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Linus Sebastian
Canadian YouTuber (born 1986)

Linus Gabriel Sebastian (born August 20, 1986) is a Canadian YouTuber renowned for creating and hosting popular YouTube technology channels, including Linus Tech Tips, which launched its first video on November 24, 2008. By December 2024, LTT boasts 16 million subscribers and over 8.27 billion views, with Sebastian’s combined channels reaching more than 32 million subscribers and 11 billion views. Before founding Linus Media Group in 2012, he was the principal presenter for the former Canadian retailer NCIX. He served as LMG’s CEO until July 2023, when he became the chief vision officer, focusing on the company's strategic and creative future.

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Biography

Linus Gabriel Sebastian10 was born on August 20, 1986,11 and grew up on a hobby farm in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.121314 He was named after Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize–winning American chemist.15 He was diagnosed with ADHD as a child.16 Prior to his technology career, Sebastian briefly worked as a painter by trade,171819 however, he suffered from depression during his second year of house painting for Student Works and quit his job as a result.2021

Sebastian has been married to Yvonne Ho since April 2011. He is also the father of three children: a son and two daughters.22

Career

See also: Linus Media Group § History

Sebastian worked for the Canadian online computer store NCIX23 in various roles, including as a sales representative and product manager.24 He was asked to be the host for its technology channel, which was created to help demonstrate products.25 Sebastian shot videos with a camera borrowed from the son of the company's president.26 The first official NCIX Tech Tips video for YouTube was uploaded on 25 July 2007.27

Due to high production costs, rising brand partner demands, and relatively low viewership,28 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.29 He described TigerDirect and Newegg as competitors.30 Linus Tech Tips was created on November 24, 2008.31 He eventually left NCIX and founded Linus Media Group (LMG) following a dispute regarding company management. He negotiated an agreement in which he could keep Linus Tech Tips as a property of LMG, as long as he signed a long-term agreement to help build an in-house NCIX video team and signed a non-compete clause.32

In May of 2023 it was announced that Sebastian would be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of Linus Media Group in July of 2023. He then transitioned into a creative role entitled Chief Vision Officer,3334 and continues to be involved in the writing, production, and the core philosophy of the company's business.35

In August 2023, a controversy emerged after Gamers Nexus, a YouTube channel, published a video about Sebastian and Linus Media Group,36 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.37383940 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".41 LMG paused video production while it investigated the claims.4243 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.444546

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.47

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.48

In September 2021, Sebastian disclosed a personal investment of nearly $225,000 in Framework Computer, a manufacturer of modular laptops.49

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.50

On April 2, 2025, Linus Media Group (Canada) and KIOXIA (USA) achieved a Guinness World Record for calculating the most accurate value of pi.515253

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
PublisherYearListiclePlacementRef.
Inc. (magazine)2015Top 30 Power Players in Tech4th54

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Linus Sebastian.

References

  1. "Linus Tech Tips's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved July 9, 2024. https://socialblade.com/youtube/c/linus_tech_tips ↩

  2. Subscribers, broken down by channel:[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] 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. Views, broken down by channel:[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][11][10] 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) ↩

  4. "Linus Media Group Inc". OrgBook BC. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved June 24, 2025. https://orgbook.gov.bc.ca/entity/BC0951860 ↩

  5. 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. https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/26/23846889/linus-tech-tips-gamersnexus-harassment-controversy-response ↩

  6. 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. https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/08/17/youtube-channel-linus-tech-tips-inaccuracies-and-sexual-harassment-allegations-explained/ ↩

  7. 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. https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/08/17/youtube-channel-linus-tech-tips-inaccuracies-and-sexual-harassment-allegations-explained/ ↩

  8. Boyd, Daniel (May 19, 2023). "Linus Sebastian is Stepping Down from Linus Tech Tips". Game Rant. Retrieved May 9, 2024. https://gamerant.com/linus-tech-tips-stepping-down-ceo/ ↩

  9. Colin and Samir (December 26, 2024). An Unfiltered Conversation with Linus Tech Tips. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=VlaLPsu4wNvUDr9K&t=6473&v=nmNzEf7dXsw&feature=youtu.be ↩

  10. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dKrr5zhD9Y ↩

  11. 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. https://x.com/LinusTech/status/501972523043799040 ↩

  12. I Make Questionable Choices Sometimes... Linus Media Group. March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YznFvx5DFUw&t=971 ↩

  13. 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? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btlttmh-xpc&t=2h20m33s ↩

  14. Sebastian, Linus (September 14, 2022). This Is So Embarrassing! (Video). Linus Media Group. Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOdp09SYhCc ↩

  15. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ude5tDTXx_Q&t=34m13s ↩

  16. LinusTechTips (January 28, 2022). r/PCMasterRace Hates Me... The WAN Show (YouTube video). Event occurs at 1:48:30. Retrieved March 4, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-znPFc-0VS8 ↩

  17. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtmha7cCRfM&t=47m23s ↩

  18. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ctXiZsN6ac&t=1h23m42s ↩

  19. LMG Clips (April 13, 2022). The Paint Rant. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2025 – via YouTube. With the new house being painted, are you comfortable with others doing it, or would you rather do it, considering you used to work as a painter? https://web.archive.org/web/20220415041938/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=298tsR9Mgh8 ↩

