Gabe Bult didn’t just show his receipts — he taught a masterclass in turning a YouTube channel into a business. In this “as told” breakdown based on his video, I’m walking you through exactly what Gabe earned with 500,000 subscribers, how he made it, and what you can take away from it if you’re building something online.
Spoiler: it’s not all from AdSense. From video RPMs to course sales and affiliate strategies, this isn’t just about what he made. It’s about what you can do differently starting now.
The Headline Number: Over $130K in Gross Income
Gabe Bult earned over $130,000 through his YouTube channel — driven primarily by long-form videos, not Shorts or livestreams. His channel had around 16.7 million views and logged over 1.1 million hours of watch time.
One of his highest-earning days brought in more than $1,000. That wasn’t typical, but it does show what’s possible when your video hits the right mix of topic, timing, and audience need.
Not All Views Are Equal for Gabe Bult— RPM Changes Everything
Here’s something I didn’t fully grasp until I heard Gabe break it down: a million views doesn’t always equal big money. It all comes down to RPM, or revenue per 1,000 views.
Gabe shared two videos with similar view counts — around 1.5 million and 1.1 million views. But one earned him $16,800. The other? Only $5,600.
Why the difference? RPM.
• The first video had an $11.21 RPM
• The second video had a $4.97 RPM
The topic, audience, and even length of the video played into that.
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Longer Videos, Better Returns
Gabe isn’t saying longer is always better — but videos over 8 minutes allow you to include mid-roll ads, which can significantly boost earnings.
One of his 23-minute videos earned around $6,000. Another video with 90,000 views still made $750, because the content was well-aligned and advertiser-friendly.
But don’t stretch just to stretch. Gabe’s advice? Prioritize quality and audience retention. If people bounce early, the algorithm notices — and your earnings drop.
AdSense Alone Isn’t Sustainable — Diversify
The real gem from Gabe’s breakdown is this: AdSense is volatile. The algorithm changes. RPM fluctuates. You can’t build stability on that alone.
So what does Gabe do?
• Affiliate Marketing: He built a second channel that earns $1,000/month in affiliate sales.
• Sponsorships: He aims to include one in every other video.
• Digital Products: He created a course called The 5-Hour YouTuber, priced at $1,000.
This is where it clicked for me — YouTube is the engine, not the entire vehicle. If you want to turn views into a viable income stream, you need to own the backend too.
Older Videos = Compound Interest
One of the best things Gabe said? YouTube works like compound interest. You don’t have to hit a home run every time. You just need to keep showing up, keep publishing, and let your back catalog do some of the heavy lifting.
He gave an example of a video that didn’t do much initially — $750 during a peak month — but went on to earn $12,000 total over its lifetime.
That’s the dream: waking up to income from work you did months ago.
But It’s Not All Profit
Gabe’s transparency goes beyond revenue. He reminds us that what he shared is gross income.
From that, you have to subtract:
• Editor costs
• Equipment
• Software
• Taxes
This is a business, not a cash grab. And he treats it like one.
Final Thoughts from Gabe Bult: It’s Not Magic. It’s Math.
Gabe’s story isn’t about overnight success. It’s about systems. Strategy. Repetition.
He’s not chasing viral moments — he’s building a catalog.
Certainly not relying on ads — he’s creating multiple income streams.
He’s not guessing what works — he’s testing, tracking, and doubling down on what does.
If you’re building a brand, a channel, or a business — take notes. Gabe just gave us the blueprint.
