SOCIAL MEDIA

Meet the YouTube whisperers behind MrBeast and other million-dollar channels

When wildlife TV personality Forrest Galante sat down for his monthly call with YouTube consultant Paddy Galloway, he received some bad news.

No more turtles.

Galante has 2.5 million YouTube subscribers. He’s been producing wildlife programming for more than a decade, including a docuseries on Animal Planet and a show on the History Channel. He owns his own production company. Generally speaking, Galante’s got a good feel for what his audience wants.

But it was Galloway, something of a guru in the still-burgeoning YouTube creator economy, who identified that whenever Galante showed turtles in his videos, viewer engagement dropped. It was consistent and significant.

“Maybe it’s just turtles are more commonplace and they’re kind of slow and they don’t really do much,” Galloway said in an interview. “We noticed three or four videos in a row, when Forrest was showing turtles, the viewers were just kind of disengaged, and they were leaving.”

This is the kind of insight that many of the most popular YouTube creators, including Jimmy Donaldson, known to the world as MrBeast, and sports creator Jesse Riedel, also known as Jesser, have paid Galloway to provide.

As YouTube creatorship cracks open millions, or potentially even billions, of dollars for the most-watched personalities, Galloway has made a name for himself as one of the best of a growing class of YouTube consultants — a bona fide YouTube whisperer.

“I think he’s an absolute genius,” said Galante.

“Super smart guy,” Riedel told CNBC.

“I don’t want to say Paddy has changed my life completely,” said Humphrey Yang, a former financial advisor whose YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. “But he’s definitely helped a lot.”

YouTube’s media dominance

YouTube will showcase many of its top creators on Wednesday in New York City’s Lincoln Center for its annual upfront advertising presentation, which it calls Brandcast. Like YouTube’s influence in modern media, the event has grown in size and prestige every year as YouTube’s viewership share rises.

YouTube makes up 12.7% of all streaming in the U.S., according to Nielsen’s most recent “The Gauge” report. Netflix is second with 8.4%, followed by Disney with 5%.

Sixty-seven million people consider themselves online content creators, according to a 2025 Goldman Sachs report. That number could rise to more than 100 million by 2030, Goldman estimates.

About 10,000 U.S. YouTube channels have more than 1 million subscribers, according to a YouTube spokesperson. For many of these creators, YouTube can be a lucrative full-time job. But to make a business out of the largely free platform, videos need to get consistent clicks — preferably in the millions.

With YouTube’s recommendation algorithm constantly evolving, many creators have been turning to strategists to maintain success on the platform.

“From zero [subscribers] to 1 million, you don’t need it, but from 1 million to 10 million, or 1 million to 100 million, you definitely need a strategist,” Aniket Mishra, a YouTube growth strategist, told CNBC.

In recent years, videos best watched on TV, rather than on mobile devices, have surged in popularity as YouTube has taken over more and more connected-TV viewing, rivaling subscription streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.

Creators say the Alphabet-owned platform has responded by favoring longer videos, often exceeding 30 minutes. That shift means higher production value and bigger investment from creators. It also means the potential to earn more money.

Since 2021, YouTube has paid out over $100 billion to creators, and an increasing share of that money is flowing to those producing content for bigger screens, YouTube said. The number of channels earning more than $100,000 from TV screens jumped 45% year over year, the company reported.

Regardless, success on the platform remains a simple task of getting viewers through the door, and these strategists maintain that they are the best equipped to optimize a creator’s videos.

“The reason people pay us top dollar is because we have been doing it for the longest, and we have the best success rate,” Galloway said. “Our average increase in views after a year — so, year-on-year after working with us — is 350%.”

The YouTube whisperer

Galloway’s interest in YouTube consulting began out of self-interest. He started posting YouTube videos of his own in 2006, just a year after the service first began, and wanted to figure out why certain videos went viral so his own could gain popularity, he told CNBC.

