Linus Sebastian

Last updated

Linus Sebastian
Linus Sebastian at LTX 2023 (cropped).jpg
Sebastian in 2023
Born
Linus Gabriel Sebastian

(1986-08-20) August 20, 1986 (age 39)
Ladner, British Columbia, Canada
Education University of British Columbia [1] (dropped out) [2] [3]
Occupations
  • YouTuber
  • Video presenter
  • technology demonstrator
Years active2007–present
Known forFounding of Linus Media Group
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm) [4] [5] [6]
Title
Spouse
Yvonne Ho
​
(m. 2011)​
[7]
Children3 [7] [8]
YouTube information
Channels Linus Tech Tips and others owned by Linus Media Group (see list), LinusCatTips [a]
GenreTechnology
Subscribers16.4 million (main channel)
32.31 million (combined) [b]
Views8.6 billion (main channel)
11.37 billion (combined) [c]
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg100,000 subscribers2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, [21] [22] 2023[ citation needed ]
YouTube Gold Play Button 2.svg1,000,000 subscribers2015, [23] 2017, [24] 2019, [25] 2020, 2022[ citation needed ]
YouTube Diamond Play Button.svg10,000,000 subscribers2021 [26]
Last updated: May 12, 2025
Website linusmediagroup.com
Autograph
Linus Tech Tips sig.svg

Linus Gabriel Sebastian (born August 20, 1986) is a Canadian YouTuber and creator and presenter of technology-focused channels. He is the founder and former chief executive officer of Linus Media Group, and chief vision officer of the company, as well as a regular presenter.

Contents

In the 2000s, Sebastian served as the principal on-camera presenter for the now-defunct Canadian computer retailer NCIX, where he created his flagship channel Linus Tech Tips (LTT) in November 2008. In October 2012, [27] he founded Linus Media Group (LMG), formally launching it in 2013. [28] [29] Sebastian led LMG as chief executive officer until July 1, 2023, when he transitioned to the role of chief vision officer to focus on the company's long-term strategy and creative directions. [29] [30] [31]

As of December 1, 2024 LTT has amassed 16 million subscribers and more than 8.27 billion views. [32] Across all his channels, Sebastian has over 32 million subscribers [b] and more than 11.04 billion views. [c]

Biography

Linus Gabriel Sebastian [33] was born on August 20, 1986, [34] and grew up on a hobby farm in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. [35] [36] [37] He was named after Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize–winning American chemist. [38] He was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. [39]

Prior to his technology career, Sebastian briefly worked as a painter by trade. [40] [41] [42] [43] However, he suffered from suspected depression during his second year of house painting for Student Works and quit his job as a result. [40] [44] [45] Around that time, Sebastian studied at the University of British Columbia. [40] [46] [1] After struggling with calculus, [2] Sebastian was put on scholastic probation, [47] [3] prompting him to change his course subjects to psychology and English. [2] However, despite performing better academically, Sebastian questioned the value of his degree and dropped out before graduating, [2] [3] a move supported by his partner Yvonne Ho, [47] [48] and moved into a full time position with NCIX instead. [3]

Sebastian has been married to Ho since April 2011. [7] He is also the father of three children: a son and two daughters. [7] [8]

Career

Sebastian worked for the Canadian online computer store NCIX [49] in various roles, including as a sales representative and product manager. [50] [3] [51] He was asked to be the host for its technology YouTube channel, NCIX Tech Tips, which was created to help demonstrate products. [52] Sebastian was assisted by an unidentified cameraperson and editor, and worked with limited resources, shooting videos with a camera borrowed from the son of the company's president. [53] The first NCIX Tech Tips video hosted by Sebastian was uploaded on 24 July, 2007. [50] [54]

Due to high production costs, rising brand partner demands, and relatively low viewership of NCIX Tech Tips, [53] Sebastian was instructed to create the Linus Tech Tips channel; this would allow Sebastian to produce content more rapidly, initially at a lower production value kept distinct from the NCIX brand. [50] [53] He described TigerDirect and Newegg as competitors. [53] Linus Tech Tips was created on November 24, 2008 [55] and the first video for the channel was uploaded the following day. [56]

