The internet remains a goldmine of undiscovered talent.
Fortunately, for this collection of singers, dancers, and performers, they not only got
discovered, but they also made some money in the process.
Here's how much these viral stars are worth today.
Danielle Bregoli
It didn't take Danielle Bregoli long to capitalize on her viral fame.
After appearing on Dr. Phil in 2016, the confrontational 13-year-old's proposition to the audience
spread like wildfire online.
"Cash me outside, how 'bout dat."
Bregoli and her team began selling a line of merchandise with the catchphrase on it.
The following year, she took the logical next step and became a rapper.
Under the name Bhad Bhabie, she became the youngest female to debut on the Billboard
Hot 100.
She then landed a recording deal with Atlantic Records and began charging $30,000 minimum
for appearances.
While Bregoli doesn't know exactly how much she's worth, she told Hollywood Life in June
2017 that it's:
"Definitely over a million so far."
Now, with a reported $900,000 makeup endorsement deal, she should be worth around $2 million.
How 'bout dat?
Backpack Kid
Russell "Backpack Kid" Horning was already well on his way to social media fame before
most of the world caught on.
But it wasn't until he performed his famous dance, "The Floss," and donned his iconic
backpack on Saturday Night Live alongside Katy Perry that people outside of his social
media followers knew about Backpack Kid.
After that performance, Horning's dancing has generated him countless public appearances
and perks.
The early days of Horning's fame led to merchandising opportunities, but his team is thinking bigger
now.
In late 2018, Backpack Kid dropped the single and music video, "Drip on Boat."
He's also taken on numerous commercials and paid appearances.
While his exact net worth is unknown, Horning's manager has mentioned that he earns approximately
10-20 thousand dollars on his deals with brands like Xfinity and Holo.
Antoine Dodson
In 2010, it was impossible to miss Antoine Dodson's local news interview or the Auto-Tune
remix created by the Gregory Brothers called "Bed Intruder."
"Y'all need to hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husbands."
Dodson initially wasn't too happy with the remix because he thought it was making fun
of his family.
But he changed his mind when the Gregory Brothers approached him about monetizing the song.
Dodson and the Gregory Brothers agreed to split the proceeds 50-50, and then the song
went platinum.
According to some estimates, self-made MP3s earn approximately 57% on the dollar on iTunes.
That means if "Bed Intruder" really sold more than one million units, it made as much as
$570,000 total.
So at Dodson's 50% cut, it's possible that he made as much as $285,000.
Shortly after he shot to internet fame, Dodson told Us Weekly that he was able to buy his
family a new house, go back to school, and plan on starting a business.
However, by 2014, he unsuccessfully attempted to crowdfund his second act, which was just
internet videos about his life called "The Antoine Dodson Experience."
Rebecca Black
Unfortunately, many viral stars reach great heights by way of mockery.
That's how it went in 2011 for Rebecca Black, the young singer behind the much-maligned
"Friday."
The heavily Autotuned song and cheesy video weren't meant to be jokes, but they were ridiculed.
But then came the talk that Black became a millionaire from the song.
Could that really be true?
It turns out, not quite, or at least, not immediately.
According to Billboard, she made close to $25,000 over the course of a week.
Depending on her agreements with YouTube, she could've made even more from all the views
she racked up.
In 2011, Rolling Stone estimated that she made more than $50,000 off the song overall.
In the years since "Friday," Black's career has continued onward, and her earnings have
accumulated.
She has released several more singles and music videos, and in 2018, she appeared on
season 2 of The Four: Battle for Stardom.
With all her royalties from iTunes and YouTube, her net worth is now estimated at over $1
million.
William Hung
It didn't matter that William Hung couldn't sing well, because his viral appearance on
American Idol was enough to pave the way for him to become a star.
"You know, I have no professional training of singing or dancing, so…”
"No!
Well there's the surprise of the century."
After appearing on American Idol, Hung booked countless interviews and talk shows.
His debut album, Inspiration, landed in the Top 50 on the Billboard charts, selling more
than 200,000 units.
While his two follow-up albums only sold a fraction of that, his nearly 250,000 in total
album sales made him some good money.
Without knowing the structure of Hung's recording contract, it's difficult to say how much he's
made in total.
Still, we know that he received a $25,000 advance for the first record.
Then, when royalty estimates are factored in, he's likely made between $75,000 and $250,000
in his music career.
And that's not even considering the commercials, TV spots, and other paid gigs.
"The choice is yours.
So choose to become a champion and change your destiny starting today!
Thank you."
Rosie and Sophia Grace
After Rosie McClelland and Sophia Grace Brownlee went adorably viral by singing Nicki Minaj's
"Super Bass," Ellen DeGeneres basically turned them into superstars.
From there, they landed TV roles, published a bestselling book, and starred in their very
own movie, Sophia Grace & Rosie's Royal Adventure, which secured Sophia Grace $50,000 while Rosie's
compensation wasn't disclosed
As their spotlight dimmed, the two girls started doing their own thing.
Sophia Grace, the more vocal of the pair, started a solo singing career, releasing several
singles, an EP, and a studio album.
Both girls run popular and successful YouTube channels as well.
Rosie's posts a little bit of everything and has likely earned her somewhere in the neighborhood
of $60,000.
Meanwhile, Sophia Grace boasts more than 3.2 million subscribers with lifetime views over
732 million.
At the average rate of $1 per 1000 views, that's more than $732,000!
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