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The Teenage Millionaires Making Serious Money

Updated: Apr 30, 2023By Kate PrinceBusiness
This article originally appeared on Investing.com. It has been republished here with permission.
Charli D'Amelio Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2022/2023 ©Jacopo Raule/Getty Images Charli D'Amelio Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2022/2023 ©Jacopo Raule/Getty Images

When most of us think of successful millionaires and entrepreneurs, we think of individuals who have been in the industry for years. Sometimes, it can take lots of failed enterprises before one sticks – but that isn’t always the case. In fact, some of the most accomplished people in the world found the winning formula when they were kids. 

From discovering the perfect way to make bacon to entering the world of competitive poker and inventing life-saving underwear, these adolescents were born with a strong sense of business acumen. Most were millionaires before they could even legally drive, going on to become even richer with every passing year. It begs the question, what were their parents feeding them?! 

1. Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf

Business: Gaming
Made First Million: Unknown
Est. Net Worth: $4 million*

Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf became famous thanks to his incredible skill at uber-popular web-based game Fortnite. In 2019, he won the Fortnite World Cup, despite being in his mid-teens. Bugha has been part of several gamin teams since and has a solid Twitch fanbase of almost 5 million. 

Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf ©Mike Stobe/Getty Images Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf ©Mike Stobe/Getty Images

His online infamy doesn’t end there as he also has 4.2 million followers on YouTube and over 285 million views on the platform. When it comes to dominating his industry, Bugha has completed it. 

2. Moziah “Mo” Bridges

Business: Mo’s Bows
Made First Million: 16
Est. Net Worth: $1.4 million*

Moziah Bridges (“Mo,” to his friends) is a CEO at just fourteen years old. He runs his family-owned business out of Memphis, Tennessee. Mo’s Bows sells handcrafted fashion accessories and bow ties, and the business idea began when Mo was just nine years old. He traded bow ties for rocks on the playground as a kid, and that gave him the idea to sell his own bow ties.

Moziah "Mo" Bridges @ecepro/Pinterest Moziah "Mo" Bridges @ecepro/Pinterest

Before Mo’s Bows was even a well-known name, the young entrepreneur had sold 2,000 bow ties. Ever since then, Mo’s Bows’ sales have gone through the roof, and, just recently, Bridges even signed a seven-digit NBA contract for his products.

3. Khabane “Khaby” Lame

Business: Youtube Star
Made First Million: Unknown
Est. Net Worth: $2.7 million*

Khaby Lame is the second most followed star on all of Tik Tok, despite the fact that he doesn’t talk in any of his videos. You read that right–every single one of his videos features him silently reacting to other life hack videos. 

Khaby Lame ©khaby lame Reaction / Youtube.com Khaby Lame ©khaby lame Reaction / Youtube.com

His hilarious reactions to these overly-complicated life hacks that obviously don’t work have made the Senegalese star, who’s based in Italy, incredibly rich and famous. As of 2022, the star’s net worth is reported to be nearly $2.7 million.

4. Ben Pasternak

Business: SIMULATE
Made First Million: 18
Est. Net Worth: $5 million*

Australian tech entrepreneur Benjamin Pasternak is the CEO and co-founder of a nutrition technology company called SIMULATE. SIMULATE made headlines a few years ago when it raised $57 million in investment funding, which is a lot for a new company, especially one run by someone so young.

Ben Pasternak @TeenMogul/Twitter Ben Pasternak @TeenMogul/Twitter

In 2019, SIMULATE released its now-signature product, NUGGS. NUGGS is a realistic-tasting plant-based chicken that is one of the leading competitors in the plant protein market. Pasternak is just twenty-two, and he has a net worth of $5 million. In addition to NUGGS and SIMULATE, he has also developed a few profitable apps, such as Impossible Rush.

5. Matty Morris

Business: WorldVentures
Made First Million: 18
Est. Net Worth: $14 million*

Matt Morris founded his own company when he was eighteen years old, and he made most of his money through network marketing, something he talks about in his book, The Unemployed Millionaire. He is a networking marketing leader, and he has been a top earner in three different companies.

Matty Morris @mattybraps/Instagram Matty Morris @mattybraps/Instagram

Morris is just really, really good at selling stuff. He has built organizations that have generated more than 2.5 million customers, making over $2 billion in sales. He has over one million followers on social media, and he is one of network marketing’s most prominent examples of success. At eighteen, he founded WorldVentures, one of the top 50 network marketing companies in the world.  

6. Mia Talerico

Business: Acting
Made First Million: Before 10
Est. Net Worth: $1.5 million*

Mia Talerico became famous before she even knew she was famous. Born in 2008, the thirteen-year-old got her first acting job at Disney. She was known as the cute baby Charlie in Good Luck Charlie, a four-season sitcom. The show aired from 2010 to 2014, and it helped launch Talerico’s acting career.

Mia Talerico @m4rkcty99/Twitter Mia Talerico @m4rkcty99/Twitter

She’s stuck with showbusiness, having amassed a net worth of over $1 million. Right now, the teenager is paying Paige on Mani, a digital show. Even though she’s only in sixth grade, Talerico is also a social media influencer with 1.3 million followers on Instagram alone. 

7. Syed Sumail Hassan

Business: E-sports
Made First Million: 15
Est. Net Worth: $3.83 million*

Video games can also make people a lot of money if they’re talented at playing them. The hobby is common, but only a few are able to monetize it and turn it into a career. Syed Sumail Hassan is one of those lucky people. Known as Sumail, the Pakistani-American Dota 2 player plays for Team Secret.

