Tyler Oakley
Born 1989 · Age 36
American YouTuber, actor, activist, author, television personality and Twitch streamer known for LGBTQ+ advocacy, fundraising for The Trevor Project, podcasting, a bestselling memoir (Binge) and hosting/appearing on numerous digital and TV projects.
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Life & Career Timeline
Parents divorced (infant)
His parents divorced when he was an infant; mentioned as an early childhood family event.
Moved to Okemos; joined choir & drama
Around sixth grade Oakley moved to Okemos and became involved in choir and drama.
Struggled with bulimia nervosa (teen years)
As a teenager Oakley experienced bulimia nervosa; an important personal health challenge he has discussed publicly.
Came out as gay in high school
Oakley publicly notes that he came out while in high school, a formative personal milestone.
Uploaded first YouTube video (started channel)
While a freshman at Michigan State University Oakley uploaded his first YouTube video, beginning his career as a YouTuber.
Interned at The Trevor Project
Oakley interned with The Trevor Project (LGBTQ youth crisis/suicide prevention) while in college.
Graduated from Michigan State University (BA)
Oakley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in communication, marketing and social media from Michigan State University.
Began co-hosting TrevorLIVE (annual gala) with The Trevor Project
Starting in 2011, Oakley has co-hosted TrevorLIVE, The Trevor Project's annual red-carpet fundraising event.
YouTube milestone: 100k subscribers (Creator Award)
Reached the YouTube Partner Creator milestone of 100,000 subscribers (Silver Creator Award dated 2011).
Won Queerties (YouTube Idol & LOL Of The Year)
Oakley won multiple Queerties awards in 2012, including YouTube Idol and LOL Of The Year.
YouTube milestone: 1,000,000 subscribers (Creator Award)
Awarded the YouTube Gold Play Button for reaching 1,000,000 subscribers (creator award noted 2013).
Birthday fundraising: raised $29,000 for The Trevor Project
Oakley ran a birthday fundraiser in 2013 aiming for $24,000 (his 24th birthday) and raised $29,000 for The Trevor Project.
Hosted YouTube-related events & award show appearances (ongoing era)
Across the 2013–2016 period Oakley hosted various red carpets and award events such as Grammy red carpet, Vanity Fair Oscar Party interviews, Kids' Choice Awards, and hosted (or co-hosted) the Streamy Awards.
Co-hosted 'Top That!' for PopSugar
From March to October 2013 Oakley co-hosted the weekly pop-culture update 'Top That!' with Becca Frucht for PopSugar.
Voice role on 'The Most Popular Girls in School'
From 2013–2014 Oakley performed the voice of Mr. McNeely in five episodes of the web series 'The Most Popular Girls in School.'
Multiple nominations across Webby, Shorty, Teen Choice & other awards
During 2014 Oakley received many nominations across Webby, Shorty, Teen Choice and other ceremonies recognizing digital and activism work.
Participated in DigiTour US Summer 2014
Oakley joined DigiTour's 2014 US Summer tour of YouTube and Vine personalities performing live for fans.
Appeared with and interviewed major celebrities; high-profile influencer interactions
Oakley received attention/interactions from celebrities (One Direction, Chris Colfer) and shared stage moments (e.g., sang with One Direction), increasing his mainstream visibility.
Streamy Awards: Entertainer of the Year & Activist Icon of the Year (won)
Oakley won both Entertainer of the Year and Activist Icon of the Year at the 2014 Streamy Awards.
Launched 'Psychobabble' podcast with Korey Kuhl
Oakley and his best friend Korey Kuhl launched the Psychobabble podcast in 2014; it later reached #1 on iTunes and exceeded 400 episodes by 2022.
Raised $525,704 for The Trevor Project (birthday campaign)
In a 2014 birthday fundraising event Oakley raised $525,704 for The Trevor Project.
Hosted MTV Fandom Awards & red-carpet hosting gigs
Oakley hosted the MTV Fandom Awards (2014) and conducted multiple red-carpet hosting appearances including Kids' Choice Awards and other events.
Featured in FRONTLINE documentary 'Generation Like'
Oakley was featured in PBS FRONTLINE's 'Generation Like', an investigative report on teenagers and social media.
Met President Obama and advised on digital youth outreach
Oakley was among YouTubers who met with President Obama and White House advisors to discuss reaching youth via digital platforms.
Video with First Lady Michelle Obama about education
Oakley did a video with First Lady Michelle Obama addressing education issues.
