The social media stars turning followers into fortunes.
Edited by Steven Bertoni. Reporting by Steffi Cao, Matt Craig and Alexandra S. Levine. Photography by Devin Yalkin.
Creators. Influencers. Streamers. Vloggers. Whatever you call them, these powerful social media personalities are calling the shots in entertainment and advertising.
This year, the 50 honourees on our second annual Forbes Top Creator list harnessed their combined 2.6 billion followers to haul in an estimated $700 million in earnings. That’s up more than 20% from 2022’s $570 million score. They’re not alone, in 2023 brands will spend an estimated $21 billion on creator marketing, up from just $1.6 billion seven years ago, according to the social media research firm, Influencer Marketing Hub.
“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.
To rank the world’s Top Creators, Forbes crunched data on the estimated earnings, follower counts, engagement rates, and entrepreneurial activities of thousands of internet personalities with the help of the creator marketing firm, Influential.
The result: The 50 people tapping their massive fan bases to reshape the worlds of media, marketing, entertainment, and taste.
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No.1
Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast)
Earnings: $82M
Total Followers: 312M
Avg. Engagement: 9.8%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
With more than 300 million followers, MrBeast’s fan base is nearly as large as the U.S. population. MrBeast’s power and popularity stem from his high production videos and stunts that include surviving in Antarctica for 50 hours and building a Wonka chocolate factory. The YouTube titan, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has used his massive clout to earn a fortune in digital ad dollars—and build a real-world empire. Beast-based brands include Feastables snack bars and the MrBeast Burgers restaurant chain, plus Donaldson’s sprawling merch line. (Disclosure: Donaldson is slated to become a member of Forbes’ board when a planned sale of the company is completed.)
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No.2
Olajide Olatunji (KSI)
Earnings: $24M
Total Followers: 112M
Avg. Engagement: 6.5%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Olajide Olatunji, known as KSI, began reacting to FIFA video games on YouTube in 2009, attracting millions of followers for his outlandish humor. He’s since gone from comedian to contender, transforming into a rapper and boxer, releasing two singles in 2023, and securing a multiyear distribution deal for his promotional company, Misfits Boxing. He’s the face of Prime Hydration alongside Logan Paul (#6 on the Top Creators list). The sports drink became the official drink for FC Barcelona, UFC, and Arsenal this year. Controversy has followed Olatunji for boxing decorum, misogynistic content, and racist and transphobic slurs, but he always turns the scandals into views, both online and in the ring.
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No. 03
Jake Paul
Earnings: $34M
Total Followers: 66M
Avg. Engagement: 1.6%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The outrage cycle is no stranger to Jake Paul, the Vine star turned boxer whose stunts on YouTube—such as surprise tattoos, eating dog food, and bathing in Icy Hot—have attracted millions of fans. And attracted controversy including allegations of sexual misconduct, scamming fans, and most recently, an SEC charge for undisclosed cryptocurrency sponsorship. Still, Paul’s ability to orchestrate spectacles made him one of the highest-paid athletes in 2022. He landed a sponsorship with the energy drink Celsius, founded the sports betting app “Betr” that raised a $50 million Series A, and this year, signed an MMA contract to fight in a new pay-per-view division.
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No.4
Rhett & Link
Earnings: $35M
Total Followers: 32M
Avg. Engagement: 0.85%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Best friends since grade school, the two former engineers—real names Rhett James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln “Link” Neal III—began posting comedy shows on YouTube in 2011. Today their Burbank, California, entertainment company, Mythical, employs more than 100 people who create YouTube series like the daily variety show Good Mythical Morning, the Mythical Kitchen cooking show and sketch comedy channel Smosh for their 18 million subscribers. The pair produces podcasts and live summits too. Their online store hawks merch ranging from hoodies to kitchen tools to toiletries.
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No.5
Charli D’Amelio
Earnings: $23M
Total Followers: 213M
Avg. Engagement: 0.7%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Charli D’Amelio continues to reign supreme as the top female creator on TikTok and the Forbes Top Creators list—and the D’Amelio dynasty is only growing. The Connecticut native, now one of the most viral stars on the internet, has become a face of Prada and a walking advertisement for Amazon, CeraVe and SKIMS, the clothing line co-founded by Kim Kardashian. D’Amelio’s year-old fragrance, Born Dreamer, is on shelves across the U.S. and Europe. On clothing racks, you’ll find Social Tourist, the brand she and her sister Dixie (#18 on this list) launched with Hollister in 2021. The family is shooting the third season of their reality series “The D’Amelio Show” for Hulu and also running their recently-launched shoe brand, D’Amelio Footwear. All this, before Charli’s turned 20.
