YouTube Turns 18

On April 23, 2005, the first video was uploaded to the platform, showing a young man at a zoo, who could never have imagined the tremendous success of that project.

If YouTube were a human being, today it would officially come of age and fully enjoy its civil rights. In plain terms, the most famous video platform on the Internet turns 18, marking a new anniversary of the first clip ever published on the site.

Hoping that Google bought some sandwiches and a huge cake to blow out the candles, at TN Tecno we’re joining the celebration with a look at 5 YouTube curiosities you might not know.

5 YouTube Curiosities on Its 18th Anniversary

The platform officially launched on February 14, 2005, when its web domain went live; however, it wasn’t until April 23 of that year that the first video was published. We won’t include it as one of the “5 YouTube curiosities you might not know,” because that story is repeated every anniversary.

For those unfamiliar, the reference is to “Me at the Zoo,” the historic clip that inaugurated YouTube. In front of the camera we see Jawed Karim (one of the lesser-known founders of the platform), who speaks for 18 seconds in front of the elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.

A short anecdote to share over lunch: YouTube was originally intended to be a video dating site, a concept that—now we know—did not continue along its successful path on the Internet.

YouTube Curiosities: Three Founders Few People Know

The platform officially launched on February 14, 2005, when its web domain went live; however, it wasn’t until April 23 of that year that the first video was published. We won’t include it as one of the “5 YouTube curiosities you might not know,” because that story is repeated every anniversary.

For those unfamiliar, the reference is to “Me at the Zoo,” the historic clip that inaugurated YouTube. In front of the camera we see Jawed Karim (one of the lesser-known founders of the platform), who speaks for 18 seconds in front of the elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.

A short anecdote to share over lunch: YouTube was originally intended to be a video dating site, a concept that—now we know—did not continue along its successful path on the Internet.

YouTube’s Creators Didn’t Strike Gold After Google’s Acquisition

Although official figures were never disclosed, it’s said that Karim received just over 64 million dollars from the sale of his shares, while Chen and Hurley earned around 326 million dollars each. The significant difference is explained by Karim’s early exit, as in the early days he didn’t imagine what would later become evident with Google’s interest.

As previously reported by TN Tecno, the three founders of YouTube remained connected to the tech sector, although none managed to consolidate a project of major scale. Along that path, there were notable failures, such as the one involving Chen, who squandered a large portion of his fortune on a company called Avos.

YouTube: The Origin of Its Name

There’s no big mystery in this curiosity, but it’s a good fact to show off at a barbecue.

Let’s break down the term. “You” is simple enough. But what about “Tube” at the end of the platform’s name? While it has various meanings, in this case it refers to television, alluding to the “tube” used in old TV screens and monitors.

How Much Did Google Pay for YouTube—and How Much Is It Worth Now?

In 2006, shortly after its creation and the supposed party that inspired the founders, YouTube was already among the 20 most visited websites in the United States.

Google (then in its eighth year of existence) paid 1.65 billion dollars to become the owner of the video portal. Chen and Hurley walked away with a substantial sum, although their influence in the tech sector was soon overshadowed by the search giant. Under Google’s wing, YouTube is now the second most visited website in the world.

How much is YouTube worth nearly 17 years after that deal? Pinpointing an exact figure is complex, as it’s not an independently traded company but part of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company. What we do have are overwhelming statistics (more on that below), such as generating over 29 billion dollars in advertising revenue in 2022 alone.

YouTube Data: 5 Overwhelming Statistics

• It is the second most visited website worldwide, surpassed only by Google.

• It has more than 2.6 billion active users, available in over 100 countries and 80 languages.

• User engagement is high: 62% access the site daily, while 36% use it at least once a week.

• It is Alphabet’s main source of revenue.

• More than 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute, and over 1 billion hours of video are watched each day.

Source: TN Tecno | by Uriel Bederman