DJ Vlad, whose real name is Vlad Lyubovny, is a Russian-born journalist, director, and former disc jockey. His djvlad YouTube channel is where he interviews a wide range of musicians and celebrities. VladTV.com is also run by him. As of 2023, DJ Vlad has an estimated net worth of $8 million.
Background
Lyubovny was born on June 28, 1973, in Kyiv, Ukraine. He was raised by a Russian-Jewish family that moved to the United States when he was five years old.
Before moving to San Mateo, California, they resided in Massachusetts for a while. During his youth there, Vlad was intrigued by the culture of hip hop. In those days, he started producing beats.
He pursued higher education in the University of California – Berkeley. He graduated there with a degree in Computer Science, which would help him build wealth even before getting famous.
Early Career
Right after he graduated, Vlad was able to acquire a high-paying job since the dot-com bubble was in full bloom. He went on to work for a number of companies, including Intel, Autodesk, and Sun Microsystems.
After years of working as a software engineer, he founded his own company, GigaStaff. Despite making a good living, Vlad was more drawn towards other things. Thus, he turned his attention to music and films.
As a director, he worked on productions like the television series American Gangster. As DJ Vlad, he began creating music, which he would then publish on his website. It was in New York City where he became a full-fledged DJ.
Vlad TV
Vlad later stopped making beats full-time after realizing he would not be popular with it. So, in 2008, Lyubovny shifted his focus to YouTube. At the time, the platform had just introduced its Partner Program, which enables creators to earn money.
The channel was named Vlad TV. It gained traction by featuring information about hip hop superstars, future releases, and music industry news in general.
In the past few years, Lyubovny’s channel has established itself as one of the top sources of celebrity news. On YouTube, Vlad TV has risen to the top ten news channels with 4.9 million subscribers.
Income Sources
At 48 years old, DJ Vlad has generated the majority of his fortune by using the multiple media for Vlad TV to generate ad income and brand sponsorships.
His videos receive an average of 2 million views per day and he makes an estimated $10,000 per day ($3.6 million a year) in ad revenue.
Apart from making video content, he also developed a website with the same brand name as his YouTube channel. He also earns as a director and producer of several series and documentaries.
Personal Life and Controversies
The public doesn’t know much about Vlad’s personal life because he has kept it mainly private. However, people know that he has been in a couple of disputes. The journalist was once canceled on Twitter because of making inaccurate comments about a leader in the Nation of Islam.
Rapper Royce da 5’9 was the one who called him out for it and reminded Vlad of his past controversy. After covering a piece about the rapper’s prior work, Vlad was assaulted by Rick Ross’ crew in 2008. This was why Vlad sued Rick Ross for $4 million.
