Maj. Bill White has spent 104 years gathering experiences and memories. Over the years, he collected objects and photos from a variety of events, gathering them in well-organized and treasured scrapbooks. This Valentine’s day, he asked the people of the world to send him a few cards, and the response he got was incredible.

For several weeks, cards kept arriving until there was hardly any more room to store them in the assisted living facility of which he is a beloved resident. The social media campaign called “Operation Valentine” was launched by one of his fellow residents.

The post quickly went viral and cards started pouring in from all 50 US states and several foreign countries.

The Community Responded

As all the Valentine’s day cards started to arrive, the veteran noticed that many of them had heartfelt personal messages. Many community members volunteered to help read all the cards out loud. Sources say that Maj. White was hoping to gather around 100 cards for a scrapbook.

Estimating that over 300k cards arrived, Guinness World Records have been contacted to conduct an official count and check if any records were broken. Along with the cards came gifts such as artwork, handmade quilts, military memorabilia, and many items for his scrapbooks.

Military Families Showed Their Support

Having served over 30 years on active duty and received a Purple Heart after fighting in World War II, Maj. White was especially touched by the number of cards that arrived from military families. Reading all the cards and the heartwarming messages they contain is sure to provide another amazing memory for this retired veteran.

It just goes to show that communities around the world have a lot of love and respect to share, and when they come together to make a retired veteran’s wish come true, it’s something truly inspiring to witness. 

We live in a time when virtually anyone can become a celebrity if they have something that makes them just a bit different. However, one thing makes this possible above everything else: social media. Outlets such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter have given people from all over the world a new platform to have their voices heard and sometimes, it propels lucky individuals into fame and fortune. The following people have profited heavily from their social media exploits and have built entire careers from what they have achieved online. These social media influencers have made millions just from their YouTube videos and Instagram posts.

With a whopping 11.9 million Instagram followers to her name as of 2019, Kayla Itsines is certainly a huge hit on social media. While she might not be reinventing the wheel with her interval workout routines, fans can’t seem to get enough of her transformation photos.

Beyond social media, Itsines also has her own app – Sweat With Kayla, and she is believed to be earning about $17 million per year. In 2016, Time included Itsines in their list of the 30 most influential people on the Internet.

While he has, at times, lived in the shadow of his brother Logan’s controversy, Jake Paul isn’t exactly an angel. Another social media personality on this list to have previously blown up from his Vine exploits, Paul is currently posting all sorts of comedy and music videos on his YouTube channel, which has 19.7 million subscribers.

Outside of this, Paul has appeared on TV shows such as Disney’s Bizaardvark, and even fought in a pay-per-view boxing match against fellow YouTube star KSI.

Through her blog We Wore What, Danielle Bernstein has gradually developed a reputation as one of the most sought-after young fashion bloggers on the internet. She has accumulated an impressive 1.7 million followers on Instagram, but her achievements also translate into money.

According to Forbes, it is believed that Bernstein regularly earns $20,000 for each of her sponsored Instagram posts. Despite this, Bernstein has reiterated that she’s not interested in doing this for the money, talking about fashion is her deepest passion.

For the last few years now, Lilly Singh has been regarded by many, including Forbes, as one of the most influential figures on social media.

Not only is she a big hit on Instagram, but Singh’s hilarious sketches inspired by her own upbringing and family have earned her, as of 2019, 14.8 million subscribers on YouTube. It is believed that Singh is earning somewhere in the region of $10.5 million per year. She has even appeared on a number of talk shows.

Originally a big personality on Vine, Cameron Dallas has since made a smooth transition to other social media platforms. He continues to provide content for his 5.5 million YouTube subscribers and 21.3 million Instagram followers.

Not only has does Dallas earned a whopping $17,000 per sponsored post, but he is also pursuing a career in acting, starring in movies such as Expelled and The Outfield. He has even landed his own reality show on Netflix called Chasing Cameron.