Within a few years, Galloway’s search for the ingredients of virality became the subject of his videos. He began creating self-dubbed “YouTube Masterclass” videos such as “How Peter McKinnon gained 1 million subscribers in under 1 year” and “Here’s How Mr Beast BLEW UP – How He Grew His YouTube Channel.”

Galloway grew his channel to about 500,000 subscribers, and the videos got Donaldson’s attention. Galloway began working directly for Donaldson, providing him with strategy ideas. Donaldson is now the undisputed king of YouTube with 483 million subscribers.

Galloway worked with Riedel from 2021 through January of this year, encouraging him to change his focus from daily vlogs to bigger concept ideas that pulled in more viewers.

“He was like, ‘You need to make videos that anybody can enjoy,’” Riedel said. “A lot of my videos were personal joke after personal joke. Right in the intro, if you watched it and you didn’t know me or my jokes, you’d be like, ‘What am I watching?’”

After years of plateauing at roughly 3 million subscribers, Riedel saw his subscriber number begin to soar. Today, Riedel is the largest sports-focused creator on YouTube with more than 41 million subscribers.

Galloway’s secrets often center around two simple concepts: headline and thumbnail image.

“We will deliberate a title — just one title — for like 30 minutes,” said Yang, who’s worked with Galloway since early 2022. “Changing a couple of the words in the title can have a huge impact on how the actual video does.”

Galloway has a staff of seven people who analyze what’s working on YouTube and how to create the best content target to perform well on the platform. He also owns three other companies, including one, Upright Media, that helps with the production and editing of videos.

Galloway’s largest clients have daily Slack communication with his team to discuss thumbnails and to run detailed diagnostics of video performance.

What’s the return on investment?

At his peak, Galloway said, he had a waitlist of 5,000 people and was only able to work with about 10 clients at a time.

His services aren’t cheap.

Galloway typically charges flat fees for his work “starting in the $15,000 a month range” he said, though rates can go “considerably higher” depending on the project. That price gets clients full-time service — “in the weeds with you every day,” he said.

“It was like, ’Oh my god, we’re paying this big amount of money for this unknown factor, will we ever get a return?” said Galante, of the turtle-light wildlife videos.

Strategist Mishra said he works primarily with business owners who have built YouTube channels around their products or services. He said he charges between $1,500 and $12,000 a month, depending on how much work he takes on, and said the creators who hire him have already figured out the basics on their own and hit a ceiling.

Mishra said his advice is often to study what is already working in a certain niche and replicate it.

“Copy with taste,” he said. “It’s very important that you have some kind of unique angle, but make sure the formatting of the videos, the pacing and everything else is similar to an outlier idea that is already proven in the niche.”

And while these strategists can’t promise guaranteed subscribers or views, they say their value lies in familiarity with what the platform rewards.

“What I do is I promise you knowledge, and hopefully with enough knowledge, growth comes next,” said Mario Joos, who spent nearly three years as retention director for MrBeast. “The algorithm will just reward what people want to watch.”

Though the highest level of advisory services can run into the thousands of dollars, an initial call with a YouTube coach can cost as little as $250, Joos said. He described the next level of service as “consultant” — someone who is providing advice but not actually helping a creator implement it. That’s Joos’ role today, he said.

The final rung is pure strategist — a role Joos had when he was working with MrBeast, he said, and the rung Galloway falls into.

“Now it’s not just like you’re telling the creator to execute on the knowledge. You are applying the knowledge,” said Joos. “You leave notes on videos. You go through the ideation process. And when there’s 100 ideas on the table, you look into them, you think about them, and you may even come up with the ideas. So that’s what a strategist does there. They have expertise.”

YouTube’s evolving trends

For YouTube’s most popular creators, the platform offers some consultant-like services for free, including thumbnail art guidance, guest ideas and suggestions for video introductions, according to Reed Fernandez, a strategic partner manager for YouTube’s top creators since 2021.