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No.6
Logan Paul
Earnings: $21M
Total Followers: 74M
Avg. Engagement: 1.25%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Logan Paul first went viral on Vine with his brother Jake (#3 on the Top Creator list), using that momentum to open his YouTube to post vlogs and stunts, like giving away iPhones and fighting celebrities like Kevin Hart. The channel has drawn 23.6 million subscribers, but Paul’s alarming and insensitive videos, including showing a dead body in Japan’s “suicide forest,” led him to become temporarily demonetized on the platform. So the creator took his knack for shock value and pivoted into wrestling. He resigned his WWE deal this year, and has continued to promote Prime Hydration alongside YouTuber KSI (#2 on the Top Creators List). Paul also co-hosts a podcast with his brother Impaulsive, where they address continued controversy.
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No.7
Elliot Tebele (F*ckJerry)
Earnings: $30M
Total Followers: 17M
Avg. Engagement: 1%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The original meme king, whose real name is Elliot Tebele, is the brain behind social media empire FJerryLLC. Its accounts, including F*ckJerry, BeigeCardigan, DudeWithSign, and JerryNews, attract 40 million followers. But his big bucks come from his board game empire that includes his party game “What Do You Meme”, which is sold nationwide at Target, Walmart, and Amazon. Tebele has also branched into the booze business with viral tequila brand Jaja.
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No.8
Emma Chamberlain
Earnings: $20M
Total Followers: 28M
Avg. Engagement: 6.25%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Since filming YouTube videos in her mother’s house, Emma Chamberlain dropped out of high school, amassed 27.9 million followers, and turned her dry humor and passion for fashion into a lifestyle empire. Chamberlain was one of the first creators to secure a high fashion deal with Louis Vuitton, and has continued to ink lucrative partnerships with companies including Cartier, Lancome, Levi’s, Aritzia, and Canon. Her beverage company Chamberlain Coffee sells at Walmart and Sprouts, and her podcast, “Anthyting Goes,” began an exclusive Spotify video deal in February.
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No.9
Matt Rife
Earnings: $25M
Total Followers: 22M
Avg. Engagement: 10.7%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Rife, a stand up comedian, is using social media stardom to sell out live shows. After a decade performing at small clubs, Rife found TikTok fame after a clip of him joking with a female fan went viral. Over the last year, the Ohio native has amassed 17 million TikTok followers and sold more than 750,000 tickets for his international tour. His Netflix stand-up special “Natural Selection” is due to stream later this year.
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No.10
Brent Rivera
Earnings: $17.5M
Total Followers: 96M
Avg. Engagement: 11.25%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Brent Rivera has mastered several of the world’s most popular social media platforms—starting with Vine, then YouTube, and finally TikTok—where his comedic videos (which often feature his younger sister, Lexi) now attract an audience of 50 million fans. But the 25-year-old Streamy Award-winner is as much a businessman as he is a creator, partnering with giant brands like Starbucks, Xbox and Prada. Meanwhile, his Amp Studios, a media company he started in 2017 to support other creators and emerging brands.
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No.11
Khabane (Khaby) Lame
Earnings: $16.5M
Total Followers: 244M
Avg. Engagement: 0.85%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
For Lame, silence is golden. TikTok’s million-dollar mime fetches $750,000 to feature a product in a TikTok and Instagram post. Lame, who in 2019 was assembling car filters in a factory outside Turin, now has more than 240 million social media followers and has scored lucrative partnerships with Hugo Boss, State Farm, and Middle East bank QNB. This fall, he was featured as a character in Fortnite, the blockbuster multiplayer video game with more than 230 million monthly players.