There is no denying that Miranda Sings is one of the most recognizable faces on this list. Colleen Ballinger plays a strange, narcissistic character who somehow, still managed to capture the hearts of millions of people on YouTube.

Miranda Sings has acquired 10.8 million subscribers over the last few years. Due to her iconic demeanor, Ballinger has profited tremendously, earning around $5 million per year. She has also appeared in films and TV shows on Netflix.

There was a time when Aimee Song was more than happy to blog for free. However, ever since her blog Song of Style blew up online, the Californian interior designer has inevitably managed to benefit from a financial standpoint.

With 4.6 million Instagram followers to her name, Song is in a position now where she gets to work with some of the best designers in the world. According to WWD, Song made somewhere $1-3 million in 2016 alone.

If you haven’t heard of Smosh by now, then you simply haven’t spent enough time on YouTube. Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla have been providing hilarious content for years now, getting 25 million subscribers in the process.

Famous for their comedy sketches, Smosh are so famous now that a number of actors have guest-starred in their videos. According to Business Insider, Hecox and Padilla earn about $11 million per year, and it seems like that will only rise with time.

Better known by her online name Zoella, Zoe Sugg is a YouTuber who is best known for her products, haul videos and beauty tips, amongst other things. However, her biggest claim to fame is probably her books.

Her debut novel Girl Online came out five years ago and made the highest number of sales for a novelist’s debut. Her YouTube exploits alone earn her about $70,000 per month and she has achieved all of this before reaching the age of 30.

Dan Middleton, better known as DanTDM, has been developing a huge fan base on YouTube since 2012. The professional gamer first rose to fame from his reviews of the popular video game Minecraft.

There is no denying that his transition from cult gamer to the highest-earning vlogger in 2017, is nothing short of extraordinary. As of 2019, DanTDM has 22.2 million subscribers and it is believed that he is making somewhere in the region of $18.5 million per year.

Another young woman who has made a living from her own fashion blog is Julie Sarinana. Her blog, Sincerely Jules, has truly taken off over the last few years and as of 2019, she has an impressive 4.6 million followers to her name.

Julie loves nothing more than promoting clothes and accessories from some of the world’s top designers. So it should make perfect sense that she can earn up to $150,000 for a sponsored post. She also has her own clothing line.

Unlike a lot of people on this list who have made a living all by themselves, Dude Perfect is certainly a team effort. Consisting of five men – Garret Hilbert, Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Coby Cotton and Cory Cotton, these guys post videos of themselves doing all sorts of cool sports-related stuff.

This includes intricate trick shots, amongst other things. At any rate, their videos have earned them an impressive 36 million subscribers on YouTube and $20 million per year.

Originally making a name for himself on Vine when he was just 15 years old, Nash Grier is doing most of his work now on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Not only does he earn about $13,000 per sponsored post, but Grier has advertised numerous products for huge fees ranging between $25,000 and $100,000.

In 2017, Grier appeared in the Netflix film project You Get Me. Nash Grier has been affiliated with other social media influencers, previously living with Cameron Dallas.

Better known in the world of social media as Pewdiepie, Felix Kjellberg is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to online gaming. However, with his video making talent comes a reputation for doing things that have offended a wide variety of people.

This hasn’t stopped him though from raking in $15.5 million in 2018 alone. Moreover, the fact that he has 102 million YouTube subscribers is a testament to just how popular he is. He even launched a limited-edition clothing line.

One of the most successful health and fitness influencers on social media is undoubtedly Jen Selter. With a staggering 12.8 million followers to her name, it should come as no surprise that the L.A. woman is making a lot of money from her work online.

Not only does she have her own website that grants her fans access to health tips and fitness routines, but Selter manages nine other Instagram profiles, meaning that she earns about $1.4 million per year.

What separates Ryan ToysReview from other social media influencers on this list is his youth and innocence. Because he is just a child, enjoying his toys in front of a character,

Ryan has been able to steal the hearts of millions of people around the world with his love for toy trains and Lego. Now, at seven years of age, Ryan is already one of the highest-earning people on social media, with a staggering 17 million followers on YouTube alone.