Fernandez is one of several hundred strategic partner managers for YouTube around the world who focus on the top 10% of YouTube creators. Fernandez’s specific team works with about 100 creators in the U.S., he said. Some of his clients include Brittany Broski, Dude Perfect and Alix Earle.

Fernandez’s team typically approaches the creators it wants to help, based on perceived growth opportunity on the platform, Fernandez said. That makes the partnership beneficial for both YouTube and the individual creator, boosting overall engagement on the site.

“We’re looking for things like: Do we see them growing a lot year over year? We think they’re a big bet that we should try to put our full force behind to help them succeed on the platform,” said Fernandez.

Beyond consultant services, YouTube also connects some of these creators with speaking events and press junkets to extend reach and boost awareness.

Fernandez’s team can also offer insider tips on monetization, he said. He used the example of a creator whose videos were consistently just under the 8-minute threshold to qualify for mid-roll advertisements. Making their videos just 30 seconds longer, he told the creator, could make a significant difference in their earnings.

But even with YouTube’s internal support, many creators still turn to outside strategists to go deeper on the technical side.

When a viewer clicks on a YouTube video, watches it through, shares it or leaves a comment, YouTube registers that as a positive signal of interest. Videos that consistently generate those responses get surfaced more broadly and pushed onto the homepage, into recommendations and in front of new audiences.

Joos said his expertise sits specifically in retention, understanding not just whether a video performs, but exactly when viewers stop watching and why.

YouTube Studio, the backend dashboard that gives creators detailed statistics on their content, includes a retention chart that tracks audience drop-off. YouTube strategists use that data to inform everything from pacing decisions to keeping the viewer engaged until the end of the video.

Gabriel Leblanc-Picard, co-founder of Upload Strategy and the former head of ideation for MrBeast, said simplicity is the most reliable formula for success on the platform.

“Dim it down to like, if a 6-year-old could understand it,” he said. “People don’t want to watch something that is complicated, even the language that you use.”

During his time at MrBeast, Leblanc-Picard said he filtered through roughly 10,000 ideas, constantly looking for concepts that could expand the channel’s audience. One challenge he was given: Attract more female viewers to a channel whose fanbase he described as mostly “11-year-old boys.”

His answer was to develop a video about being stranded in the woods with an ex-girlfriend.

A video titled “Survive 30 Days Stranded With Your Ex, Win $250,000” was posted in March and has already surpassed 120 million views.

“At the end of the day, you’re making content for people,” Leblanc-Picard said. “The algorithm will reward what people want to watch.”

CNBC

SOCIAL MEDIA

Has the war made Iran stronger?

The war was meant to weaken Iran. Nearly four months after the war began, it may have done the opposite. Instead of regime change or nuclear rollback, analysts say Tehran has emerged more militarised, more risk-tolerant and still firmly in control of its strategic programme, according to The New York Times.

The key question is whether the United States and Israel have achieved their stated objectives in Iran — including regime change, dismantling its nuclear programme and curbing its regional influence.

The outcome is increasingly disputed, with Iran appearing to have survived the conflict in a more hardened form, without major strategic concessions but having adapted under sustained pressure.

Has there been regime change in Iran?

Yes — but not in the way Washington or Israel expected.

Iran’s leadership structure has shifted significantly after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the early phase of the war, according to the report. A younger, more hardline and security-driven leadership has emerged, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) playing a far stronger role in governance.

Iran is now led by “a younger, more brazen generation in power,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.

Aaron David Miller, a former US diplomat at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described the change as “a transition from divine power to hard power.”

Analysts cited in the report describe the system as “Islamic Republic 3.0” — a structure that is “less a theocracy and more a military junta dominated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.”

Has Iran been weakened militarily or strategically?

Not decisively.

While Iran has absorbed sustained military strikes and economic pressure, it has retained key elements of its nuclear infrastructure and technical knowledge.

US–Iran talks: Can a deal secure Gulf interests this time?

