Marques Brownlee

Brownlee joined YouTube on March 21, 2008, and began uploading videos in January 2009 while he was still in high school. His first videos covered new products, software tutorials, and reviews of devices he owned. He initially produced videos through screencasting and later expanded his production methods as the channel grew.

His first technology video followed his purchase of an HP Pavilion laptop. After discovering that the computer included a Media Center remote that had not been covered in the videos he watched before buying it, Brownlee used a webcam to explain the accessory for other potential buyers. He later described the early appeal of YouTube as a way to provide useful answers to people searching for information about specific products.

Brownlee’s review of a rumored sapphire display for the iPhone 6, uploaded in July 2014, became one of his most widely circulated early videos. He tested the panel by scratching and bending it, and the video was subsequently featured by technology and news publications including The Verge, HuffPost, CNET, and Time.

He reached 10 million YouTube subscribers in December 2019 and was named Creator of the Decade at the 2018 Shorty Awards. In 2020, he was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 listing in the social media category, and Time named him to its TIME100 Most Influential People in AI list in 2024.

Brownlee directed and starred in the YouTube Original series Retro Tech, which premiered in 2019. The series explores the origins and cultural impact of iconic technology, combining interviews with creators and celebrity guests with discussions of older devices and their influence on modern life.

In August 2019, Brownlee began co-hosting Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast, also known as WVFRM. The technology podcast focuses on product reviews and interviews with influential figures in the technology industry. Andrew Manganelli and David Imel were identified as co-hosts of the podcast.

His interview work has included conversations with technology executives and public figures. He interviewed Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside in 2013, professional basketball player Kobe Bryant in 2015, and Apple CEO Tim Cook in 2024. Brownlee also participated in a 2016 Democratic presidential primary debate video about technology, encryption, privacy, and national security.

Brownlee has described his work as serving both viewers who are researching a purchase and subscribers who watch technology videos for information and entertainment. He emphasizes timely, useful coverage, particularly when a new product or technology is attracting public attention. His topics have expanded from smartphones to computers, headphones, televisions, electric cars, artificial intelligence, and other areas of consumer technology.

His production operation grew from a solo channel into a team of about 15 people. Andrew Manganelli was Brownlee’s first hire, initially helping with camera work and equipment at the Consumer Electronics Show. The wider team has taken on responsibilities including sponsorship coordination, research, script supervision, graphic design, motion graphics, and editing.

Brownlee has said that a standard review is usually highly organized and largely scripted after the product has been tested. Other videos are less scripted when they depend on experiences that cannot be predicted in advance. He considers the review itself, content strategy, and distribution strategy central functions of his role as the creator behind MKBHD.

Alongside his media career, Brownlee has played professional ultimate frisbee. He joined Garden State Ultimate in 2015, played for the Philadelphia Phoenix in 2017, and has been associated with the New York Empire of the Ultimate Frisbee Association.

With New York PoNY, Brownlee won the 2022 WFDF World Ultimate Club Championship in the Open Category. He also competed for the United States at the 2025 World Games, where the team earned a mixed-team medal.

Brownlee has described himself as an offensive player who connects handlers and receivers. In 2024, he said that training camps and practices for the national team would take additional time because representing the United States had been one of his highest goals after playing the sport for almost 20 years.

In September 2024, Brownlee launched Panels, an app for browsing and downloading curated wallpapers on iOS and Android. The app drew criticism over its subscription pricing, advertising for free users, privacy concerns, quality, and the inclusion of AI-generated art. Brownlee acknowledged the criticism, reduced the pricing, and addressed several of the other concerns. He later announced that Panels would shut down at the end of 2025.

In November 2024, a sponsored DJI action-camera review drew backlash after including footage of Brownlee driving at 96 miles per hour in a neighborhood with a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit. He removed the driving segment, apologized, and described the conduct as dangerous and inexcusable. Later body-camera footage showed additional traffic stops involving speeding and vehicle equipment violations.