Syed Sumail Hassan @danyalakbar02/Twitter Syed Sumail Hassan @danyalakbar02/Twitter

In 2015, he and his “Evil Geniuses” team won The International, a major competition. In esports, Sumail is ranked twelfth in the world, with earnings of $3.83 million in prize money. In the country, he is first. He made his first million when he was fifteen, competing in one of his first LANS.

8. Emma Chamberlain

Business: YouTube
Made First Million: 17
Est. Net Worth: $12 million*

Emma Chamberlain has become one of the world’s biggest social media stars. At first, Chamberlain’s ventures weren’t successful. She tried to become a beauty vlogger, but her videos didn’t take off. It wasn’t until she made a “haul” video, where she showed off her shopping spree goods, that she gained traction.

Emma Chamberlain ©Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Emma Chamberlain ©Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Her YouTube channel took off quickly, and, in 2018, she won a Streamy Award for best “Breakout Creator.” She’s also won a People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Social Media Star.” Her videos have amassed more than 1.5 billion views, and Chamberlain has a net worth of $12 million, thanks to her high engagement rate. 

9. Maddie Ziegler

Business: Dancer
Made First Million: Unknown
Est. Net Worth: $5 million*

Maddie Ziegler got her first taste of fame when she appeared on the reality TV show Dance Moms from 2011 to 2016. During this time, she caught the attention of superstar musician Sia, who was in awe of her dancing talent. Maddie went on to star in many of Sia’s music videos, including “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart.” 

Maddie Ziegler ©Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Maddie Ziegler ©Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Maddie’s star reached new heights in 2021 when she landed the role of Velma in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Not only is she a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry, but she also has a strong social media following of over 13 million on Instagram. 

10. Logan Guleff

Business: Chef
Made First Million: 18
Est. Net Worth: $8 million*

Chef and TV personality Logan Guleff owns Logan’s Underground Supper Club. In 2014, Guleff won MasterChef Junior, and he has since branched into becoming a cookbook author and public speaker. The nineteen-year-old became the first chef to offer an NFT dining experience in 2021.

Logan Guleff @CareerAddict/Pinterest Logan Guleff @CareerAddict/Pinterest

For his new cookbook in 2018, Guleff was awarded the Gourmand World Cookbook Award. In Yantai, China, the cookbook was named the “Best in the World” for “First Cookbook.” One of Guleff’s most famous recipes is his Sustainable Mushroom Monster Burger, which won the James Beard Award. The professional chef has an estimated net worth of $8 million.

11. Victor Langlois

Business: FEWOCiOUS (Crypto)
Made First Million: 16
Est. Net Worth: $26 million*

FEWOCiOUS, a teenage crypto artist, is an elite. The digital artist’s talents are so in-demand that the auction house Christie’s crashed when it offered up a series of NFTs created by the teenager. This had never happened before to Christie’s, and it was forced to call off the auction and reschedule it.

Victor Langlois @timemagazine/Pinterest Victor Langlois @timemagazine/Pinterest

FEWOCiOUS’ real name is Victor Langlois. Since Victor broke into the market in 2020, he has earned $18 million. His digital work called “The Everlasting Beautiful” sold for over half a million dollars. Much of Langlois’ NFTs details his childhood and gender transition and the struggles that came with that phase of his life.

12. Madison Robinson

Business: Footwear brand Fish Flops
Made First Million: 15
Est. Net Worth: $1 million*

In 2013, the world was shook when 15-year-old Madison Robinson made over a million dollars for selling flip flops. Known as Fish Flops, Madison’s business makes funky footwear aimed at kids. It wasn’t long before she bagged a deal with both Macy’s and Nordstrom. 

Madison Robinson @lorenridinger/Pinterest Madison Robinson @lorenridinger/Pinterest

Since then, the line has expanded to include apparel and different types of footwear. According to Inc.com, Madison’s business proved to be a lucrative moneymaker, earning her over $1 million in sales “before she could drive.” Considering children’s wear is sold everywhere from Amazon to Target, Robinson did exceedingly well breaking into the market. 

13. Julianne Goldmark and Emily Matson

Business: Emi Jay hair ties
Made First Million: 15
Est. Net Worth: $10 million*

Julianne Goldmark and Emily Matson made a fortune when they were just kids. It all started when the girls noticed celebrities wearing high-end, expensive ties and wished they could buy them. From there, they decided to launch their own brand, Emi Jay. Amazingly, their hair ties were used by Jennifer Aniston.

Julianne Goldmark and Emily Matson @venturablvd Julianne Goldmark and Emily Matson @venturablvd

Aniston was styled wearing one of the ties and Marie Claire soon featured the brand. From there, it skyrocketed to a whole new level of success. Today, it makes the founders over $10 million a year. That’s a fashion project Rachel from HBO’s Friends can get behind.

14. Mike McDonald

Business: Poker
Made First Million: 15
Est. Net Worth: $13 million*

Teenagers get up to all sorts of things, but becoming a poker sensation probably isn’t something that parents account for. Mike McDonald first started playing competitive poker at the age of 15, going on to be the youngest ever person to win a tournament on the European Poker Tour. 

Mike McDonald @biancarienheart/Pinterest Mike McDonald @biancarienheart/Pinterest

Now 32, Mike is worth over $13 million, which certainly isn’t bad. When it comes to making money, Mike knows how to play his cards right. The Canadian star’s passion for the sport came after his parents wanted him to get a real job as a kid. Instead, he made his own revenue stream!