  20. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ5SK17KNVs&t=1h8m22s ↩

  21. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ctXiZsN6ac&t=1h24m8s ↩

  22. "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. https://www.outlookindia.com/canada/tech-expert-and-famous-canadian-youtuber-linus-sebastian-s-family-life-a-journey-of-love-and-innovation-news-312062 ↩

  23. "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. https://lifehacker.com/im-linus-sebastian-of-linustechtips-and-this-is-how-i-1719745217 ↩

  24. "Our Team". Linus Media Group. 2018. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20180721004829/http://www.linusmediagroup.com/history ↩

  25. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/technology/linus-sebastian-youtube-company.html ↩

  26. "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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJbLHLnTrd4&t=0m50s ↩

  27. 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. https://web.archive.org/web/20130605161317/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhA0X6_z3lY ↩

  28. "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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJbLHLnTrd4&t=0m50s ↩

  29. "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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJbLHLnTrd4&t=0m50s ↩

  30. "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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJbLHLnTrd4&t=0m50s ↩

  31. "About". Linus Tech Tips. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/user/LinusTechTips/about ↩

  32. "Why Linus Left NCIX". August 2, 2020. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUz10TAmsXA&t=99s ↩

  33. 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. https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/08/17/youtube-channel-linus-tech-tips-inaccuracies-and-sexual-harassment-allegations-explained/ ↩

  34. Boyd, Daniel (May 19, 2023). "Linus Sebastian is Stepping Down from Linus Tech Tips". Game Rant. Retrieved May 9, 2024. https://gamerant.com/linus-tech-tips-stepping-down-ceo/ ↩

  35. Shepherd, Ian. "Leading Creator Reveals How He Makes Money—And It's Not What You Think". Forbes. Retrieved May 16, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianshepherd/2025/03/29/leading-creator-reveals-how-he-makes-money-and-its-not-what-you-think/ ↩

  36. Burke, Stephen (August 14, 2023). "The Problem with Linus Tech Tips: Accuracy, Ethics, & Responsibility". www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGW3TPytTjc ↩

  37. Andy Chalk (August 15, 2023). "The recent criticism of Linus Tech Tips, explained". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 28, 2024. https://www.pcgamer.com/the-recent-criticism-of-linus-tech-tips-explained/ ↩

  38. Cranz, Alex (August 16, 2023). "Linus Tech Tips pauses production as controversy swirls". The Verge. Retrieved April 28, 2024. https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/16/23834190/linus-tech-tips-gamersnexus-madison-reeves-controversy ↩

  39. 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. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/linus-tech-tips-youtube-controversy-1.6940087 ↩

  40. Donovan, Imogen (August 17, 2023). "What's happening with Linus Tech Tips and why has it halted production?". NME. Retrieved April 28, 2024. https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/whats-happening-with-linus-tech-tips-and-why-has-it-halted-production-3484436 ↩

  41. Andy Chalk (August 15, 2023). "The recent criticism of Linus Tech Tips, explained". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 28, 2024. https://www.pcgamer.com/the-recent-criticism-of-linus-tech-tips-explained/ ↩

  42. Donovan, Imogen (August 17, 2023). "What's happening with Linus Tech Tips and why has it halted production?". NME. Retrieved April 28, 2024. https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/whats-happening-with-linus-tech-tips-and-why-has-it-halted-production-3484436 ↩

  43. 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. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/linus-tech-tips-youtube-controversy-1.6940087 ↩

  44. Andy Chalk (August 15, 2023). "The recent criticism of Linus Tech Tips, explained". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 28, 2024. https://www.pcgamer.com/the-recent-criticism-of-linus-tech-tips-explained/ ↩

  45. 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. https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/26/23846889/linus-tech-tips-gamersnexus-harassment-controversy-response ↩

  46. Norton, Brad (August 15, 2023). "Linus admits to "sloppiness" in Gamers Nexus response but lashes out at public criticism". Dexerto. Retrieved June 19, 2025. https://www.dexerto.com/tech/linus-admits-to-sloppiness-gamers-nexus-response-lashes-out-public-criticism-2249708/ ↩

  47. "Bad Bunny and Jimmy Fallon Try Out Crazy Gadgets with Tech Tips' Linus Sebastian". NBC. January 14, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025. https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/linus-tech-tips-jimmy-fallon-bad-bunny-video ↩

  48. 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. http://tech.co/secrets-successful-tech-youtube-2014-11 ↩

  49. Sebastian, Linus (September 15, 2021). I'm Legally Obligated to Disclose This - Framework investment. Linus Tech Tips. Retrieved May 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxbc1IN9Gg ↩

  50. Linus Tech Tips (March 24, 2023). My Channel Was Deleted Last Night. Retrieved June 18, 2025 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXaAWbzl5A ↩

  51. Linus Tech Tips (May 16, 2025). This World Record took YEARS (and a Million dollars..). Retrieved June 15, 2025 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD-AJwqzWsU ↩

  52. Guinness World Records, ed. (April 2, 2025). "Most Accurate Value of Pi". Guinness World Records. Retrieved June 19, 2025. /wiki/Guinness_World_Records ↩

  53. "KIOXIA and Linus Media Group Set World Record for Pi Calculation". www.businesswire.com. Business Wire. May 16, 2025. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025. http://web.archive.org/web/20250619234247/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250516480142/en/KIOXIA-and-Linus-Media-Group-Set-World-Record-for-Pi-Calculation ↩

  54. 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. https://web.archive.org/web/20150724073213/https://www.inc.com/john-rampton/30-power-players-in-tech-you-need-to-know.html ↩