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No.12
Alexandra Cooper
Earnings: $20M
Total Followers: 5M
Avg. Engagement: 14%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Call her mogul. Cooper, who shot to fame with the podcast “Call Her Daddy,” is the queen of streams, with a reported three-year, $60 million deal with Spotify. Cooper, who discusses sex and relationships with stars like Janelle Monáe and Post Malone, is the most popular female podcaster on the network. This June, she launched Trending, a Gen Z-focused media company cofounded with fiancé Matt Kaplan. In September, her podcast company, The Unwell Network, debuted the show “Hot Mess” with TikTok star Alix Earle (#42 on the Top Creators list) .
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No.13
Mark Edward Fischbach (Markiplier)
Earnings: $30M
Total Followers: 68M
Avg. Engagement: 0.40%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
In December, YouTuber Mark Fischbach pledged to start a risqué OnlyFans—to raise money for charity—if his 35 million YouTube subscribers could help push his two podcasts, “Distractible” and “Go! My Favorite Sports Team,” to the top of the charts. They did, and his “tasteful nudes” drew more than 120,000 subscribers. A few months later, Spotify signed Markiplier to a multimillion-dollar podcast contract. In addition to his popular Let’s Play videos, Fischbach runs the Cloak clothing brand and is working on a forthcoming horror feature film for which he co-wrote, directed, and starred.
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No.15
Sean McLoughlin (Jacksepticeye)
Earnings: $27M
Total Followers: 26M
Avg. Engagement: 0.60%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Irish YouTuber Sean McLoughlin has shown a knack for selling hoodies and t-shirts to his gaming fans. Cloak, the clothing brand he co-founded with fellow creator Markiplier (#12 on the Top Creators list), was one of his biggest revenue sources in the past year. In December, he harnessed the brand to raise more than $10 million for the charity World Central Kitchen by selling “Thankmas” t-shirts. Earlier this year, he also relaunched his “Top Of The Mornin’ Coffee” brand. “I don’t pretend to be like a business mogul,” he told Forbes in March. “I just try and make fun things that people can react to.”
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No.15
Huda Kattan
Earnings: $13M
Total Followers: 69M
Avg. Engagement: 1.40%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Growing up in Oklahoma, Huda Kattan often spoke about the bullying she faced from growing up as an Iraqi-American in a predominantly white environment. She eventually left the Midwest to become a celebrity makeup artist in Dubai and Los Angeles. In 2010, she started posting her tips and tricks on a WordPress blog called “Huda Beauty,” which championed diversity in beauty. Since then, her cosmetic brand, Huda Beauty, has become an international sensation, retailing in Sephora and Harrods. Kattan has expanded to skincare with her brand Wishful Skincare. Thanks to her two companies, Kattan has a networth of $400 million, making her one of America’s richest self-made women.
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No. 16
Preston Arsement (PrestonPlayz)
Earnings: $35M
Total Followers: 26M
Avg. Engagement: 0.26%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Blink, and you might miss his cameo in “Sonic The Hedgehog 2” playing volleyball with James Marsden, but one-name YouTuber Preston’s behind-the-scenes video of the experience was watched more than 10 million times. 2023 has been a career year for the 29-year-old gamer, whose real name is Preston Arsement. He landed an eight-figure deal with Spotter for a share of his YouTube back catalog, brought his brand deal negotiations in-house, and released his own graphic novel, “PrestonPlayz: The Mystery of the Super Spooky Secret House.”
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No.17
Ryan Kaji
Earnings: $35M
Total Followers: 36M
Avg. Engagement: 0.75%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Kaji, the titan of toys, achieved social media success at the age of 9 when his toy reviews and unboxing videos went viral. His family has since turned his influence into a company, Ryan’s World, that sells toys, board games, and clothing. Kaji has entered video game collaborations with Roblox and Xbox too. His wildly popular YouTube channel gets more than 3 billion views a year, reaping an annual eight-figure windfall from Google AdSense.
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No.18
Dixie D’Amelio
Earnings: $11.5M
Total Followers: 91M
Avg. Engagement: 0.40%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Dixie D’Amelio is building her own name with—and independently of—her younger sister Charli (#5 on this list). With a loyal audience nearly 100 million strong across TikTok, Instagram and her fast-growing YouTube channel, Dixie has parlayed her internet fame into a career spanning music, fashion and entertainment. The singer released her debut album, “A Letter to Me”, in 2022; her casual clothing line Social Tourist (with Charli and Hollister) in 2021; and the third season of “The D’Amelio Show”, her family’s reality TV series on Hulu, this fall. She has partnered with high-end brands including Valentino, Burberry and Ralph Lauren, and this past spring, she dropped a shoe with Puma and launched D’Amelio Footwear under the family’s consumer product company, D’Amelio Brands.