The report notes Iran still holds the capability to move toward nuclear “threshold status” — meaning it could develop a weapon if it chooses, without necessarily building one.

Regionally, Iran continues to exercise influence through allied groups including Hezbollah, Hamas and Al Houthi militants.

What has changed inside Iran after the war?

Analysts say the most important shift is internal consolidation of power.

The IRGC is now seen as the dominant force in decision-making across security, foreign policy and parts of governance.

Iran’s external behaviour has also shifted. The New York Times reports that, for the first time in this phase of the conflict, Iran directly launched attacks against Israel rather than relying solely on proxy groups — a sign of increased risk tolerance.

As one analyst quoted in the report said, this reflects a shift from caution under earlier leadership to a more assertive posture under the current structure.

Has Iran become more aggressive externally?

Yes, according to the analysis.

Iran is also linking different theatres — including Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz — to its negotiating position with the United States.

Danny Citrinowicz, a retired Israeli military intelligence officer specialising in Iran, said Tehran’s leverage remains central to its deterrence strategy.

He warned that Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz gives it a “card to prevent Israel and the United States from attacking again.”

He added: “A war meant to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons may have instead pushed it past a point of no return.”

What is Iran seeking in negotiations?

Iran is pushing for a limited nuclear understanding rather than full dismantlement.

According to the report, a possible framework includes temporary suspension of enrichment, export or dilution of part of its enriched uranium stockpile, and retention of nuclear infrastructure and knowledge.

Iran is also seeking sanctions relief and access to frozen assets, reportedly around $12 billion upfront with a second tranche linked to compliance.

Does Iran still have leverage?

Yes — significantly.

Analysts say Iran retains two key bargaining tools: Its nuclear know-how and enrichment capability, and its ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The New York Times notes Iran’s economy is “in tatters” and could face renewed internal pressure once the war ends. However, analysts say Tehran believes Washington is under greater urgency to secure a deal and has therefore resisted major concessions.

Sanam Vakil said Iran’s long-term goals include deterring future attacks, dividing Gulf Arab positions, weakening Arab-Israeli alignment, and reducing US military presence in the region.

“The risk,” she said, “is that Iran will overplay its hand and miscalculate, as it has in the past.”

What is the biggest risk going forward?

Miscalculation.

Even if an early agreement is reached, analysts say deeper disputes are unlikely to be resolved, with nuclear negotiations likely to remain partial and incomplete.

“So we’re likely to be in a limbo state for a long time, which is to Iran’s advantage,” said Suzanne Maloney, an Iran specialist at the Brookings Institution.

She described the emerging situation as “no war, no peace,” adding that it keeps pressure on Washington while sustaining Iran’s leverage over energy markets and the Strait of Hormuz.

“The risk,” she warned, “is that Iran will overplay its hand and miscalculate, as it has in the past.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

Yemen’s ‘Spider-Man’ dies after fall into volcanic crater

A Yemeni adventurer known to thousands of social media followers as the “Spider-Man of Yemen” has died after falling into a volcanic crater while attempting a rope-free climb, authorities said.

Al Qa’qa’ bin Antar, 30, was scaling the steep walls of the Haradhat Damt volcanic crater in Al Dhale province last Friday when he lost his grip and fell, according to local officials and media reports. The crater is estimated to be around 120 metres deep.

Bin Antar had built a large online following through videos documenting his daring ascents of cliffs, mountains and volcanic formations across Yemen, often climbing without ropes, harnesses or other protective equipment. His exploits earned him widespread recognition and the nickname “Spider-Man of Yemen”.

Civil Defence teams recovered his body on Saturday following a complex rescue operation that lasted nearly 24 hours. Rescue crews reportedly faced difficult conditions, including steep terrain, limited access to the site and hazardous conditions inside the crater.

Local media said specialist rescue teams, supported by lighting and water-recovery equipment, were deployed to reach the remote location.