Seeing the opportunity in online content creation, Sebastian eventually left NCIX and founded Linus Media Group (LMG) following a dispute regarding company management. [57] [58] He negotiated an agreement in which he could keep Linus Tech Tips as a property of LMG for $1, as long as he signed a long-term agreement to help build an in-house NCIX video team, signed a 2-year non-compete clause, and continued to host videos for NCIX at a rate described by him as "very bargain-basement" for 2 years. [50] [58]

Sebastian in a 2013 video Linus in a promotional video 2013.jpg
Sebastian in a 2013 video

On May 18 2023, Sebastian announced that he would be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of Linus Media Group and its subsidiaries on July 1, 2023. He then transitioned into a creative role entitled Chief Vision Officer, [59] [30] [29] and continues to be involved in the writing, production, and the core philosophy of the company's business. [60]

In August 2023, a controversy emerged after Gamers Nexus, a YouTube channel, published a video about Sebastian and Linus Media Group, [61] stating that Sebastian had inappropriately demonstrated a prototype water block made by manufacturer Billet Labs by installing it on hardware for which it was not designed, and questioned the "accuracy, ethics, and responsibility" of the production. [62] [63] [64] [65] LMG was also criticized for failing to return the water block to Billet Labs, and instead selling it in a charity auction, which Sebastian said was the result of a "miscommunication". [62] LMG paused video production while it investigated the claims. [65] [64] In a response, Sebastian rejected that LMG had an accuracy issue but regretted how the situation was handled, particularly a decision to not re-test the unit, and said that LMG would review and improve internal processes. [62] [28] [66]

Sebastian was involved in the making of War of the Worlds (2025), working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. [67] [68] He was consulted as a technical advisor, and also acted a scene over webcam. [68] Sebastian claims the scene was cut from release and the technical advice was ultimately not used to inform the screenplay, and he had requested his name be removed from the official credits. [68]

Notable events

In a 2014 interview with technology startup website Tech.co, Sebastian said that his favourite YouTubers were TotalBiscuit, Marques Brownlee, and Austin Evans. [69]

Sebastian is an advocate of the right to repair. [70] [71] In September 2021, he disclosed a personal investment of nearly $225,000 in Framework Computer, a manufacturer of modular laptops which embraces this philosophy, [72] [73] after discussing the implications of such investment on LMG's podcast The WAN Show in July 2021. [74]

On March 24, 2023, Sebastian declared on the Linus Tech Tips channel, that they had suffered a session hijacking attack, which caused them to temporarily lose their channel. [75] [76]

On January 13, 2025, Sebastian made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where he demonstrated technology from the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show. [77]

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
PublisherYearListiclePlacementRef.
Inc. (magazine) 2015Top 30 Power Players in Tech4th [78]

Notes

  1. ↑ LinusCatTips is owned by Linus Sebastian personally. [9]
  2. 1 2 Subscribers, broken down by channel: [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
    • 16.3 million (Linus Tech Tips)
    • 4.33 million (Techquickie)
    • 1.95 million (TechLinked)
    • 2.42 million (ShortCircuit)
    • 1.26 million (Channel Super Fun)
    • 596 thousand (LMG Clips)
    • 613 thousand (Mac Address)
    • 235 thousand (LinusCatTips)
    • 32.6 thousand (PSU Circuit)
    • 139 thousand (They're Just Movies)
    • 474 thousand (GameLinked)
  3. 1 2 Views, broken down by channel: [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [20] [19]
    • 8.05 billion (Linus Tech Tips)
    • 876.5 million (Techquickie)
    • 527.4 million (TechLinked)
    • 566.45 million (ShortCircuit)
    • 372.23 million (Channel Super Fun)
    • 264.79 million (LMG Clips)
    • 125.15 million (Mac Address)
    • 11.16 million (LinusCatTips)
    • 4.68 million (They're Just Movies)
    • 25 million (GameLinked)

