Creators. Influencers. Vloggers. Streamers. Whatever you choose to call them, these influential social media figures are in charge of entertainment and advertising. To generate an estimated $700 million in revenue this year, the 50 honorees on our second annual Forbes Top Creator list united their 2.6 billion followers. Over 20% more than the $570 million score from 2022, this amount. They are not alone; corporations will reportedly spend $21 billion on creator marketing in 2023, up from just $1.6 billion seven years ago, predicts Influencer Marketing Hub, a social media research company.
“Influencers are more trusted by their audiences than ads. They can sell out products in minutes. They can cause a flash mob that shuts down a major city,” says Erin Lanuti, the chief innovation officer at ad titan Omnicom PR Group.
With the help of the creative marketing company Influential, Forbes crunched data on the expected earnings, follower counts, engagement rates, and entrepreneurial activities of thousands of internet personalities to rank the world’s Top Creators.
As a result, the 50 people used their sizable fan bases to transform the media, marketing, entertainment, and taste industries.
Earnings: $82M
Total Followers: 312M
Avg. Engagement: 9.8%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Nearly as many people follow MrBeast as there are the U.S. population, with more than 300 million followers. MrBeast gained fame and power thanks to his high-quality videos and daring acts, such as his 50-hour survival in the Antarctic and creation of a Wonka chocolate factory.
Earnings: $24M
Total Followers: 112M
Avg. Engagement: 6.5%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Olajide Olatunji, better known online as KSI, started reacting to FIFA video games in 2009 and quickly gained millions of fans thanks to his bizarre humor. Since then, he has evolved from a comedian to a contender, becoming a rapper and a boxer. In 2023, he will release two singles, and his promotional organization, Misfits Boxing, has signed a multiyear distribution contract. Together with Logan Paul (ranked #6 on the Top Creators list), he is the face of Prime Hydration. This year, FC Barcelona, the UFC, and Arsenal all adopted the sports drink as their official drink.
Earnings: $34M
Total Followers: 66M
Avg. Engagement: 1.6%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Jake Paul, the former Vine star turned professional boxer known for his outrageous YouTube antics like getting surprise tattoos, eating dog food, and taking Icy Hot baths, is no stranger to the outrage cycle.
Earnings: $35M
Total Followers: 32M
Avg. Engagement: 0.85%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The two former engineers, Rhett James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln “Link” Neal III, who have been best friends since elementary school, started uploading comedy shows to YouTube in 2011. More than 100 people are currently employed by their Burbank, California-based entertainment firm, Mythical, to produce YouTube series for over 18 million subscribers, including the cooking show Mythical Kitchen, the daily variety show Good Mythical Morning, and the sketch comedy channel Smosh. They also produce live summits and podcasts. They sell merchandise online, including hoodies, kitchenware, and toiletries.
Earnings: $23M
Total Followers: 213M
Avg. Engagement: 0.7%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The D’Ameli dynasty is only expanding, with Charli D’Amelio still holding the title of top female creator on TikTok and the Forbes Top Creators list. The Connecticut native, who is currently one of the most well-known online stars, is the face of Prada and a walking advertisement for Amazon, CeraVe, and SKIMS, the clothing label she co-founded with Kim Kardashian. Born Dreamer, a fragrance by D’Amelio that has been around for a year, is available in stores all around the world. Social Tourist, the clothing line she and her sister Dixie (#18 on this list) established with Hollister in 2021, can be found on apparel racks. The D’Amelio family is running their recently launched shoe brand, D’Amelio Footwear, as well as filming the third season of their reality series “The D’Amelio Show” on Hulu. Earlier than Charli’s 20th birthday, too.
Earnings: $21M
Total Followers: 74M
Avg. Engagement: 1.25%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Logan Paul and his brother Jake (#3 on the Top Creator list) first gained popularity on Vine. Logan Paul then used this momentum to launch his YouTube channel and post vlogs and stunts, such as giving away iPhones and battling famous people like Kevin Hart. Along with YouTuber KSI (ranked #2 on the Top Creators List), he has continued to promote Prime Hydration since leaving his WWE contract this year.
Earnings: $30M
Total Followers: 17M
Avg. Engagement: 1%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The brain behind the social media empire FJerryLLC is the original meme king, Elliot Tebele, real name. 40 million people follow its accounts, which include F*ckJerry, BeigeCardigan, DudeWithSign, and JerryNews. But his real money comes from his board game empire, which includes the “What Do You Meme” party game, which is offered at Target, Walmart, and Amazon stores all over the country. Tebele has also entered the booze business with its viral tequila brand Jaja.
Earnings: $20M
Total Followers: 28M
Avg. Engagement: 6.25%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Emma Chamberlain dropped out of high school, gathered 27.9 million followers, and created a lifestyle empire with her dry humor and love of fashion after starting to record YouTube videos in her mother’s home. Chamberlain was one of the first creators to sign a lucrative contract with Louis Vuitton for high fashion, and he has since signed deals worth millions of dollars with companies like Cartier, Lancome, Levi’s, Aritzia, and Canon. Chamberlain Coffee, her beverage startup, sells at Walmart and Sprouts, and in February, “Anthyting Goes,” her podcast, started an exclusive Spotify video deal.
Earnings: $25M
Total Followers: 22M
Avg. Engagement: 10.7%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Stand-up comedian Rife sells out his live concerts by leveraging his social media fame. Rife gained success on TikTok after a decade of playing local clubs after a video of him chatting with a female fan went viral. The Ohio native has more than 17 million TikTok followers and has sold more than 750,000 tickets for his international tour in the past year. Later this year, his “Natural Selection” Netflix stand-up special will be available to view.
Earnings: $17.5M
Total Followers: 96M
Avg. Engagement: 11.25%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Starting with Vine, moving on to YouTube, and finishing up on TikTok, Brent Rivera has mastered some of the most widely used social media sites. His humorous videos, which frequently involve his younger sister, Lexi, now have 50 million followers. However, the 25-year-old Streamy Award winner is equally adept at running a business as he is at making content and collaborating with giant brands like Starbucks, Xbox, and Prada. In the meantime, he runs Amp Studios, a media company he founded in 2017 to aid other creators and up-and-coming brands.
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