Net Worth Ranker
What Is Good Mythical Morning (Rhett & Link) Net Worth?
Rhett McLaughlin, one half of the celebrated YouTube duo Rhett & Link, boasts a net worth of approximately $20 million as of 2024. This substantial wealth is primarily attributed to his success as a YouTube personality, comedian, and actor. His primary contribution lies in co-founding and co-hosting the YouTube partnership Rhett & Link, a venture that has propelled him to the forefront of digital entertainment.
Rhett & Link’s Financial Success
Together with Link Neal, Rhett hosts several YouTube shows, with their flagship program, Good Mythical Morning, serving as a major revenue stream. The duo’s combined earnings reached $20 million in 2020 alone, solidifying their status among the highest-paid YouTubers globally. Their enterprise, Mythical Entertainment Co., employs around 100 individuals, reflecting the scale of their operation. Further augmenting their income is a fan club offering exclusive content for a monthly subscription fee ranging from $10 to $20.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Rhett McLaughlin was born in Macon, Georgia, in October 1977. His introduction to Link Neal occurred on the first day of first grade at Buies Creek Elementary School in 1984, marking the inception of a lifelong collaboration. The McLaughlin family had recently relocated to Buies Creek, North Carolina, from Macon, Georgia. Their initial meeting is chronicled in a song and documentary titled “Looking for Ms. Locklear.” As a consequence of writing swear words on their desks, both boys were confined to recess, which led to a bonding experience centered around drawing mythical creatures, an activity that later inspired the name of their YouTube show, “Good Mythical Morning.”
At age 14, Rhett and Link co-authored a screenplay called “Gutless Wonders” and embarked on a film adaptation, though the project remained unfinished after only a few scenes were filmed. The screenplay was later revisited and read during various episodes of “Good Mythical Morning.” During their high school years, the duo created a 25-minute parody of the story of Oedipus Rex, with Rhett portraying Oedipus and Link playing his father’s servant. The two were also members of a punk rock band known as The Wax Paper Dogz. At Harnett Central High School, Rhett established a record for the most 3-pointers scored in a single basketball season, totaling 77.
Rhett commenced his college education at North Carolina State University in 1996, where he shared a room with Link. He pursued a degree in civil engineering, graduating magna cum laude in December 2000. Subsequent to graduation, Rhett worked at Black & Veatch before transitioning to a full-time commitment to their YouTube channel.
Transition to Full-Time YouTube Careers
Rhett and Link transitioned from their engineering careers to focus primarily on their YouTube channel. Their venture led them to host “Good Mythical Morning”, where they sampled and reviewed various food items. They developed four YouTube channels, a podcast, and also authored two books.
Rhett’s personal YouTube channel featured their first viral video, “Wolfpack or Tarheels?” in 2006 (channel no longer active). The video captured Rhett’s then 3-year-old son, Locke McLaughlin, reacting to the NC State Wolfpack’s loss and their rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels. YouTube offered to feature the video on their homepage, Rhett and Link requested one of their songs be featured instead. Rhett and Link wanted to be known for comedic work, not a viral video. The video was removed, then re-uploaded to their channel.
YouTube Channel Growth and Content
Rhett and Link officially joined YouTube on September 18, 2008. By January 2020, their primary channel, Good Mythical Morning, had amassed over 6 billion views and more than 16 million subscribers. The channel is described as a platform where they “eat truly unbelievable things, explore surprising new products and trends, compete in original games with celebrity guests, implement serious experiments in hilarious ways, and more.”
Following exposure on YouTube’s homepage and the release of “The Facebook Song,” Rhett & Link increased their online presence. In September 2012, Rhett & Link recorded footage of themselves singing Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” during an eleven hour session. The video began on the Santa Monica Pier at 7:25 pm ET, and ended at 6:30 am on Mt. Wilson.
In early 2020, “Eating a Scorpion – Bug War Challenge,” had over 27 million views, “Amazing Game Show Cheaters,” also with over 27 million views and “World’s Hottest Pepper Challenge – Carolina Reaper” with over 26 million views. As of June 2019, their most-watched videos are “My OCD (Song)” with more than 49 million views, “Epic Rap Battle: Nerd vs. Geek” with over 44 million views, and “I’m On Vacation (Song)” with over 29 million views.
Television Ventures and Award Recognition
The duo hosted “Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings” on the Independent Film Channel, chronicling their creation of local commercials for small businesses. This ten-part series was inspired by their web series, I Love Local Commercials. In 2016, Rhett and Link received a Shorty Award for Best Web Series for Good Mythical Morning.
On February 22, 2019, it was announced that Rhett and Link acquired the Smosh brand (Smosh, Smosh Games, Smosh Pit & ElSmosh) following Defy Media’s liquidation. Ian Hecox, Smosh’s co-founder, stated that Mythical Entertainment would allow the channel creative autonomy and the launch of its own podcast, SmoshCast. The acquisition cost was approximately $10 million.
Personal Life and Family
Rhett married Jesse Lane on March 29, 2001. The couple has two sons, Locke and Shepherd. Rhett and his family reside in Los Angeles. In 2012, Rhett and Link delivered the commencement speech at their alma mater, where they performed a song and had the valedictorian smash a Charmander piñata.
Earnings and Financial Milestones
In 2019, Rhett and Link collectively earned $18 million from their diverse business. This achievement placed them as the fourth-highest earning YouTubers for the year. Their earnings increased to $20 million in 2020, demonstrating a continuous upward trend in their financial success. The consistent increase of the financial success has improved the Good Mythical Morning (Rhett & Link) net worth.
Real Estate Investments
In 2015, Rhett and his wife acquired a 3,214 square foot house in La Crescenta, a suburb of Los Angeles, for $1.425 million. Constructed in 1978, the house features dark hardwood flooring, a sunken family room, a formal dining room, a kitchen with granite countertops, a basketball court, a swimming pool, and a spa.
