The Top 5 Google Adsense earners

James Ryan Jonas

With amounts ranging from almost a million dollars to US$636,000 to US$132,000, the following are the biggest known checks ever received from Google Adsense.

Here they are.

1. Check amount: CAD 901,733.84 (US$900,000)
Website: PlentyofFish.com

Markus Frind runs the online dating site, www.plentyoffish.com, with only one employee: his girlfriend. The site, now ranked by Alexa.com as the 760th most visited site worldwide, receives up to 500 million pageviews a month and makes up to $10,000 a day. According to Frind, the check represents his Adsense earnings for 2 months.

Top Google Adsense earners (Global, Filipino, Pinoy)

2. Payment amount: US$636,524.75

Website: Unknown

This does not necessarily fall under the list of “Biggest Adsense Checks” because the money was sent via EFT or Electronic Funds Transfer, but who gives a damn if the payment amount is worth more than $600,000?

The check owner understandably does not want to announce what his site is, but for now, just drool at this check and the other check of his below.

Top Google Adsense earners

3. Payment amount: US$281,065.06
Website: Unknown

Photos are from the Flickr album of lazygeek10.

4. Check amount: US$132,994.97
Main Website: ShoeMoney.com

Problogger Jeremy Schoemaker received the check in August 2005. He claims that was his biggest paper check from Adsense ever. He has already stopped using Adsense to monetize his sites, but continues to earn thousands of dollars every month from other online advertising networks and affiliate programs…

… such as Commission Junction (CJ.com) where he has earned $709,626.81 as of March 2007.

5. Check amount: PHP 502,657.38 (US$12,000)
Website: Unknown

A Filipino publisher started a user-generated content website in October 2006 and the site traffic — together with his Google Adsense earnings — increased exponentially from then on. The check above was the site’s earnings for July 2007 alone, converted into Philippine Peso. I have an idea what the website is, but since the owner himself does not want to disclose it, I’m keeping this a secret.

Judging from the payment checks above, there indeed is money on the internet. Have you found it? If you did and have screenshots of Adsense payments or other checks to prove it, why not share it here?

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James Ryan Jonas teaches business management, investments, and entrepreneurship at the University of the Philippines (UP). He is also the Executive Director of UP Provident Fund Inc., managing and investing P3.2 Billion ($56.4 Million) worth of retirement funds on behalf of thousands of UP employees.