References

  1. 1 2 Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (October 29, 2022). Gamer's GPUs Are Melting - WAN Show October 28, 2022 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:02:04 – via YouTube. I got into the University of British Columbia very comfortably.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (July 9, 2025). I regret Googling Myself (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 11:50 – via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (April 26, 2013). "My Story - How I Became A "professional Unboxer"". Forums - Linus Tech Tips. Linus Media Group Inc. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  4. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (January 21, 2023). I'm A Short King - WAN Show January 20, 2023 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 3:32 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ "RGB Diode T-shirt". Official Linus Tech Tips Gear – LTTStore Global. Archived from the original on July 10, 2025. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Labs Phase T-shirt". Official Linus Tech Tips Gear – LTTStore Global. Archived from the original on July 10, 2025. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Tech Expert and Famous Canadian Youtuber Linus Sebastian's Family Life: A Journey of Love and Innovation". Outlook India . August 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (July 9, 2025). I regret Googling Myself (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 4:52 – via YouTube. I have three children, a boy and then two girls, and they're teenage, and then coming up on teenage, and a little bit younger than that.
  9. ↑ TechLinked (December 23, 2019). 1M Subscriber Q+A! (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 26:03 – via YouTube. LinusCatTips is technically...the intellectual property is owned by me personally...
  10. 1 2 "Linus Tech Tips's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  11. 1 2 "TechQuickie's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "TechLinked's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Gamelinked's Youtube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  14. 1 2 "ShortCircuit's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  15. 1 2 "Mac Address's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "Channel Super Fun's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  17. 1 2 "They're Just Movies's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  18. ↑ "LinusCatTips's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  19. 1 2 "LMG's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  20. ↑ "LinusCatTips's TouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ Mac Address [@MacAddressYT] (May 27, 2021). "Look what came in today! Thanks to all the LTT fans who clicked the subscribe button" (Tweet). Retrieved August 15, 2025– via Twitter.
  22. ↑ They're Just Movies [@TJMpod] (June 26, 2021). "We got our silver Play Button thanks to you beautiful beauties. Thank you all, truly!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 11, 2025– via Twitter.
  23. ↑ Linus Tech Tips (March 20, 2015). GOLD Play Button Unboxing (1 Million Subs) & Linus Tech Tips Early 2015 Update (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. – via YouTube.
  24. ↑ Techquickie (March 19, 2017). Techquickie as Fast As Possible - Million Subscriber Special (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 3:25 – via YouTube.
  25. ↑ TechLinked (December 23, 2019). 1M Subscriber Q+A! (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 0:12 – via YouTube.
  26. ↑ Linus Tech Tips (April 8, 2021). I turned my Diamond Play Button into a Gaming PC (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. – via YouTube.
  27. ↑ "Linus Media Group Inc". OrgBook BC. Government of British Columbia . Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  28. 1 2 Davis, Wes (August 26, 2023). "Linus Sebastian addresses error handling and ethics in a new video". The Verge . Retrieved May 9, 2024. Linus Media Group (LMG) founder Linus Sebastian explained LMG's HR policies and how it will improve accuracy and ethics in a video posted to YouTube last night.
  29. 1 2 3 Murray, Conor (August 17, 2023). "YouTube Channel Linus Tech Tips' Inaccuracies And Sexual Harassment Allegations, Explained". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2024. The company was led by Sebastian, who founded the channel, until he stepped down as CEO in July 2023 to become the company's chief vision officer.
  30. 1 2 Boyd, Daniel (May 19, 2023). "Linus Sebastian is Stepping Down from Linus Tech Tips". Game Rant. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  31. ↑ Colin and Samir (December 26, 2024). An Unfiltered Conversation with Linus Tech Tips . Retrieved December 28, 2024– via YouTube.
