After a more than four-year hiatus, controversial YouTube personality PewDiePie is returning to social media — only this time, it’s on Facebook.
The 31-year-old Swedish entrepreneur boasts more than 8 million followers on his official Facebook page, despite his most recent video post on the platform dating back to October 2016. PewDiePie has now teamed up with video distribution company Jellysmack to revive his presence on the platform, Variety reported.
“We’re honored that PewDiePie has entrusted his massive fanbase to Jellysmack and we’re excited to show him how we can turn Facebook into a true brand asset for him without adding work to his plate,” Jellysmack CEO Michael Philippe said in a statement about the pair’s exclusive deal. “In this multiplatform video ecosystem, there are a lot of opportunities for creators to monetize their content, and our mission is to help them grow their audience and unlock their potential on each one.”
Currently PewDiePie (whose real name is Felix Kjellberg) boasts the title of most-subscribed individual YouTuber, with over 26 billion views to date and a current subscriber count of more than 108 million.
Jellysmack — which reportedly has the third-largest number of unique social media viewers in the US after Disney and ViacomCBS — will be working with the gamer to increase his followings on other platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter in addition to Facebook.
Over the years, the internet star has been the subject of a number of controversies. In 2017, he received backlash and apologized for a series of anti-Semitic jokes, only to then go on a tirade. In response, Disney dropped the then-27-year-old, despite having reportedly already inked a multimillion-dollar deal with him.
More recently, PewDiePie and vlogger wife Marzia Kjellberg’s home was ransacked by burglars who stole the vast majority of the couple’s pricier possessions.
“Our house was broken into and they took 90% of my valuables, from my jewelry, to luxury goods, and special items I’ve been collecting over the years. It’s all gone,” Kjellberg wrote in an Instagram story at the time.