personable, and does great in front of the camera.  His You Tube channel took off, gained hundreds of thousands, and ultimately millions of views, and attracted attention from toy makers.  Now he not only gets free toys, he gets paid to make videos reviewing them.  This is a business that didn't even exist 15 years ago.  Evan and his family didn't set out to make Evan a superstar or a school age millionaire.  They just made some fun videos, made them in HD with good editing, and it took off from there. 

My point is not that you should write to Evan and ask him for a loan.  My point is that in today's weird, high tech enabled, connected world, businesses like this are possible.  Just for the record, as I understand it, most of the money is going into a college fun for Evan and his sister.  Evan and his family are using technology to their advantage.  Are you?