YouTube began in 2005, founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim in a small office above a pizzeria in San Mateo, California. Its very first video, “Me at the Zoo,” marked the beginning of a major shift in how we consume online content.
In 2006, just a year after its launch, YouTube was acquired by Google for $1.65 billion, thanks to its rapid growth, which included 100 million daily views.
Today, YouTube boasts 2.5 billion monthly active users, with over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute.
This incredible activity drives the platform to generate a staggering $31.5 billion annually in ad revenue.
YouTube has become a cornerstone of the creator economy, empowering content creators, brands, and businesses across the globe. Its role in digital media and social media advertising continues to shape the future of content creation and online engagement.
