YouTube sent shockwaves across the internet this week with the unexpected release of its list of top content creators for the year 2025. The ranking, which was shared on the social media platform X by the account @FearedBuck on Wednesday, December 3, contained a name that left users utterly bewildered and sparked a firestorm of debate.
The Viral Shock: A Deceased Creator in the Top Ten
While the presence of mega-creators like MrBeast at the number one spot and channels like Outdoor Boys at number ten seemed predictable to many, the list took a bizarre turn at the sixth position. There, listed among the platform's most influential voices, was Charlie Kirk. The inclusion was shocking for one simple, grim reason: Charlie Kirk was killed earlier in 2025.
The immediate reaction online was a mix of disbelief, dark humour, and sheer confusion. Social media users flooded the comments section of the post, unable to process the information. One user quipped, “Is Charlie Kirk streaming from hell?” while another simply posted a baffled, “Charlie?” Expressions of shock like “no, not Charlie” and questions such as “What’s Charlie Kirk doing there?” dominated the thread. Amidst the widespread astonishment, a lone voice of support commented, “Number 6 is valid,” adding to the viral cocktail of reactions that propelled the post to instant fame.
Charlie Kirk's Legacy and the Mystery of the Ranking
For those unfamiliar, Charlie Kirk was a prominent conservative activist and the founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA). His life was tragically cut short on September 10, 2025, when he was shot during a public Q&A session at Utah Valley University, part of TPUSA's American Comeback Tour. Witnesses reported that Kirk had just answered a question about gun violence moments before being shot in the neck. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries the same day at the age of 32.
Following his death, TPUSA announced that his wife, Erika Kirk, would assume the role of CEO. The alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, was arrested two days later, and his murder trial remains ongoing. However, public interest in Charlie Kirk did not fade; it intensified dramatically. According to reports, Charlie Kirk's Wikipedia page became the most-read article of 2025, amassing nearly 45 million views, primarily in the weeks after his death. This placed him above other global figures like Pope Francis and Donald Trump on the same list.
How Could a Deceased Person Rank on YouTube?
The perplexing appearance of Charlie Kirk on YouTube's year-end list is likely a direct result of this sustained, posthumous surge in online attention. In the months following his death, millions of people searched for his name, re-watched his old video clips, and shared his content across social platforms. YouTube's algorithm, which tracks views and engagement, likely counted this massive wave of retrospective interest, mechanically placing his channel among the most discussed for the year. This algorithmic quirk, devoid of human context, resulted in the macabre and viral listing that confused the internet.
The incident highlights how digital platforms' automated systems can sometimes create jarring and insensitive outcomes, detaching raw data from sombre real-world events. It serves as a strange footnote to the legacy of a controversial figure, ensuring his name trends once more, albeit for a most unexpected reason.