  32. ↑ "Linus Tech Tips's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  33. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (November 3, 2012). Linus Tech Tips Live Show Archive - November 2, 2012 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:30:26 – via YouTube. That's my middle name, actually! Gabriel.
  34. ↑ Linus Tech Tips [@LinusTech] (August 20, 2014). "Me: Holy crap I'm gonna be 29 in an hour! Wife: 28.... Me: Oh, that's better Wife: My goodness..." (Tweet). Retrieved October 22, 2016– via Twitter.
  35. ↑ I Make Questionable Choices Sometimes... Linus Media Group. March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  36. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (March 21, 2023). The 500 FPS Gaming PC! (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 2:20:33 – via YouTube. You know, I grew up on a hobby farm, but we didn't farm commercially, right?
  37. ↑ Sebastian, Linus (September 14, 2022). This Is So Embarrassing! (Video). Linus Media Group. Retrieved September 14, 2022– via YouTube.
  38. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (December 22, 2012). Linus Tech Tips Live Show Archive - December 21, 2012 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 34:13 – via YouTube. Linus Pauling, who is actually the Linus for whom I'm named.
  39. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (January 28, 2022). r/PCMasterRace Hates Me... The WAN Show (YouTube video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:48:30. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  40. 1 2 3 "Linus "Tech Tips" Sebastian Reacts to His Top 1000 YouTube Comments". Ars Technica. June 11, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  41. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (September 29, 2012). Linus Tech Tips Live Show Archive - September 28, 2012 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 47:23 – via YouTube. Yes I did paint houses. I painted houses for 2 summers, with Student Works Painting.
  42. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (September 9, 2022). The Reviewer Got Reviewed - WAN Show September 9, 2022 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:23:42 – via YouTube. Then I was recruited during my first year of school as a Student Works Painting franchisee, so technically I was self-employed during this period even though I didn't fully understand that at the time.
  43. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (May 11, 2024). I'm Siding With Apple - WAN Show May 10, 2024 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:59:41. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved August 2, 2025– via YouTube. Do you know where I learned that? My first year of university summer, when I started estimating painting jobs.
  44. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (November 30, 2018). 10 Year LTT Anniversary Stream - Ask Us Anything (Almost) (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:08:22 – via YouTube. The closest thing I've probably experienced would have been the depression that I went through during my second year of house painting? Just like kind of feeling everything's pointless and...why would you even get up, and just kind of can't do it anymore, can't face the day...like that kind of thing.
  45. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (September 9, 2022). The Reviewer Got Reviewed - WAN Show September 9, 2022 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:24:08 – via YouTube. Then I quit Student Works, definitely abandoned my contractual obligation out of both...well, this was a period of...I guess it's probably fair to call it depression even if it wasn't diagnosed.
  46. ↑ Preparing for 10 GIGABIT Internet! What Could Go Wrong? (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. January 1, 2019. Event occurs at 23:32 - 23:58 – via YouTube.
  47. 1 2 Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (December 1, 2018). JIBO IS DEAD!?!? - The WAN Show Nov 30 2018 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 2:31 – via YouTube. She drove me to drop out of school, which to be clear was actually the correct decision.
  48. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (June 10, 2022). I Called It 12 Years Ago - WAN Show June 10, 2022 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 1:41:30 – via YouTube. Yvonne rescued me from both of them. She was the push I needed to go against what my family wanted, and drop out of school, and start my job at the computer store.
  49. ↑ "I'm Linus Sebastian of LinusTechTips, and This Is How I Work". LifeHacker. July 29, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  50. 1 2 3 4 Hinks, Aaron (January 26, 2017). "Surrey man's tech-tip series achieves YouTube success". Peace Arch News . Archived from the original on April 16, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  51. ↑ "Our Team". Linus Media Group. 2018. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  52. ↑ Ovide, Shira (February 15, 2022). "This YouTube Star Is Also a Retail Empire". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  53. 1 2 3 4 "How I became: LinusTechTips (Linus Sebastian)". How I became. March 24, 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2016– via YouTube.
