The biggest YouTube celebrities have become masters at attracting an audience to monetize their sponsored videos and advertising. Along the way, these internet stars make a name for themselves offline too, often publishing books, or getting roles in television shows or deals from Netflix, Disney, or YouTube Red. Evan Fong is a 26-year-old Canadian who launched the VanossGaming YouTube channel. Like many of the other highest paid YouTube stars, he posts comedic videos of him playing video games. As of November 2018, Fong's channel has over 10 billion video views and 23.8 million subscribers on YouTube, making it the 29th most subscribed channel on YouTube. Fong is the seventh highest paid YouTube Star of the year with $17 million in earnings.
Evan Fong was born in March 1992 in Toronto, Ontario. Canada. He is of Asian descent with a Korean mother and Chinese father. He graduated from Richmond Hill High School. He was introduced to video games at a young age as his father was an avid gamer. He started with children's adventure and puzzle games. After high school, Fong enrolled in college as an economics major. He dropped out during his second year of college to focus full time on his YouTube channel. His parents were concerned at first, but Fong eventually convinced them that YouTube gamer was a viable career.
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Fong created the VanossGaming YouTube channel on September 15, 2011. The name Vanoss comes from Vanos, a variable valve timing system made by BMW. Fong's father's PlayStation 3 user name was vanoss62. His son later made it his own. In early 2015, Fong began getting mainstream media attention as his YouTube channel approached 11 million subscribers and cracked the top 25 most subscribed channels on YouTube. By that time, Fong was considered one of the main figures in the growing video game commentary subculture. In March 2015, he appeared on the first gaming panel at a convention at the "YouTube Gaming Evolution" panel during Boston's PAX East event.
Fong has worked with a number of popular YouTube creators including I Am Wildcat, Adam "SeaNanners" Montoya, Tom "Syndicate" Cassell, and others.
When he isn't creating content for his YouTube channel, Fong enjoys playing ice hockey and the guitar.
