What is James Charles’ Net Worth?
James Charles is an American makeup artist, model, and internet personality with a net worth of $22 million. He was born on May 23, 1999, in Bethlehem, New York, and gained fame for his YouTube channel, which focuses on makeup and beauty. In 2016, he made history by becoming the first male ambassador for CoverGirl. Charles is openly gay, and his success has made him a role model for many aspiring makeup artists.
James Charles: Beauty Influencer and Entrepreneur
James Charles launched his YouTube channel on December 1, 2015, with a focus on beauty and makeup. As of January 2020, his channel has over 1.8 billion views, more than 250 videos, and over 16.7 million subscribers. In 2018, he won the Best Channel Award in the Beauty category at the 8th Streamy Awards. He is also popular on Instagram with over 16.3 million followers, whom he refers to as “sisters.”
Charles has been able to translate his online popularity into lucrative deals. In 2016, he was named the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl, where he worked alongside pop star Katy Perry. He is also the face of the brand So Lashy! By BlastPro Mascara. An accomplished makeup artist, Charles did the makeup for rapper Iggy Azalea’s music video for the song “Sally Walker” in March 2019.
In 2018, Charles released an eyeshadow palette in collaboration with Morphe Cosmetics. The “Morphe x James Charles” palette has 39 shades and retails for $39. At its initial drop on November 14, 2018, the palette sold out fully in Europe in less than 6 minutes. In January 2019, over 7000 fans showed up to see him at Morphe Cosmetics’ second UK store opening in Birmingham, England, disrupting traffic and bringing the city center to a standstill.
Charles has also ventured into modeling, walking on the runway for fashion brand MarcoMarco’s “Six ½” collection during Los Angeles Fashion Week in 2017. In 2019, he was the first Instagram influencer to be invited to The Met Gala.
Feud with Jeffree Star leads to Sisters Apparel being taken offline
James Charles, founder of Sisters Apparel, initially partnered with Jeffree Star’s Killer Merch fulfillment services to power his clothing line. However, the partnership came to an end after the two got into a feud. As a result, Sisters Apparel was taken offline in May 2019.
Fortunately, the company was relaunched a month later with a new distributor, allowing James to continue growing his brand and expanding his net worth.
Controversies
Charles has been involved in several controversies. In February 2017, he tweeted a joke about Africa and the Ebola virus that many found offensive. In April 2019, he made transphobic comments about trans men and later apologized. However, the most well-known controversy is his feud with former mentor Tati Westbrook, who accused him of disloyalty and manipulating people’s sexuality in a 43-minute long YouTube video titled “BYE SISTER…”. Charles lost over 1 million subscribers in less than 24 hours and posted an apology video, “tati”, which reached over 33 million views. He later posted a 41-minute video, “No More Lies”, addressing every claim made by Westbrook and regained a million subscribers.
James Charles’ Potential Earnings Reach $5 Million Annually
Although James Charles has not made it to our annual list of the top 10 highest paid YouTube stars, he has the potential to earn at least $5 million per year from his channel views alone, before taxes. In addition to his YouTube channel, Charles also earns income from paid Instagram posts, personal appearances, merchandise sales, and endorsement deals with companies such as Covergirl and Morphe Cosmetics. These sources of income bring in significant sums each month.
James Charles Buys $7 Million Home in Encino, California
In February 2020, YouTuber James Charles purchased a brand new home in Encino, California for $7 million. The 10,000 square-foot mansion boasts six bedrooms and is located on the same block as fellow YouTuber Logan Paul’s $6.6 million home. Prior to purchasing the home, Charles was paying $15,000 per month to rent a nearby mansion.