  54. ↑ NCIX Tech Tips (July 24, 2007). Sunbeam Tuniq Tower (NCIX Tech Tips #1). Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2025– via YouTube.
  55. ↑ "About". Linus Tech Tips. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016– via YouTube.
  56. ↑ Linus Tech Tips (November 25, 2008). Undisclosed AMD Processor at 3.6GHz (Linus Tech Tips #1) . Retrieved August 3, 2025– via YouTube.
  57. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel. Our Ex-Employer Went BANKRUPT - Wan Show Dec. 1 2017 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 44:37 – via YouTube. So I left, partly because I saw a great opportunity in content creation online, and partly because I had some significant, fundamental disagreements with senior management, particularly the owner, over what exactly we needed to do in terms of our direction as a company.
  58. 1 2 "Why Linus Left NCIX". August 2, 2020. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2021– via YouTube.
  59. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (May 18, 2023). I'm Stepping Down. (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. Event occurs at 0:06 – via YouTube. Effective July 1, 2023, after 10 wild and very eventful years, I'll be stepping down as CEO of Linus Media Group, Creator Warehouse, and Floatplane Media.
  60. ↑ Shepherd, Ian. "Leading Creator Reveals How He Makes Money—And It's Not What You Think". Forbes. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  61. ↑ Burke, Stephen (August 14, 2023). "The Problem with Linus Tech Tips: Accuracy, Ethics, & Responsibility". www.youtube.com .
  62. 1 2 3 Andy Chalk (August 15, 2023). "The recent criticism of Linus Tech Tips, explained". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  63. ↑ Cranz, Alex (August 16, 2023). "Linus Tech Tips pauses production as controversy swirls". The Verge. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  64. 1 2 Ghania, Yasmine (August 19, 2023). "Why a B.C. YouTube empire suddenly became mired in controversy". CBC . Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  65. 1 2 Donovan, Imogen (August 17, 2023). "What's happening with Linus Tech Tips and why has it halted production?". NME. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  66. ↑ Norton, Brad (August 15, 2023). "Linus admits to "sloppiness" in Gamers Nexus response but lashes out at public criticism". Dexerto. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  67. ↑ Sebastian, Linus Gabriel (July 31, 2025). "Yes, this was the movie I was supposed to be in. I found out about a week ago that it was finally coming out and that my role had unfortunately been cut. I still haven't watched it. Was thinking of making a video about the experience, which as pretty cool". Reddit . Archived from the original on August 4, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  68. 1 2 3 YOUTUBE UNCENSORED - WAN Show August 1, 2025 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. August 2, 2025. Event occurs at 2:44:21 - 2:49:11 – via YouTube.
  69. ↑ Diab, Ann. "Secrets of the Most Successful Tech YouTube Content Creators Revealed". Tech.co. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  70. ↑ LMG Clips (March 14, 2023). Why Right to Repair Matters . Retrieved July 4, 2025– via YouTube.
  71. ↑ Young, Michael Francisco (May 2022). The Right to Repair in the Digital Era: An Analysis of the Issue from the Perspective of the Vulnerable Subject and the Responsive State. Trinity University. p. 21. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  72. ↑ Sebastian, Linus (September 15, 2021). I'm Legally Obligated to Disclose This - Framework investment. Linus Tech Tips. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  73. ↑ Islam, Quazi T.; Akif, Ahanaf; Hossain, Md Asif; Singh, Tilottama (2024). "Framework Computer, Inc.: A Sustainable Revolution in Laptop Manufacturing" . Sage Business Cases. SAGE Publications (published January 9, 2024). doi:10.4135/9781071946435. ISBN   978-1-0719-4643-5.
  74. ↑ Dell Gaming PCs Got Banned - DON'T PANIC - WAN Show July 30, 2021 (Video). Linus Media Group Inc. July 31, 2021. Event occurs at 1:17:12 - 1:50:32 – via YouTube.
  75. ↑ Linus Tech Tips (March 24, 2023). My Channel Was Deleted Last Night . Retrieved June 18, 2025– via YouTube.
  76. ↑ Peters, Jay (March 25, 2023). "How hackers took over Linus Tech Tips". The Verge . Archived from the original on May 7, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  77. ↑ "Bad Bunny and Jimmy Fallon Try Out Crazy Gadgets with Tech Tips' Linus Sebastian". NBC. January 14, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  78. ↑ Rampton, John (July 21, 2015). "30 Power Players in Tech You Need to Know". Inc. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
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