Launched 'Tyler Oakley's Slumber Party' live tour (sold out early shows)
In October 2014 Oakley premiered his 'Slumber Party' live tour; initial Chicago and Royal Oak shows sold out in 72 hours. He later expanded the tour with more dates (eventually to ~30 stops).
Received GLAAD Davidson/Valentini Award
Oakley was honored with the GLAAD Davidson/Valentini Award in 2015 for his LGBTQ advocacy.
Binge reached New York Times Bestseller List (11 consecutive weeks)
Binge appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list and remained there for 11 consecutive weeks according to speaker materials.
Raised $532,224 for The Trevor Project (2015 birthday campaign)
In 2015 Oakley's birthday fundraiser raised $532,224 for The Trevor Project.
Cumulative fundraising milestone: raised over $1M for The Trevor Project
By mid-2010s Oakley's ongoing birthday/online fundraisers cumulatively raised over $1 million for The Trevor Project (aggregate of multiple campaigns across years).
Launched Prizeo fundraising campaign (aim $500,000)
Oakley launched a Prizeo campaign on Feb 11, 2015 aimed at raising $500,000 for The Trevor Project.
Named one of TIME's '30 Most Influential People on the Internet'
Time magazine listed Oakley among the 30 Most Influential People on the Internet (March 5, 2015).
Published memoir 'Binge' (Simon & Schuster)
Oakley released his first collection of humorous personal essays, Binge, published by Simon & Schuster (Oct 20, 2015).
Appeared on Escape the Night Season 2 as 'The Thespian'
Oakley appeared on YouTube Premium's Escape the Night as a recurring character ('The Thespian') in Season 2 (10 episodes).
Named to The Hollywood Reporter's 'Top 25 Digital Stars' & Variety 'Famechangers'
Industry recognition continued into 2016 with inclusion in The Hollywood Reporter's and Variety's lists of top digital influencers.
Competed on The Amazing Race Season 28 (3rd place)
Oakley and best friend Korey Kuhl competed on The Amazing Race season 28 (aired 2016) and finished in 3rd place.
Recognized in multiple industry lists (THR, Variety, Hollywood Reporter)
Oakley was included in outlets' lists of top digital stars and 'Famechangers' in 2016 (Hollywood Reporter, Variety rankings).
Launched 'The Tyler Oakley Show' on ellentube (Ellen DeGeneres' platform)
Oakley began hosting The Tyler Oakley Show, a weekly show on Ellen DeGeneres' ellentube platform; reported launch Sept 21, 2016.
Named to Forbes '30 Under 30'
Oakley was named to the 2017 Forbes '30 Under 30' list.
Won 2018 Streamy Legacy Award & HRC Visibility Award (recognitions cited)
Oakley earned legacy/visibility recognitions in 2018 from Streamy Awards and HRC (multiple honors listed for 2018).
Appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 10, Ep.10)
Oakley appeared on an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race (season 10, episode 10) and participated in a makeover challenge with Monét X Change.
Documentary 'SNERVOUS' referenced in speaker materials
Harry Walker and other speaker/bio materials reference Oakley's documentary 'SNERVOUS' being released (exact public release date not provided in supplied text).
Competed on The Amazing Race All-Stars (Season 31) — 2nd place
Oakley and Korey returned to The Amazing Race (season 31), which began airing April 17, 2019; they finished in 2nd place.
Shift to Twitch streaming and sporadic uploads
After announcing a YouTube hiatus in Dec 2020 Oakley became more active on Twitch and uploaded more sporadically on YouTube.
Announced indefinite break from YouTube
On Dec 16, 2020 Oakley announced he was taking an indefinite hiatus from making YouTube videos after 13 years.
Psychobabble reached 400+ episodes (as of 2022)
Psychobabble had produced over 400 episodes by 2022 since its 2014 launch.
YouTube channel stats reported: ~6.82M subs & ~682–683M views
Wikipedia snapshot (May 1, 2023) reported TylerOakley channel had ~6.82 million subscribers and ~682–683 million views; channel peak reportedly exceeded 8M subscribers at an earlier time.
Net worth estimate reported (~USD 8M)
An online profile (Mabumbe, Dec 11, 2024) estimated Oakley's net worth at approximately $8 million (includes income streams: ads, books, speaking, partnerships).
Speaker bureau metrics & touring/speaking résumé (Harry Walker Agency profile)
Harry Walker Agency profile (undated on page; site content current) highlights 7.5M+ YouTube subscribers historically, 23M+ across social platforms, NYT bestseller status, raised over $1M+ for Trevor Project, international 30-stop Slumber Party tour and documentary 'SNERVOUS'.
Key Achievement Ages
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