1 min read
Sources:
press and public records, his own videos
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Short answer
Three things stand out. CNBC’s Millennial Money profiled Kevin and Lauren in 2019 and 2020, reporting more than $6 million of 2020 income, mostly from YouTube. In August 2021 CNBC’s Ari Levy wrote that the 29-year-old YouTube millionaire had a good chance of being California’s next governor and put his prior-year YouTube income near $10 million. Kevin has also appeared on Fox Business, KCRA, ABC10 and, during the campaign, in the New York Times Magazine, AP, Politico and Germany’s Tagesschau. 12
Millennial Money: 2019 to 2020 ($6M+ 2020 income)
Ari Levy profile: Aug 15, 2021 (~$10M YouTube income)
NYT Magazine: Mar 24, 2021 (the stimulus pivot)
CNBC
Millennial Money, CNBC Make It’s series on how people spend, filmed Kevin in November 2019 and aired in November 2020 under a title referencing $6 million a year in Ventura. It reported that the couple earned $1.075 million in May 2020 and that most income came from YouTube ads and affiliates, not real estate. On August 15, 2021, CNBC’s Ari Levy published a profile headlined that the 29-year-old YouTube millionaire had a good chance to be the next governor of California, reporting close to $10 million in YouTube income over the previous twelve months. 1
The campaign press
The New York Times Magazine profiled the stimulus-video pivot on March 24, 2021. During the recall he appeared on Fox Business (the Kennedy show called his plan the most creative and comprehensive yet, which his campaign turned into a press release), Fox40, KUSI, KTXL, ABC10 and the KCRA debate stage, and was covered by the AP, Politico, CalMatters and Tagesschau. 12
Since
Coverage since 2022 has centered on the FTX suit, the ETF and the company’s filings. Kevin’s own channel is now the primary outlet.
In his own videos
November 2020: reacting to the Millennial Money profile the week it aired. 3
June 2022: Millennial Money was filmed with Lauren at a beach house he was remodeling, bought in September 2020. 4
In his own videos
CNBC is the source for the income numbers everyone quotes. The rest of the press came with the campaign. 12
Simply put
✅ CNBC
➡️ Filmed his life in 2019 for Millennial Money. Reported over $6 million for 2020.
➡️ Wrote in 2021 that he might be the next governor, and that YouTube paid him close to $10 million.
✅ Everyone else
➡️ New York Times Magazine, AP, Politico, Fox Business, German TV, all during the 2021 campaign.
Sources
Company research memo, YouTube career (CNBC Millennial Money; CNBC, Ari Levy, August 15, 2021; New York Times Magazine, March 24, 2021), Open
Wikipedia, Kevin Paffrath (press coverage), Open
Kevin on YouTube, "I JUST Got on CNBC! Reacting to Myself on Millennial Money" (2020-11-20), at 0:00: “I JUST Got on CNBC! Reacting to Myself on Millennial Money” Watch from 0:00
Kevin on YouTube, "$2 Million Dollar Home Flip Disaster | Before and After." (2022-06-24), at 0:00: “at least we got to film millennial money on cnbc make it at this house, that was pretty cool especially since lauren and i got to film that together” Watch from 0:00
Kevin on YouTube, "Fox News JUST Confronted Me LIVE" (2021-05-22), at 0:00: “Fox News JUST Confronted Me LIVE” Watch from 0:00
Kevin on YouTube, "Fox News JUST Confronted me on Primetime." (2021-09-14), at 0:00: “Fox News JUST Confronted me on Primetime.” Watch from 0:00