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No.19
Zach King
Earnings: $13M
Total Followers: 125M
Avg. Engagement: 8.00%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Meet the internet’s magician. It’s hard to look away from Zach King’s short, enthralling videos—centered on magic tricks and optical illusions—that have rocketed him to mega-fame on YouTube, TikTok and across the internet. His illusions have landed him collabs with special effects legend Adam Savage, actors Terry Crews, Zachary Levi and Gal Gadot, The Jonas Brothers; and several Korean pop stars. (King also recently won the 2023 Streamy Award for Visual and Special Effects.) Some of the magic is, of course, King’s masterful filmmaking—one example being an early, viral TikTok where King, dressed as a Hogwarts reject, appears to be flying on a broomstick, only to reveal he’s actually on a longboard. (The clip won the Guinness World Record for the most-viewed TikTok video of all time as of 2022.)
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N0.20
Drew Desbordes (Druski)
Earnings: $10M
Total Followers: 12M
Avg. Engagement: 5.75%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Digital Jokester Drew “Druski” Desbordes has turned his funny digital skits into a media empire. Over the last year, the comedian—who is also an actor—has been the opener for concerts by musicians J. Cole and Lil Baby, acted in TV series “House Party” and “Praise This,” and went on his own sold out comedy tour “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.” Druski’s’s also launching a satirical record label, Coulda Been Records. Corporate partners include Nike, Google and AT&T. He’s also the pitchman for Happy Dad, a hard seltzer brand that he partly owns.
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No.21
Chiara Ferragni
Earnings: $7M
Total Followers: 36M
Avg. Engagement: 1.50%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Ferragni has been a model, blogger, TV star, and founder. The Italian used her blog, “The Blonde Salad,” launched in 2009, as a springboard into the world of high fashion. Partnerships have included couture brands such as Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Gucci, Prada, Christian Dior, and Fendi. Ferragni has expanded beyond endorsements to entrepreneurship. Her TBS crew manages her media sites and a talent agency. Her eponymous brand, Chiara Ferragni, sells eyewear, shoes, ready-to-wear clothing, makeup, and swimsuits. In June 2023, venture firm AVM Gestioni reportedly bought 25% of the company at a 75 million Euro valuation. Ferragni also sits on the board of billionaire Diego Della Valle’s fashion company, Tod’s Group.
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No.22
Bailey Sarian
Earnings: $13M
Total Followers: 13M
Avg. Engagement: 0.50%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Murder, makeup, and money—all in a day’s work for true crime podcaster, Bailey Sarian. In 2013, the Californian began posting routine beauty tutorials on YouTube but hit streaming stardom when she started combining true crime stories with her makeup videos in 2019. Today, Sarian has more than 7 million YouTube subscribers to her series “Murder, Mystery & Makeup.” In 2023, she signed a lucrative deal with podcast network Audioboom Studios for her show, “Dark History.”
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No.23
Addison Rae Easterling
Earnings: $6M
Total Followers: 142M
Avg. Engagement: 0.80%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Addison Rae Easterling has gone from lip-syncing on TikTok to scoring her own record deal—her debut album, “AR”, dropped in August. The Louisiana-born creator has continued to reach new heights from her humble beginnings, branching out from perfume to film. In September, she released her brand, Addison Rae Fragrance. She is slated to star in two upcoming feature movies: the thriller film “Thanksgiving” and “Animal Friends,” a live-action hybrid movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Momoa. On the endorsement side, the influencer has inked partnerships with companies like Givenchy, Google, and Hanes over the last year.
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No. 24
Adam Waheed (Adam W)
Earnings: $11M
Total Followers: 38M
Avg. Engagement: 1.50%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
The comedian’s YouTube over-the-top skits on topics like losing your car, having your credit card declined, and taking a bad GPS shortcut have scored more than 1 billion views. Adam W, born Adam Waheed, has turned streaming fame into big-time endorsements. Partnerships include Adobe, Google, the NFL, L’Oreal, and Old Spice. On the entrepreneurship side, he’s launched Creator Circle, an education company that teaches people how to go viral, and the $15 million Early Stage Fund to invest in creators.
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No.25
Josh Richards
Earnings: $5M
Total Followers: 34M
Avg. Engagement: 1.60%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
An online audience of more than 42 million has helped this Canadian heartthrob transform his social media stardom into a business and entertainment empire. He’s now the host of Barstool Sports’ BFFs podcast, alongside Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, and is the founder of media agency CrossCheck Studios. And, he’s the general partner of Animal Capital, a Gen Z-focused VC shop he started with fellow TikTok stars Noah Beck and Griffin Johnson. Richards has also inked major brand deals with Amazon Studios, Dr. Squatch, Calvin Klein, and Nestle, and he’s working on an upcoming partnership with Duolingo.
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No.26
Christina Najjar (Tinx)
Earnings: $7.5M
Total Followers: 2M
Avg. Engagement: 42%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The TikTok star and Stanford grad, Christina “Tinx” Najjar, has transitioned from dispensing life advice on social media to becoming a mainstream voice. Her radio show “It’s Me, Tinx” airs on SiriusXM and is expanding into YouTube and podcasts. Endorsements include Kleenex, Aldo, and lingerie brand Intimissimi. Meanwhile, her clothing company, Rich Mom Gear, sells embroidered sweats and shorts directly to fans.
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No.27
Kaitlyn Siragusa (Amouranth)
Earnings: $15M
Total Followers: 12M
Avg. Engagement: 0.50%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Provocative content always landed Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa on Twitch’s naughty list, but in June, the hot tub streamer and most popular female gamer signed a non-exclusive platform deal with rival platform, Kick, for an estimated $7 million annually. There, she’s able to freely promote her adult-themed product lines and premium content on platforms like Fansly and OnlyFans, where she makes $1 million each month. “I call my cleavage kind of like my Clark Kent,” she tells Forbes. “If I cover it up, no one knows that I’m Superman.”
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No.28
Dani Austin Ramirez
Earnings: $12.5M
Total Followers: 2.70M
Avg. Engagement: 4%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Social media is a family affair for Dani Austin. The Dallas-based lifestyle and fashion influencer’s Instagram and TikTok spotlight life with her husband, toddlers and mother. Millions follow Austin to share in her travels, time off with friends and shopping escapades. She has deals with partners including Tarte Cosmetics, Stanley 1913 and Big Ass Luxury Candles, but the big bucks come from her own brand Divi, which makes scalp products to fight hair loss. For Austin, the problem’s personal—she has struggled with hair loss and says the condition almost ended her creator career. The biz, bootstrapped from an extra bedroom at home in 2021, has since hit a $175 million valuation and its hair products can now be found at Ulta stores across the country (a new shampoo and conditioner are due out by year’s end). She’s also started an investing arm, Dani Austin Ventures, to support up-and-coming consumer brands.
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No.29
Mark Rober
Earnings: $6M
Total Followers: 29M
Avg. Engagement: 8%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Despite no longer working in a jet propulsion laboratory, former NASA engineer Mark Rober has found another use for his skillset on YouTube, where more than 25 million subscribers watch him invent things like a rocket-powered golf club and the world’s largest t-shirt cannon. His educational bent has created opportunities for unique partnerships—few creators have deals with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or have given a commencement speech at MIT. His company, Crunch Labs, sells a STEM-themed subscription box for kids.
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No.30
Dream
Earnings: $6M
Total Followers: 47M
Avg. Engagement: 3.00%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Formerly anonymous “Minecraft” creator Clayton “Dream” Huff made headlines last fall when he finally revealed his face on-camera for the first time. A few months later, however, he put his signature smiley face mask back on after receiving too much of what he called “attention and hate” online. In the coming years, fans might become more familiar with his voice—he signed a lucrative recording contract with Republic Records, and his pop-rock songs like “Until I End Up Dead” attract around one million monthly listeners on Spotify.
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No.31
Tyler Blevins (Ninja)
Earnings: $10M
Total Followers: 71M
Avg. Engagement: 0.30%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Long considered the king of the livestream gaming space, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins recently joined the Jerry Jones-backed gaming company, Gamesquare, as its chief innovation officer—a “nice little fancy title” with two million stock options. It’s the latest move by the Fortnite legend to diversify his business outside of content creation. His other projects include a talent incubator, a creator-led Fortnite Creative game development project, and an upcoming podcast.
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No.32
Marques Brownlee
Earnings: $8.5M
Total Followers: 29M
Avg. Engagement: 1.00%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Product reviews are a big category on YouTube, but Marques Brownlee is the only tech reviewer who has appeared on the hit digital show “Hot Ones” and has his own signature shoe. Brownlee began posting his thoughts on technology products to YouTube when he was a high schooler in 2009. His longevity has paid off—he now counts more than 17 million subscribers on the platform, where he’s interviewed bold names including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Kobe Bryant, and Barack Obama.
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No.33
Michael Le (JustMaiko)
Earnings: $4.4M
Total Followers: 56M
Avg. Engagement: 10.50%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Dancer Michael Le became a social media sensation after posting stylized videos with his siblings on TikTok. This year, the influencer has branched out into more artistic endeavors, releasing his debut single “Stuck On You,” teaching hip-hop classes, and dancing in sponsorships from Meta, Sims, and State Farm. He continues to post videos across four YouTube channels, sharing not just his dance abilities, but vlogs of his daily life, fun challenges with his family like eating one color of food for a day, going back to kindergarten, and gaming videos as well.
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No.34
Bella Poarch
Earnings: $3.3M
Total Followers: 112M
Avg. Engagement: 0.65%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Bella Poarch posted the most-liked TikTok video ever in 2020, a lip-sync to “M to the B” by Millie B, with over 62 million likes. Since then, the Filipina-American Navy veteran has become a household name on the app, branching off from lip-syncing to releasing her first album, “Dolls”, in 2022. This year, she’s modeled for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie brand, released products with Steve Madden and Funko Pop, and partnered with the likes of CashApp, Hugo Boss, and Miu Miu.
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No.35
Nick DiGiovanni
Earnings: $4M
Total Followers: 25M
Avg. Engagement: 4.0%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The Harvard grad is social media’s answer to the celebrity chef. More than 12 million people subscribe to his YouTube channel to watch the young chef crack open a 70-pound wheel of cheese, conduct a burger battle with Shaquille O’Neal, and make the world’s largest chicken nugget. DiGiovanni, who competed on Fox’s cooking show “MasterChef,” has partnered with Chipotle, Sony, Lay’s, DoorDash, Nutella, Sweetgreen, and Dropbox. This summer, he released his cookbook “Knife Drop.” His salt line, Osmo, sells flavors including garlic, truffle, and Sriracha.
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No.36
Mikayla Nogueira
Earnings: $7M
Total Followers: 17M
Avg. Engagement: 2.70%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Make-up maven Mikayla Nogueira has garnered more than 17 million followers across TikTok and Instagram with her beauty tutorials, all taught with her signature Boston accent. The Massachusetts native has scored brand deals with Dime Eyewear and ELF cosmetics, which recently launched a custom lipstick for Mikayla’s wedding—it quickly sold out. In August, she won the Streamy for beauty influencer of the year.
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No.37
Brooke Monk
Earnings: $2M
Total Followers: 36M
Avg. Engagement: 12%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
TikTok creator Brooke Monk built her following on everything relatable—from casual vlogs and silly “point of view” sketches to trending lip-syncs and heartwarming moments with friends. Since then, she has expanded to other platforms, attracting over one billion views on Snapchat, posting long-form videos on YouTube and entrepreneurial views via LinkedIn. This includes her perspective on the creator economy and investments in AI companies like Dreamshow AI and Uprise. This year, Monk announced her swimsuit line with Blackbough Swim and partnererd with Hyundai, Celsius, and MVMT Watches.
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No.38
Madison Beer
Earnings: $2.75M
Total Followers: 62M
Avg. Engagement: 3.20%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
After being discovered by Justin Bieber on Instagram, Madison Beer has become the “it” girl of current pop music. She’s been at the forefront of internet-heavy collaborations, joining a League of Legends virtual girl group K/DA and appearing on fellow Top Creator Bella Poarch’s music video “Dolls.” She’s also made several moves outside of the digital world. Beer released a memoir “The Half of It,” collaborated on a clothing line with Forever 21, and dropped her second studio album, “Silence Between Songs.” She’s also inked sponsorships with Adidas, CashApp, and Nars Cosmetics.
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No.39
Nick Kolcheff (Nickmercs)
Earnings: $11.5M
Total Followers: 8M
Avg. Engagement: 0.25%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Anyone still thinking of gamers as antisocial nerds living in their parents’ basements has clearly never met Nick Kolcheff, a popular Twitch livestreamer who is just as likely to talk on stream about football as Fortnite. Kolcheff cashed in on the pandemic-era gaming boom with a massive exclusivity contract from Twitch and sponsorship deals with Under Armour, UFC, Beats By Dre, and more. Next up in the “Call Of Duty” star’s crosshairs: a Nickmercs-branded tequila line.
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No.40
Anthony Dawson (TooTurntTony)
Earnings: $2.9M
Total Followers: 25M
Avg. Engagement: 2.60%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The comedian, actor, and, yes, pet duck aficionado, has attracted more than 25 million followers on TikTok, YouTube and Onlyfans with skits (often shirtless) and wild videos featuring the Michigan native’s parents and siblings. In March, the creator, whose real name is Anthony Dawson, launched a line of hard iced tea dubbed “Too Turnt Tea” with liquor brand NOCA. Other endorsements include Kraken Rum, Bluechew, Celsius, NordVPN, and Ryse Energy.
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41-50
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No.41
Aimee Song
Earnings: $4.7M
Total Followers: 8M
Avg. Engagement: 0.75%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Aimee Song’s start as a sartorial blogger made her part of the first generation of influencers, but the fashionista has continued to adapt to the landscape, moving from her blog Song of Style to Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Song of Style has also expanded from a blog to a clothing brand that sells dresses, skirts, and cardigans on Revolve. She’s worked with Madewell, Gap, Tiffany, and Burberry this year, and has moved to posting about other lifestyle areas, including haircare, skincare, and motherhood.
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No.42
Alix Earle
Earnings: $5M
Total Followers: 8.5M
Avg. Engagement: 7.20%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
This spring, Earle, 22, both graduated from the University of Miami—and endowed her own scholarship to Miami’s Patti and Allan Herbert Business School. The New Jersey native spent her early college days posting “Get Ready With Me” videos, where she applied makeup and talked about her social life. When she shared her struggles with acne, her TikTok channel took off. Earle’s real talk has attracted more than 8 million followers who rush to buy out any beauty product she features, a phenomenon known as the “Alix Earle Effect”. Her strong fan engagement has earned her wide-ranging brand deals including Benefit Cosmetics, L’Oreal, and WaWa. In September, she debuted her podcast “Hot Mess” with Alex Cooper’s (#12 Top Creator) Unwell Network.
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No.43
Drew Afualo
Earnings: $2.9M
Total Followers: 9M
Avg. Engagement: 3.70%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Tackling prejudice has never been so funny. Drew Afualo first joined TikTok to share specific “red flags” in dating men, sparking many men to respond with hateful remarks. Afualo roasted them all, and her hilarious clapbacks made her an instant internet darling. The Samoan “defender of women” continues to respond to bigotry online and has collaborated with companies like Warner Bros., Fabletics, and Smashbox Cosmetics. Her solo podcast, “The Comment Section”, became a Spotify exclusive in April, and “Two Idiot Girls”, hosted by Afualo and her sister, performed a live tour in January.
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No.44
Kai Cenat
Earnings: $4.7M
Total Followers: 22M
Avg. Engagement: 25.75%
Entrepreneurship Score: 1
Of all the creators on this year’s list, Kai Cenat boasts the highest engagement rate, with nearly 26% of his audience tuning in to watch the creator’s hyperactive livestreams. Cenat initially started on YouTube, where he became a viral star with stunts like eating hot peppers and pulling pranks on his siblings. He transitioned to Twitch in 2021, where he continues to post comedic reaction videos and gaming content. His channel even features appearances from celebrities such as rappers Offset and 21 Savage. How powerful is Cenat’s engagement? In August, he made worldwide headlines after being arrested for inciting a riot in New York’s Union Square, following an announcement of a Sony Playstation giveaway. Thousands of fans showed up.
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No.45
Alan Chikin Chow
Earnings: $1.6M
Total Followers: 40M
Avg. Engagement: 2.00%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Awkward moments, dumb things we all do, relationships gone wrong: these are the themes of skits by YouTube Short’s king, Alan Chikin Chow. His comedy videos, shot with a few fellow actors, have attracted more than 30 million subscribers to Chow’s YouTube channel. The army of followers has helped Chow ink brand deals with companies including Netflix, McDonald’s, Coachella, and Old Spice.
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No.46
Vivian Tu
Earnings: $3M
Total Followers: 5M
Avg. Engagement: 1.00%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Vivian Tu mixes funny with money. The former J.P. Morgan equity trader brings financial knowledge to social media with her irreverent and straight-talking videos that teach her followers (2.4 million on TikTok, 1.8 million on Instagram) how to build an investment portfolio, manage their careers, and negotiate a raise. Her relatable lessons, think honest big sister giving tough-love money advice, have scored Tu lucrative partnerships with companies like Marshalls and SoFi. Her forthcoming book, Rich AF, is due to drop in 2024.
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No.47
Monet McMichael
Earnings: $4.0M
Total Followers: 5M
Avg. Engagement: 13%
Entrepreneurship Score: 1
The beauty baron and Rutgers Nursing School grad has the prescription for building a loyal fan base. In a business where 2% engagement is impressive, McMichael, a makeup and beauty influencer, regularly interacts with 13% of her more than 5 million followers. She has used her powers of attraction to score deals with MAC Cosmetics, Fresh Beauty and Bumble.
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No.48
Olivia Dunne
Earnings: $2.3M
Total Followers: 12M
Avg. Engagement: 5.00%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Dunne is TikTok’s million-dollar tumbler. The all-American gymnast at Louisiana State University is the world’s most-followed college athlete. The New Jersey native has turned her 12 million followers into endorcement gold thanks to deals with Motorola, AI assistant Caktus and clothing brands American Eagle and Vuori. “My audience can detect if something isn’t authentic,” Dunne tells Forbes. “My core values have to align with a brand.” Her Livvy Fund raises money for fellow female NCAA athletes from both fans and brands.
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No.49
Drea Okeke (Drea Knows Best)
Earnings: $1M
Total Followers: 7M
Avg. Engagement: 1.15%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Drea Okeke, a former engineer, has gone from calculations to comedy. She’s collected six million TikTok followers with her street interviews and wild characters like the passive aggressive Nigerian mother “Momma D.” Okeke has collaborated with companies such as Nissan, Google, Coca-Cola, 7-Eleven, Disney, Netflix, McDonald’s, and TikTok. Away from skits, the Nigerian-American teaches people how to build digital communities with her education company, Next Level Influence.
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No.50
Dylan Mulvaney
Earnings: $2M
Total Followers: 12.5M
Avg. Engagement: 7.5%
Entrepreneurship Score: 1
The actress and LGBTQ activist found herself at the center of an unexpected political crossfire after Bud Light paid her to post a video featuring a case of custom beers with her face on the can. This controversy highlights the cultural influence of the Broadway performer who gained viral fame with her “365 Days of Girlhood.” The TikTok series documenting her transition journey has garnered more than one billion views. Mulvaeny has also partnered with brands such as Crest, Nike, and Ulta Beauty. In August, Mulvaney was awarded the Streamy for Breakout Creator.
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METHODOLOGY
Forbes estimated each creator’s gross earnings between June 2022 and June 2023. Our partners at Influential provided follower counts across social platforms and engagement rates (likes, comments, and shares divided by total followers). For the entrepreneur rank, Forbes scored candidates on a one-to-four scale, ranging from people who make most of their money from traditional advertising to folks building their own companies, brands, and services.
CREDITS
Edited by: Steven Bertoni
Reporting by: Steffi Cao, Matt Craig and Alexandra Levine
Editorial Operations: Justin Conklin
Creative Director: Alicia Hallett-Chan
Director of Photography: Robyn Selman
Art Direction: Fernando Capeto
Design: Philip Smith
Photo Research: Gail Toivanen
Video: Kirsten Taggart, Ivan Clow, Riley Hallaway, Greg Andersson, Alexis Noriega, Michael Cutler
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
