Community Corner

Viral YouTube Video Brings Fame, But Not Fortune, for Sammamish Boy

Jonathan Carollo and his family have reportedly earned $400 from ads that appear before a popular video of him playing the drums on a washing machine.

When it comes to YouTube, millions of views don't always add up to millions of dollars in cash.

A video of Jonathan Carollo, 11, drumming on his family's washing machine has been viewed more than 1.7 million times on the video sharing website. But, as The Seattle Times reports, the instant fame has not led to a lot of instant money for the Sammamish family.

Despite the ads that appear before the video, the Carollos have collected just $400 from the endeavor—plus a trip to Chicago to appear on the "Steve Harvey" show. The family will also travel to New Orleans this June so Jonathan can perform at a trade show for cleaning professionals.

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But the Carollos aren't letting that stop them from making more YouTube videos. An encore to Jonathan's original performance was posted in January, and the boy told the Times he plans to use the $400 to purchase a model airplane.

For more on the Carollos and other Seattle-area YouTube sensations, click here to read the original story in The Seattle Times.

Find out what's happening in Sammamish-Issaquahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Do you think YouTube should pay more for viral videos? Or is $400 not such a bad deal? Tell us in the comments section.


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