The climber, also known as Antar Al Absi, had become one of Yemen’s most recognisable adventure content creators, attracting viewers with footage of high-risk climbs and explorations of some of the country’s most rugged landscapes. In some videos, he could be seen scaling near-vertical rock faces and descending into volcanic formations without safety gear.

His death prompted an outpouring of tributes on social media, where followers praised his courage and passion for adventure while expressing sorrow at the circumstances of his death.

Videos circulating online appear to show the final moments before the fall, although authorities have not publicly commented on the footage.

SOCIAL MEDIA

F1 Star Meets Kanye West’s Kids

Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian’s growing relationship is back in the spotlight, and this time the focus is not only on the couple’s public displays of affection but also on the Formula One star’s developing bond with Kardashian’s four children.

Lewis Hamilton’s Bond With Kim Kardashian’s Children In The Spotlight After Monaco Grand Prix

The seven-time world champion recently sparked excitement among fans during the Monaco Grand Prix when he blew a kiss toward Kardashian after securing a second-place finish for Ferrari. Kardashian, who was watching from the paddock, was seen smiling and filming the moment on her phone as Hamilton celebrated on the podium.

While the romantic gesture quickly gained traction online, insiders say the relationship has become more serious away from the cameras, particularly because Hamilton has already spent time getting to know Kardashian’s children.

Has Lewis Hamilton Met Kim Kardashian’s Children?

According to reports, Hamilton recently joined Kardashian and her four children – North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm – on a trip to Tokyo, a move that signalled a new stage in the couple’s relationship. Sources close to Kardashian said the reality star is typically cautious about introducing new partners to her children and only does so when she feels a high level of trust and confidence in the relationship.

That trust appears to be growing. People familiar with the situation say Kardashian has been pleased with the way Hamilton interacts with her children, viewing the British racing icon as a positive influence in their lives. The fact that the children have already spent time with him has fueled speculation that the relationship is becoming increasingly serious.

Kim Kardashian’s net worth is approximately $1.9 billion (£1.4 billion), while Lewis Hamilton’s net worth is estimated between $300 million (£225 million) and $450 million (£338 million).

Lewis Hamilton’s Bond With Kim Kardashian’s Children In The Spotlight After Monaco Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton blowing a kiss to his girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, from the podium in Monaco 🫶🫶 pic.twitter.com/Vvtf62Ip8e

— Abby baby 🦋🇧🇷🇦🇷🇪🇸 (@_babygirlabby) June 8, 2026

Has Lewis Hamilton Met Kim Kardashian’s Children?

A post shared by instagram

Hamilton, who has largely kept his personal life private throughout his Formula One career, recently broke his silence about Kardashian while speaking after the Monaco Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver described it as ‘amazing’ to have her support during the race weekend and praised the people around him for helping him stay focused throughout the season.

Monaco Appearance And A New Phase Of Public Attention

The Monaco race marked Kardashian’s first appearance at a Formula One event since romance rumours began circulating earlier this year. The couple first sparked dating speculation in February after being spotted together in Paris before later making their relationship public through social media posts and joint appearances.

Kardashian’s presence at Monaco attracted attention from fans and media alike. She was photographed throughout the weekend in the Ferrari garage and paddock area, supporting Hamilton as he battled for a podium finish. The race ended with Hamilton taking second place, giving Ferrari another strong result during the 2026 season.

However, many observers believe the most notable development is not the couple’s public appearances but Hamilton’s growing connection with Kardashian’s family. For Kardashian, who shares her children with former husband Kanye West, introducing a partner to her children has historically been a significant milestone.

With Hamilton already spending time with the youngsters and earning Kardashian’s trust, fans are increasingly wondering whether the relationship could become one of the more serious romances either star has experienced in recent years.

For now, neither Hamilton nor Kardashian has publicly discussed his relationship with the children. Still, the combination of family trips, public support at races and increasingly frequent appearances together suggests their relationship is continuing to move forward both on and off the track.

IBT