Grant Hilbert, Iowa State University Alum, kickstarted his farming career by purchasing farmland with money earned from his YouTube videos. Hilbert always dreamed of being a farmer but was never sure how he was going to fund his dream. However, while in high school, he and some of his friends started a YouTube journey knowing they could make money from posting content. His channel “The Squad” featured popular videos of Hilbert and his friends playing Farming Simulator – a role-playing game that gives insight into the life of a farmer. After six years and multiple monetized videos, Hilbert had earned enough money to move his farm life off-screen. After graduating with a Bachelor of Agricultural Business and Economics in 2020, he purchased three different areas of farmland, adding up to about 250 acres and 1.8 million dollars. Over half of the down payment cost was covered with money Hilbert had earned from his YouTube channel. The rest of the down payment was covered by his investment in Bitcoin. Now two years into his farming dream, Grant has started a new channel, “Grant Hilbert,” where he records the life of a farmer in his field, rather than on screen.
Jordan, Erin. “Grant Hilbert Goes from Farming in Video Games to Real Life.” The Gazette, The Gazette, 23 June 2022, https://www.thegazette.com/agriculture/grant-hilbert-goes-from-farming-in-video-games-to-real-life/.