Destiny, whose real name is Steven Bonnell II, is an American Twitch streamer, YouTuber, podcaster and internet personality. With over 1.1 million followers on Twitch and thousands of paying subscribers, Destiny has built a lucrative career by streaming full-time since 2015.
But how exactly does a popular Twitch broadcaster like Destiny earn such a sizable income? In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll break down Destiny‘s various revenue sources and estimate just how much he makes as one of Twitch‘s top creators.
An Overview of Destiny‘s Income Sources
Destiny‘s total annual income likely ranges from $500,000 to over $1 million per year. This comes from several streams:
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Twitch subscriptions – The bulk of Destiny‘s earnings comes from thousands of paid monthly subscribers on Twitch. Top streamers get around $2.50 for every $4.99 subscription.
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Viewer donations – Fans can donate directly to Destiny during his live streams, with some tipping up to hundreds or thousands per month.
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YouTube ad revenue – Destiny also earns a cut of the ad money from his popular YouTube channel.
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Sponsorships and brand deals – Being a major influencer opens opportunities for big sponsorship deals with various companies.
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Merchandise sales – Destiny profits from his own line of t-shirts, hoodies and other merch.
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Affiliate marketing – He promotes relevant products and earns commissions when followers purchase through his affiliate links.
Next we‘ll dig into the estimated earnings from each of these income streams.
Twitch Subscriptions: $30,000 – $90,000 Per Year
The bulk of Destiny‘s earnings – likely 50-70% – comes directly from his loyal subscribers on Twitch.
As a Twitch Partner, Destiny gets to keep approximately $2.50 out of every $4.99 monthly subscription to his channel. Twitch takes the rest.
Destiny averages between 1,000 – 3,000 paid subscribers per month. At an average of 2,000 subs, multiplied by $2.50 per sub, this adds up to $5,000 per month or $60,000 per year from subs alone.
But Destiny likely earns even more from big sub spikes during special events and promotions. For example, in March 2022 he gained over 16,000 new subscribers during a single charity stream, boosting his sub count well above 3,000 for that month.
At his peak of 3,000 paid subs, Destiny would earn approximately $7,500 per month or $90,000 per year from Twitch subscriptions.
In reality, his annual sub earnings likely fall between $30,000 – $90,000 depending on the month. This makes subscriptions his single biggest source of income.
Viewer Donations: $5,000+ Per Month
Along with subs, Destiny also earns direct donations from fans during his Twitch streams.
Viewers can tip anywhere from a couple dollars up to hundreds or thousands for a single donation. The amounts are displayed on screen when they come in.
Based on his donation volume, Destiny likely earns a minimum of $5,000 per month from fan tips. Some months could be far higher depending on large donations.
Donations provide a nice boost on top of his subscription revenue from his most dedicated supporters.
YouTube Ad Revenue: $3,000 – $12,000 Per Month
In addition to Twitch, Destiny also has a popular YouTube channel with over 330,000 subscribers.
His YouTube videos regularly get hundreds of thousands of views or more. Just in the last 30 days, Destiny‘s YouTube channel has gained over 5 million views.
The ad revenue Destiny earns on YouTube varies based on factors like:
- CPM (cost per thousand views) rates, which range from $1 – $10+
- YouTube‘s 45% revenue share
- Whether his videos are fully monetized or demonetized
Top gaming channels on YouTube earn around $3 – $5 per 1,000 video views on average.
At an estimated 3 million views per month, Destiny likely earns around $9,000 – $15,000 per month from YouTube ads. This adds up to $108,000 – $180,000 per year in revenue.
So YouTube provides a nice side income for Destiny on top of his Twitch streaming.
Sponsorships and Brand Deals: $5,000+ Per Deal
Being a major influencer opens up paid sponsorship opportunities for Destiny to promote brands.
Companies will pay Destiny anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000+ for a sponsored Twitch stream, YouTube video, social media promo or other endorsement.
For example, Destiny has had past sponsorships with gaming gear companies like Displate and G Fuel Energy.
The frequency of these deals depends on how much Destiny chooses to pursue them. An average of 2-4 big brand deals per year at $10,000+ a pop provides 6-figure earning potential.
Sponsorships are a lucrative way top streamers like Destiny can monetize their audience outside of platform subscriptions and donations.
Merchandise Sales: $10,000+ in Profit Per Year
Along with digital income streams, Destiny also earns money from merchandise sales through his official online store.
Destiny‘s store offers various apparel and accessories like t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases and mugs printed with his branding and channel art.
Profit margins on merchandise are typically 30-50% after manufacturing, fulfillment and marketplace fees.
Given Destiny‘s large fanbase, he likely moves a decent volume of merch. An estimate of $10,000+ per year in profits is reasonable based on 500+ units sold.
This provides a diversified physical product revenue stream beyond just his content.
Affiliate Marketing: $1,000+ Per Month
The last monetization method Destiny uses is affiliate links to relevant products.
Destiny promotes useful equipment and software for streamers that his followers may be interested in buying.
When fans make a purchase through his affiliate link, the retailer pays Destiny a small commission – usually 4-10% of the sale amount.
Considering Destiny‘s large audience and high conversion rate, he likely earns at least $1,000 per month through various affiliate partnerships.
So affiliate commissions provide incremental revenue from products Destiny is recommending anyway.
Total Annual Income Estimate: $500,000 – $1 Million+
Adding up all the earnings estimates above, here‘s a breakdown of Destiny‘s total annual income:
- Twitch Subscriptions: $30,000 – $90,000
- Donations: $60,000+
- YouTube Ad Revenue: $108,000 – $180,000
- Sponsorships/Brand Deals: $30,000+
- Merchandise Sales: $10,000+
- Affiliate Commissions: $12,000+
That‘s an estimated total annual income between $500,000 – $1 million+ when combined.
The numbers illustrate how Destiny can earn a comfortable living from content creation by diversifying income sources.
The Future Looks Bright for Destiny‘s Earning Potential
So in summary, Destiny brings in anywhere from half a million to over 7 figures annually through his streaming career and associated business ventures.
And with over 1 million loyal followers on Twitch and a growing presence on YouTube, the future continues to look bright in terms of Destiny‘s earning potential.
As he keeps creating engaging content and expanding his reach, Destiny can leverage his influence to pursue additional high-paying opportunities:
- Paid community – Providing exclusive content or access for paying members
- Book deal – Publishing a book or guide based on his life and career
- Public appearances/speaking gigs – Getting booked for events and conventions
- Investing in other creators – Mentoring and collaborating with up-and-coming streamers
By continuing to build his personal brand as an elite Twitch streamer and capitalizing on his popularity, Destiny is poised to see his income scale up over the long run.