While she might not have as many followers on Instagram as other people on this list, 1.8 million is still extremely impressive, as far as Huda Kattan is concerned.

Both a beauty blogger and an entrepreneur, Kattan has been proudly endorsing her cosmetics line Huda Beauty since 2013 and there is no denying that her social media exploits have only risen her public profile. Kattan apparently gets about $18,000 for each of her sponsored posts. As of 2019, she has a reported net worth of $610 million.

With an impressive 7.34 million subscribers to his name, as of 2019, Tyler Oakley is truly making a name for himself online. He is living proof that there are so many ways that one can earn a lot of money through social media platforms.

Unlike many of the other people on this list, Oakley is less interested in making people laugh with his content. Instead, he focuses more on a number of serious topics, such as bullying, diet and LGBTQ rights.

For the last decade, Chiara Ferragni’s blog The Blonde Salad has been one of the most popular fashion blogs on the internet. Through her blog, it is clear to see just how far the Italian influencer has come in the last 10 years.

Her 10 million followers on Instagram means that Chiara is raking in a lot of money for each of her sponsored posts. She also makes money from her own collection – most notably her shoe line.

When you have about 25 million subscribers on YouTube, you know you’re going to make a ton of money. We’re talking about Evan Fong in this scenario. Better known as VanossGaming, Fong’s YouTube alter-ego should clearly suggest what he likes to do on social media.

Basically, Fong spends a lot of time gaming, vlogging and having a good time doing it. In 2018 alone, he earned a staggering $17 million and he did it while playing games such as Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty.

Through his “Let’s Play” videos, Mark Fischbach aka Markiplier knows how to do video game reviews with a funny spin. The Hawaii-native spends so much time on his PS4 that he thought it would make sense to make a living out of it.

In 2018, the talented social media influencer made a whopping $17.5 million. Markiplier has developed such a huge fan base that he even appeared on Jimmy Kimmel to show off exactly what he does. Markiplier has 24.6 million YouTube subscribers.

There is no denying that Logan Paul is a controversial figure in the world of social media. He developed notoriety when he uploaded a certain Japanese video on his YouTube page. After tons of outrage from the online community, Paul was forced to take down the video in question.

Despite this setback in his career, Paul has since apologized for his actions and was still YouTube’s 10th highest earner in 2018. The YouTube personality still has 20 million subscribers.

There is no denying that Sean McLoughlin is one of the most outspoken, vulgar social media figures on this list. The young blogger, better known as Jacksepticeye, is believed to be the most popular online blogger in all of Ireland, at least according to Forbes.

Sean loves commentating on the latest video games on live-streaming platform Twitch and he currently has about 23 million followers on YouTube. Jacksepticeye has even made a series for Disney.

What else can be said about Jeffree Star that hasn’t been said already? This larger-than-life makeup artist has been making a name for himself since the times of Myspace.

These days, he is one of the most influential figures in the world of online cosmetics, having co-founded his own company – Jeffree Star Cosmetics. This means that he sells his own lipstick and eye shadow, amongst other products, which has earned him in excess of $100 million.

In all fairness, Kylie Jenner was already rich and famous before her social media exploits. However, her Instagram account alone has taken her career to another level, earning her up to $1,266,000 per sponsored post. As of December 2019, Jenner has 153 million followers, making her one of the most-followed people in the world.

Through Instagram, she has been able to transform her very own Kylie Cosmetics into an extremely successful brand. It seems like the entire Kardashian-Jenner family has a way with Instagram.

It is believed that Instagrammer Sommer Ray makes at least $26,000 per sponsored post and as of 2020, she is believed to have a net worth somewhere in the region of $8 million. Each Instagram post is sponsored by her company and not to mention the fact that she has a plethora of endorsement contracts.

When you take into consideration that she has a staggering 25.5 million followers, she is sitting on an absolute goldmine. Ray also makes up to $40,000 per month from her YouTube revenue.