The rise of David Dobrik, a 23-year-old YouTuber worth over $7 million who got his start making 6-second videos
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
David Dobrik is a popular YouTuber known for his vlogs and antics with a group of creators dubbed the Vlog Squad.
Dobrik got his start on the now-defunct video-sharing app Vine in 2013, and is now worth an estimated $7 million.
Here's everything you need to know about the 23-year-old Dobrik, who was born in Slovakia and now has more than 15 million YouTube subscribers.
A 23-year-old YouTuber by the name of David Dobrik was recently named Generation Z's favorite social media personality in a survey from financial analyst firm Piper Jaffray.
If you're not a teen, it's possible you've never heard of the star. He's a celebrity that's risen to fame thanks to social media: He got launched into the spotlight on the video-sharing app Vine, and has since turned to YouTube, where he has more than 15 million subscribers.
Now, Dobrik has turned his empire into a net worth estimated at $7 million. His elaborate stunts and vlogs have earned him movie roles, a gig hosting the Teen Choice Awards, and a loyal fanbase.
Here's everything you need to know about David Dobrik, a Vine star-turned-YouTuber:
David Dobrik was born in Kosice, Slovakia, on July 23, 1996. He has three siblings named Ester, Sarah, and Toby.
Vladimir Simicek/AFP/Getty Images
Source: Famous Birthdays
Dobrik and his family immigrated to a suburb of Chicago when Dobrik was 6 years old. He attended Vernon Hills High School, where he played tennis.
Source: Famous Birthdays, Chicago Tribune
Because he moved to the US when he was 6, Dobrik is protected from deportation under the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, that allows undocumented minors to live and work in the country. However, under President Donald Trump, those protections could be revoked.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Source: Tubefilter
After Dobrik graduated high school, his parents gave him a choice: go to college or move out. Dobrik chose to move to Los Angeles in 2013 with a few of his friends, and the group struggled to survive on cheap groceries like peanut butter and bread.
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Source: Forbes
Around this time, Dobrik discovered an app called Vine, where users could create short six-second looping videos to share with others. He started out running a few different sports accounts from which he would upload sports highlights and clips. At that point, Dobrik estimates he was making $1,500 to $2,000 a month.
App Annie
Source: Forbes
But Dobrik soon transitioned over to creating comedic Vine videos. He started teaming up with other funny people on Vine — a group that's come to be dubbed as the Vlog Squad. This includes other big-name former Vine stars and YouTubers like Scotty Sire, Toddy Smith, Gabbie Hanna, Josh Peck, and Zane Hijazi.
Noam Galai/Getty Images for Shorty Awards
Source: We the Unicorns
As he continued to produce videos on Vine, Dobrik followed some of the platform's creators over to YouTube in 2015. But he couldn't afford to create elaborate productions and rent out massive sets like other lucrative influencers were doing in order to produce content.
Todd Williamson/WireImage
Source: Forbes
That's when Dobrik met fellow Vine star Liza Koshy, who introduced him to vlogging — essentially, online video journals. "I really liked that it was a small camera and you could just record your whole day," Dobrik told Forbes. "I filmed my first vlog and I think it worked because I wasn’t trying to make it work. I was just doing it for my own enjoyment."
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for dick clark productions
Source: Forbes
By November 2015, Dobrik and Koshy were dating. "Never have I ever gotten so comfortable being around a person as quickly as I did with her," Dobrik said on the couple's one-year anniversary. "I probably sound so repetitive talking about how lucky I am."
Amanda Edwards/WireImage
Source: Instagram
When Vine shut down in late 2016, Dobrik switched over full-time to YouTube, where he has two channels: David Dobrik, home to vlogs, and David Dobrik Too, where he puts his content featuring members of his Vlog Squad. Between the two channels, Dobrik has over 20 million subscribers.
Reuters/Mario AnzuoniDobrik launched a podcast in mid-2017 with fellow Vlog Squad member Jason Nash. Called "Views," the podcast takes people behind the scenes of their vlogs and just features the crazy antics between the two.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Shorty Awards
Source: Tubefilter
Dobrik and Koshy announced in June 2018 they had split. They filmed an emotional video on YouTube about the mutual breakup, and told fans they couldn't be together because of personal issues. Despite no longer dating, the two remain best friends and still film videos together.
Source: Insider
Dobrik has turned his success on YouTube into big-screen gigs. He starred in the animated film "Angry Birds Movie 2," and hosted the Teen Choice Awards in August 2019 alongside "Pretty Little Liars" star Lucy Hale.
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesDobrik and his Vlog Squad are known for the wild pranks they play on each other, and general mayhem wherever they go. In 2019, Dobrik married the mother of Vlog Squad member Jason Nash to successfully pull off a long-standing joke of becoming Nash's stepdad. The marriage lasted a full month before they divorced.
Source: E! Online
Dobrik is worth an estimated $7 million. He owns a $2.5 million home in Los Angeles, which features an in-house recording studio and a multitude of cars, including a Tesla and Ferrari.
Source: Celebrity Net Worth, Architectural Digest
However, Dobrik is so insanely popular that he struggles to maintain privacy even within his own home. Dobrik recently told to social media to plead with fans to stop coming to his house unwarranted. "Stop coming here, please," Dobrik said in a video to Instagram followers. "I don't wanna have to move, but this is terrifying."
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Source: Business Insider
Dobrik has a full-time live-in assistant, his longtime best friend Natalie Noel. Rumors have swirled that the two are dating, but the two haven't confirmed that.
Presley Ann/Getty Images for Oh Polly
Source: Cosmopolitan
In 2019, Dobrik was named a judge, along with Ciara and Debbie Gibson, on "America's Most Musical Family," a Nickelodeon singing competition. He was also revealed as the fifth most-watched YouTuber on the platform in 2019.
Rich Polk/Getty Images for Streamy Awards
Source: AOL, Business Insider
Dobrik was also behind the most viral video on TikTok, the new video-sharing platform that draws similarities to Vine, where he got his start. The TikTok video showed off a giant version of a science experiment involving "elephant toothpaste" in conjunction with science YouTuber Nick Uhas.
Source: Business Insider
To kick off 2020, Dobrik released a photo-taking and editing app called David's Disposable. The app is inspired by Dobrik's secondary Instagram account, where he posts photos he takes with his disposable camera, which thusly have that retro, 90s feel.
Adam Hadi for David's Disposable
Source: Business Insider
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