Maddie King
$500 thousand
James Charles has an estimated net worth of $22 million. Born James Charles Dickinson, he is an American beauty YouTuber, makeup artist, and entrepreneur who became the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl in 2016. Over nearly a decade, he has built his fortune through YouTube ad revenue, brand collaborations, merchandise, and his own makeup line, Painted, which he launched in 2023.
Updated March 2026: According to Finance Monthly, James Charles' net worth has climbed to an estimated $22 million as of 2025, driven in large part by his Painted cosmetics brand and monthly YouTube ad earnings ranging from $193,000 to $264,000.
James Charles Dickinson was born on May 23, 1999, in Bethlehem, New York, to Skip Dickinson, a contractor, and Christine Dickinson. He grew up in Albany County alongside his younger brother, Ian Jeffrey, who later became a model. Charles came out as gay to his parents at age 12. He attended Bethlehem Central High School, where he endured bullying but channeled his energy into developing his makeup skills, often doing classmates' makeup for school events. He graduated in 2017.
Charles first discovered his interest in online content creation around 2010, when he launched a YouTube channel called JaysCoding for video game commentary and song covers. His trajectory shifted dramatically in 2015 when he created a dedicated makeup tutorial channel and began posting tutorials showcasing bold, editorial looks that distinguished him from peers. He taught himself professional-level techniques by practicing on friends and clients locally before his Instagram following crossed 700,000 within his first year of posting makeup content.
Charles launched his makeup YouTube channel in December 2015. Within a year, a viral tweet featuring his high school senior portrait—where he wore a full face of professionally applied makeup—caught the attention of CoverGirl. In October 2016, the brand announced him as its first-ever male ambassador, naming him a “CoverBoy.” At just 17 years old, he became the face of CoverGirl's So Lashy! blastPRO mascara campaign alongside Katy Perry, appearing in print, television, and digital advertisements, as reported by TIME.
By late 2018, Charles had collaborated with Morphe Cosmetics on the Sister Collection, an eyeshadow palette that sold out repeatedly and became one of the best-selling influencer makeup collaborations of its era. He hosted high-profile Sisters Tour events and opened a dedicated Morphe pop-up experience in Birmingham, UK, in 2019, which drew gridlock-level crowds. That same year, his YouTube channel reached 10 million subscribers. In November 2018, he also launched Sisters Apparel, a clothing merchandise line.
In 2020, Charles created, hosted, and co-produced Instant Influencer for YouTube Originals, a competition series that earned the Streamy Award for Show of the Year. The show ran for two seasons and featured prominent beauty industry figures as judges. Despite a turbulent period in 2021—during which YouTube temporarily demonetized his channel and Morphe terminated their partnership following conduct allegations—Charles rebuilt his platform methodically, reaching 24 million YouTube subscribers by 2025.
In 2023, Charles launched Painted, his wholly owned cosmetics brand. Unlike his previous licensing arrangement with Morphe, Painted gives him full ownership of the creative direction and profit margins. The brand's hero product, the Create Paints, are multitasking pigments priced at $15 each (or $135 for a ten-piece Artist's Set), usable as eyeliner, eyeshadow, or blush. The brand achieved high-profile recognition when Beyoncé reportedly wore Painted eye paints during her Renaissance World Tour, generating a significant surge in online orders. As of 2024, Charles had also released Blush Duos ($35) and professional brush sets ($40–$50), all marketed as vegan and cruelty-free.
Charles' net worth reflects a diversified revenue stack built across multiple income channels over nearly a decade:
Charles has been openly gay since coming out to his parents at age 12. He identifies as male while embracing makeup and self-expression as central to his identity, stating in interviews that he is “confident in myself and my gender identity—happy being a boy.” He has kept much of his romantic life private, though he has been publicly linked to a small number of individuals over the years. As of early 2025, he has not publicly confirmed a long-term relationship.
Charles has a well-documented estrangement from his younger brother, Ian Jeffrey, a model signed to Next Management. In a 2023 interview with Cosmopolitan, Charles revealed that Ian had stopped speaking to him, which he described as a source of significant personal pain.
Charles purchased a $7 million mansion in Los Angeles in February 2020, which he revealed in a home tour video that coincided with hitting 20 million YouTube subscribers. The property is a modern farmhouse-style build spanning approximately 9,800 square feet across three floors including a basement. It features six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a home theater, wine cellar, indoor spa and sauna, infinity-edge swimming pool, and a private sports court. Prior to the 2020 purchase, he rented a mini-mansion in Encino, California, as reported by Cosmopolitan.
James Charles' net worth is estimated at $22 million as of 2025–2026. His fortune was built through YouTube advertising revenue (up to $264,000 per month at current levels), brand collaborations including CoverGirl and Morphe, sponsored content generating an estimated $53,500 per post, and his wholly owned cosmetics company Painted, launched in 2023. His net worth has grown from $12 million in 2019, according to Finance Monthly.
James Charles was born on May 23, 1999, in Bethlehem, New York, making him 26 years old as of May 2025. His zodiac sign is Gemini. He grew up in Albany County, New York, and attended Bethlehem Central High School, graduating in 2017 before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue his career full-time.
James Charles stands 5 feet 9 inches tall (175 cm). He confirmed his height directly in a December 2019 post on X (formerly Twitter), listing it alongside other personal facts including his shoe size (10) and zodiac sign (Gemini).
James Charles is openly gay and has kept most of his romantic life private throughout his career. He has not publicly confirmed an ongoing relationship as of early 2026. Over the years he has been linked to several individuals publicly, but none of those relationships were officially confirmed as long-term partnerships. He has spoken candidly about navigating dating as a public figure and the challenges that come with his level of online visibility.
James Charles' parents are Skip Dickinson, a contractor, and Christine Dickinson. He has one younger brother, Ian Jeffrey (full name Ian Jeffrey Charles), who is a model represented by Next Management with over one million Instagram followers. Charles came out as gay to his parents at age 12 and has described his upbringing as supportive. However, in a 2023 interview with Cosmopolitan, he disclosed that he and Ian were estranged, with Ian having stopped communication with him—a situation Charles called deeply painful.
James Charles does not earn a traditional salary, but his annual income is estimated in the range of $3–5 million per year across all revenue streams. At his channel's peak, Forbes estimated nearly $5 million annually from YouTube ads alone. Current monthly YouTube ad earnings are estimated at $193,000 to $264,000, placing annual ad revenue at approximately $2.3–$3.2 million. Additional income from Painted cosmetics product sales, sponsored posts (estimated at $53,500 each per the Cosmetify Index), and brand partnerships adds significantly to that figure.
James Charles lives in Los Angeles, California. In February 2020, he purchased a $7 million custom-built mansion in Los Angeles, which he toured publicly on YouTube after hitting 20 million subscribers. The modern farmhouse-style property covers approximately 9,800 square feet across three floors and features six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a home theater, wine cellar, indoor spa, infinity pool, and a private sports court, as reported by Cosmopolitan and confirmed by Us Weekly. Prior to that purchase, he rented a mini-mansion in Encino, California.