If you’ve been following this blog for some time, it should already be apparent that muggin’ for the YouTube can be a very profitable venture indeed. But don’t take Yolanda’s word for it — just ask Forbes.
According to that publication, the top 10 highest-earning YouTube stars — also known as “influencers” — raked in a minimum of $14.5 million in 2018. (Unbelievably, the #1 cash cow on the list was a 7-year-old (!!!) named Ryan, a kid who hauled in a wild $22 million. Most of his peers are just learning arithmetic.)
Anywho. Another human who’s made beaucoup bucks on the Tube of You is 27-year-old Joey Graceffa. Though he didn’t rank on the top 10 earners list, Mr. Graceffa has obviously done quite well for himself — his new $4,450,000 Encino home is proof of that. But wait, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Born and bred in Marlborough, Massachusetts, Mr. Graceffa began uploading YouTube videos in 2007, as a teenage high school student. Keep in mind, y’all, this was many moons before “YouTube influencer” was known to be a viable career path.
Mr. Graceffa kept at the YouTube thing into adulthood, and has since been rewarded handsomely for his perseverance: he’s now got two YouTube channels: one dedicated to vlogging and the other to playing video games. He’s amassed a cumulative total of over 2.2 billion lifetime views on both, and his main channel sports approximately 9 million followers. Those are some fat numbers, kids.
In addition to his YouTube ventures, Mr. Graceffa has appeared on The Amazing Race. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author, a singer with his own original music, and has participated in film projects.
On the personal front, Mr. Graceffa is in a long-term relationship with another young man named Daniel Preda. The pair apparently cohabit together, so we assume they’ll shacking up in Mr. Graceffa’s pricey new Encino digs. Speaking of which…
Last August (2018), Mr. Graceffa laid out the full $4.45 million asking price for a “East Coast Traditional” manse. First listed in June 2017 as an unfinished home, Mr. Graceffa was in escrow on the property for over a year — presumably while construction was being completed. The San Fernando Valley property is located on a brand-new Encino street — actually, it’s more like a gated private driveway — shared with two other (similarly-sized) new homes.
All three new Encino mansions were built by developer Evan Gaskin, a fella who frequently pops up on that Million Dollar Listing TV show. And the two other homes next to Mr. Graceffa are still for sale — one is listed at just under $4 million and the other was asking $4.3 million before recently being yanked off the market (though still unsold). So if you’re a fan of Mr. Graceffa (and you’re in the market for a multi-million dollar LA mansion) you’re in luck.
The listing included no interior renderings and says only that the buyer has an “Opportunity to work with Gaskin Design to select finishes” for the new abode. But Mr. Graceffa has already posted an “empty house tour” on the YouTube, so it seems work is already done-done-done. And y’all can get an idea of the interiors from that — open-concept floorplan, wide-plank hardwood floors, etc. Per the listing, the .39-acre property includes a pool and spa. The home itself sports 5 beds and 5.5 baths in a roomy 6,383-square-feet of living space.
Before buying in Encino, Mr. Graceffa — and presumably Mr. Perda — shacked up in a Sherman Oaks “starter” house. Our boy coughed up $2.1 million for the new Traditional in early 2015.
The Sherman Oaks house has 5 beds and 6 baths in 4,140-square-feet of living space. Records show it quietly sold last January (2018) for $2,575,000 to a Netflix director and his wife.
Listing agent: Craig Knizek, The Agency
Joey Graceffa’s agent: Andrew Manning, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices