The creator economy is growing fast—and growing up.
The creator industry is estimated to be worth $250 billion today, and Goldman Sachs predicts the number will swell to nearly $500 billion by 2027.
The 50 honorees of the 2024 Forbes Top Creator list are riding the growth of the creator ecosystem (now estimated to be nearly 50 million people strong). This year’s listers earned almost $720 million over the last 12 months—a jump of $20 million from 2023. Since last year, Forbes Top Creators have added more than 100 million followers to their collective total—now boasting more than 2.7 billion followers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Creators are now harnessing their social influence to evolve from entertainers to entrepreneurs. MrBeast, Khaby Lame, the D’Amelio sisters, the Paul brothers, and Emma Chamberlain run their own brands, hawking hamburgers, cooking tools, shoes, energy drinks, and coffee nationwide.
Others, including Addison Rae Easterling, Matt Rife, and Amelie Zilber, have jumped from phone screens to mainstream media. And in an industry once built on selfies, some are building streaming studios. Dhar Mann and Rhett & Link lead production companies employing over 100 folks to deliver slick, high-quality content. Tech guru Marquess Brownlee runs his YouTube channel out of a New Jersey warehouse.
To rank the world’s Top Creators, Forbes crunched data on the estimated gross 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 social media stars using their massive reach and loyal fans to turn social media buzz into billions of dollars.
#1. MrBeast
Earnings: $85M, Total Followers: 503M, Avg. Engagement: 2.38%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Mr Beast has more than 500 million followers across social media, making him the most followed creator in the world. Mr Beast (whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson) boasts more than 320 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel and has attracted nearly 9 billion views over the last year. It’s all thanks to wild videos featuring extreme stunts (surviving in a cave for a week) and contests (spending 100 days in a bunker to win $500,000). Donaldson’s massive popularity has launched successful consumer product lines ranging from clothing to his Feastable candy bars. It’s attracted controversy, too. In September, contestants of his upcoming Amazon show, Beast Games, sued Donaldson’s production company for unsafe conditions on set. He has not commented on the suit.
#2. Dhar Mann
Earnings: $45M, Total Followers: 120M, Avg. Engagement: 0.33%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Bullying, racism, inequality—these are all subjects for the videos that Dhar Mann and his team of more than 150 produce for his 23 million subscriber YouTube channel. Says Mann: “The goal from the beginning was to help people going through a tough time in their life. Tough times I went through.” Mann writes scripts for the videos, which he films with actors in his 100,000 sqft LA studio. Viewers come flocking for his modern take on the after-school special. Over the last year, he earned an estimated $45 million via Google Adsense and brand partnerships, including WhatsApp, Universal, and game developer SocialPoint. Mann also runs a creator agency (5th Quarter Agency) and a beauty brand (LiveGlam).
#3. Matt Rife
Earnings: $50M, Total Followers: 30.4M, Avg. Engagement: 3%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Comedian Matt Rife has used his digital popularity to pack physical theaters. The stand-up comic, who went viral on TikTok in 2022 with his quick-witted crowd work, earned tens of millions this year from selling out the roughly 30 live shows he performs each month. Meanwhile, on Netflix, he now stars in two comedy specials. The first, Natural Selection, drew criticism for a joke about domestic violence. That was short-lived. His second show, Lucid, debuted in August and was among Netflix’s most-watched specials of the year. In December, Rife is set to publish a memoir titled Your Mom’s Gonna Love Me.
#4. Charli D’Amelio
Earnings: $23.50M, Total Followers: 213.5M, Avg. Engagement: 0.27%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Charli D’Amelio was named the highest-earning TikToker in 2021—when she was 18—by showing the world her dancing skills. A few years and a thousand imitators later, D’Amelio remains among the most followed people on TikTok. She can also be found anchoring ad campaigns for Garnier and launching her shoe line D’Amelio Footwear (started with sister Dixie, who’s #6 on this list). Next, Charli is hitting Broadway, debuting in a three-month stint as Charmian in the musical & Juliet.
#5. Stokes Twins
Earnings: $20M, Total Followers: 113.7M, Avg. Engagement: 3.09%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Identical twin brothers Alex and Alan Stokes lead one of YouTube’s fastest-growing channels. Their videos of pranks, challenges, and vlogs (like I Built a Secret McDonald’s In My Room! and Extreme Camaflouge Hide And Seek) regularly attract more than 40M views. The pair now have more than 100M followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Over the last 12 months, the pair’s videos have attracted more than 4 billion views.
#6. Dixie D’Amelio
Earnings: $14.60M, Total Followers: 87M, Avg. Engagement: 1.88%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Dixie D’Amelio might not post as often as she did a few years ago (when Forbes named her TikTok’s second-highest earner), but she’s more relevant than ever. Leveraging her sister Charli’s (#4 on this list) initial social media fame, Dixie has branched into high fashion. Partnerships include Chopard, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, and Valentino. And, with Charli, she’s growing the family shoewear line D’Amelio Footwear. She’s jumped into pop music, too—her single Be Happy has more than 100 million Spotify plays.
#7. Mark Rober
Earnings: $25M, Total Followers: 61.9M, Avg. Engagement: 2.09%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The former NASA engineer turned super-creator nearly doubled his YouTube subscriber base in 2024, from 30 million subs to over 57 million. Fans tune in for his science-focused content and the dramatic ways he teaches it, like dropping an egg from space or testing whether acid or lava is more destructive. Rober’s company, Crunch Labs, further monetizes that educational angle by selling STEM-themed subscription boxes to children and, as of April, a second product line targeted at teens and adults. He’s partnered with the FIRST organization and the Google.org foundation to make science more accessible in underserved communities.
#8. Alex Cooper
Earnings: $22M, Total Followers: 5.7M, Avg. Engagement: 6.5%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Alexandra Cooper has turned her sex and relationships podcast Call Her Daddy into a multi-pronged media giant. In fall 2024, she inked a $125 million deal to bring her network of creator-hosted shows to SiriusXM. Podcasts include Alix Earle’s (#30) Hot Mess, Madeline Argy’s Pretty Lonesome, Harry Jowsey’s Boyfriend Material), and Owen Thiele’s In Your Dreams. The new distribution deal officially kicks off in January 2025, replacing her $60 million, three-year agreement with Spotify. Cooper has also signed a brand partnership with Kim Kardashian’s Skims and Jimmy Choo. This summer, she jumped to mainstream media as an NBC host at the Paris Olympic games.
#9. Rhett & Link
Earnings: $36M, Total Followers: 14.3M, Avg. Engagement: 0.25%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The founders of the Mythical YouTube brand have turned their comedy channel into a multi-media empire. On weekdays, the pair’s digital variety show, Good Mythical Morning, streams to its 19 million subscribers, while Mythical Kitchen delivers whacky food content to its 3.9 million fans. Rhett and Link, friends since elementary school, have taken their YouTube fame into other arenas. Their Mythical merch store sells branded gear ranging from hoodies to haircare. The pair also produce a podcast—and their Hulu FAST channel. Offline, their in-person show, Good Mythical Tour, sold out nine dates and more than 24,000 tickets. On the funding side, the duo annually invests $5 million in upcoming creators via their accelerator, Mythical Ventures.
#10. Khaby Lame
Earnings: $20M, Total Followers: 255M: Avg. Engagement: 0.25%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
This year, Lame, the Charlie Chapman of digital media, held onto his title as the most followed person on TikTok with 163 million followers. His short videos reacting to memes and viral trends have garnered 2.5 billion likes. Lame, from Turin, Italy, is turning memes into millions. He has lucrative brand deals with Hugo Boss, Fortnight, and Sony Pictures. He’s also inked a deal with retail giant Walmart, selling his line of quirky cooking tools like a Khaby-branded garlic press and a taco holder. As Lame told Forbes in 2023: “I want to work clean. I’ve never worked with an alcohol company, cigarettes, or anything bad for you because a lot of kids follow me.”
#11. Druski
Earnings: $12M, Total Followers: 18.4M, Avg. Engagement: 6.31%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Playing an over-the-top music mogul on Instagram and YouTube has paid off for the digital comedian. Over the last year, Drew “Druski” Desborders has signed advertising deals with tech titans including Google, Nike, PrizePicks, and Snapchat. Offline, the Georgia native embarked on a live tour called Coulda Woulda Shoulda, combining stand-up with sketch comedy. He recently sold out State Farm Arena for his music and comedy show Coulda Fest.
#12. Logan Paul
Earnings: $9.8M, Total Followers: 76.1M, Avg. Engagement: 2.34%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Logan Paul (like brother Jake, #13) is everywhere: With millions across social media platforms, he runs the podcast Impaulsive, and signed a three-year wrestling deal with WWE. He’s also launched three brands: Prime drinks, Lunchly snacks, and Maverick clothing. While no stranger to controversy, the attention has worked in Paul’s favor. His YouTube channels have more than 30 million followers. Paul has partnerships with SeatGeek, Tao Group, eBay, and others.
#13. Jake Paul
Earnings: $13.6M, Total Followers: 69.9M, Avg. Engagement: 1.52%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Creator-turned-fighter Jake Paul has found the winning strategy. Like brother Logan (#12), he’s leveraged his social media influence to launch three startups: a body care company (W Labs), a betting app (Betr), and an event company (Most Valuable Promotions). He’s also using his digital cloutklout to promote his heavy-weight fights: Paul is currently gearing up to battle Mike Tyson for a potential big payday. HePaul maintains brand partnerships with the drink Celsius for both his boxing ventures and his podcast, BS with Jake Paul.
#14. Emma Chamberlain
Earnings: $9M, Total Followers: 27.6M, Avg. Engagement: 5.24%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Few people could turn a video titled Are You Mad At Me? into 4.2 million YouTube views. But with each vlog Emma Chamberlain puts out, fans come flocking. After a mini-YouTube hiatus in 2024, Chamberlain is again sharing her life—and style—with her 12 million subscribers, plus another 15 million Instagram followers. And her loyal fanbase makes Chamberlain a sought-after brand ambassador. She’s partnered with brands like Lancome, Levi’s, Cartier, and Warby Parker. And she’s gone from endorsements to entrepreneurship, launching her coffee company Chamberlain Coffee—for which she assumed the co-CEO role earlier this year.
#15. Andre “Typical Gamer” Rebelo
Earnings: $17.9M, Total Followers: 18.2M, Avg. Engagement: 0.06%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
In May, the popular gaming YouTuber known as “Typical Gamer” announced he would invest $2 million to build a creative development team, JOGO Studios, within Fortnite’s creative mode. Rebelo hopes to transform his 15 million YouTube subscribers into a marketing funnel for the team’s user-generated content—a category paying out millions under Epic Games’ revenue-sharing program. With his creator earnings fueling the company, he’s betting JOGO can be the first to market with premium, studio-quality games on the platform.
#16. Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach
Earnings: $32M, Total Followers: 69.7M, Avg. Engagement: 0.38%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
After a multiyear development process, Fischbach is set to release his feature film, Iron Lung. He will write, direct, and star in the horror film that is based on the video game of the same name. (The movie will also feature a role for Sean “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin, No. 23 on this year’s list). Fischbach made his name on YouTube playing and reacting to horror games, most notably Five Nights at Freddy’s. Outside of film, Fischbach continues to operate a pair of podcasts under a multi-million dollar deal with Spotify and the apparel brand Cloak alongside McLoughlin.
#17. Marques Brownlee
Earnings: $10M, Total Followers: 32.4M, Avg. Engagement: 0.71%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Brownlee is social media’s gadget guru. Nearly 21 million folks subscribe to his YouTube channel to watch his reviews on all things tech: the latest iPhone, Tesla, or VW’s new electric bus. The New Jersey native began making YouTube videos in high school and now attracts 750 million views annually. “It was steady growth. I think it’s a good thing that no one video propelled the whole thing. I think going viral is overrated. It’s the best thing that never happened to me.”
#18. Brent Rivera
Earnings: $11M, Total Followers: 105.8M, Avg. Engagement: 0.40%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
For Rivera, short is sweet. The comedic creator has attracted more than 100 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, who tune in to watch his hundreds of physical comedy clips. “We’re always constantly thinking of new ideas, but also following the trends,” says Rivera. “We watch others and ask, ‘What can we take as inspiration for our videos?’” His skits, often filmed with his younger sister Alexa (#35), regularly attract more than 20 million views. His partnerships include Amazon Music, Hasbro, and Activision. Coming in 2025: a Rivera-led CPG brand.
#19. Adam W
Earnings: $15M, Total Followers: 55M, Avg. Engagement: 1.51%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Adam Waheed is a comedy actor and filmmaker who delivers skits to 55 million fans across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. In 2024, Waheed’s funny takes on everyday events—like Googling symptoms when sick and using a public restroom—have attracted 10 billion views across his social media platforms. He’s collaborated with celebs including Kevin Hart, Will Smith, and Paris Hilton. Brand partnerships include Old Spice, The NFL, and Paramount Pictures.
#20. Dani Austin
Earnings: $13.6M, Total Followers: 3.3M, Avg. Engagement: 2%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Austin has turned content covering fashion, family, and faith into a social media juggernaut. The Dallas native began posting on YouTube in 2012 and now has over 3 million followers across her accounts. Meanwhile, her haircare brand Divi offers serums, shampoos, and conditioners to combat hair loss. Other brand deals include Stanley, Walmart, Abercrombie, and QVC.
#21. Ryan Kaji
Earnings: $35M, Total Followers: 33.16M, Avg. Engagement: 1.33%, Entrepreneurship Score: 1
For child star Kaji, the creator business is all fun and games. By age 6, Kaji earned more than $10 million conducting toy reviews on his YouTube channel Ryan’s World. Now 12, Kaji has expanded into challenge videos and an animated superhero series. With more than 32 million subscribers, Kaji has used his fanbase to launch a string of Ryan’s World toys ranging from action figures, robots, and video games.
#22. Ms. Rachel
Earnings: $11.9M, Total Followers: 18.1M, Avg. Engagement: 0.89%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Although educator Ms. Rachel creates content for kids, her biggest fans are adults. Comments on her TikTok profile—with 5 million followers—are flooded with parents thanking her for teaching their kids to say “mama” for the first time or for how their babies’ faces light up when they hear Ms. Rachel’s perfectly executed baby-talk voice. She’s received over 2 billion views this past year on her YouTube channel, where she can be found wearing her signature denim overalls, pink shirt, and pink headband. Recently, she’s hosted stars like Drew Barrymore and Elmo.
#23. Sean “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin
Earnings: $18M, Total Followers: 40M, Avg. Engagement: 0.20%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
The Irish YouTube star wound down his Brain Leak podcast in August, focusing on his entrepreneurial pursuits, including Top of the Mornin Coffee, the apparel brand Cloak (with fellow creator Markiplier, No. 16), and his comic book series, The Altrverse. In April, the 34-year-old McLoughlin told his 30 million YouTube subscribers that he considered retiring from the grind of content creation. As he told Forbes. “I’m doing things like comic books and coffee at the same time to flex my creative muscles in a different way and try not to get bored with what I’m doing.”
#24. Kai Cenat
Earnings: $8.5M, Total Followers: 48.7M, Avg. Engagement: 7.91%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
In June, the 22-year-old Twitch streamer set the North American record with 712,600 peak concurrent viewers for his livestream with comedian Kevin Hart and fellow creator Druski (No. 11). During the stream, the trio danced, argued, and, at one point, FaceTimed with Lebron James. Cenat’s appeal has gone mainstream—he stars in commercials for McDonald’s and T-Mobile (the latter alongside Snoop Dogg) and is the first streamer to partner with Nike. Meanwhile, Cenat signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the controversial streaming platform Rumble to produce a show with creator iShowSpeed.
#25. Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff
Earnings: $13M, Total Followers: 10M, Avg. Engagement: 0.18%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
With Twitch and YouTube’s battle for streaming talent cooling, gamer Nickmercs, 33, jumped to the upstart streaming platform Kick.com in October, snagging a one-year, $10 million contract to stream non-exclusively. While Kolcheff has mixed in streams of him gambling on the offshore casino-backed platform, his content still primarily revolves around professional esports, where he’s a top player in multiplayer shooter Apex Legends.
#26. Nick DiGiovanni
Earnings: $4.9M, Total Followers: 35.3M, Avg. Engagement: 2.12%, Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The Harvard grad is cooking with gas. DiGiovanni started in the kitchen at a local Providence, RI, Italian restaurant and later got his first taste of fame as a contestant on Master Chef. Today, more than 20 million subscribers tune in to his YouTube channel to watch him cook extreme food (the world’s spiciest dish) and challenge celebrities (Mr. Beast, Shaquille O’Neal) to cooking challenges. DiGiovanni has used his social footprint to publish the cookbook Knife Drop and the gourmet salt line Osmo.
#27. Josh Richards
Earnings: $6M, Total Followers: 34.7M, Avg. Engagement: 1.85%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Josh Richards is using his fame as a springboard to start-ups. The Canadian creator, 22, cofounded a Gen-Z media company, CrossCheck Studios, and is a general partner of Animal Capital, which manages $15 million in assets. He also advises lifestyle brands including vegan clothing company UnHide. Meanwhile, Richards maintains over 35 million social media followers, posting lip-syncing videos and racking millions from brands like Amazon, Raising Canes, and CeraVe. His podcast BFFsPod, which he makes with Brianna Chickenfry and Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy, has gained him millions of listeners—and dollars—too.
#28. Felix “xQc” Lengyel
Earnings: $36M, Total Followers: 14.3M, Avg. Engagement: 0.08%, Entrepreneurship Score: 1
One of the most popular Twitch streamers in the world, Lengyel defected to rival Kick.com last June, commanding a massive two-year contract worth an estimated $70 million. Lengyel has long said he doesn’t want streaming to feel like a job, so he has taken on a lighter sponsorship load and is focusing on long-form content. Still, thousands tune in daily to watch him play digital slot machines and dominate multiplayer games including Rocket League.
#29. Zach King
Earnings: $5.10M, Total Followers: 149M, Avg. Engagement: 0.53%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Zach King started on social media by posting video-editing tutorials on YouTube. Today, his editing talents are on full display across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, where he creates slick, highly produced videos for brands like Amazon, Pepsi, BJ Restaurants—and even the city of Geneva. His 82 million TikTok followers make him one of the most followed people on the platform.
#30. Alix Earle
Earnings: $8M, Total Followers: 11.1M, Avg. Engagement: 4.26%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Despite the title of her popular podcast, Earle’s growing brand is far from a “hot mess.” In 2024, the beauty and fashion influencer launched her popular podcast Hot Mess on Alex Cooper’s (#8) Unwell media network. On the show, Earle, a New Jersey Native, dishes on fame, family, and relationships. In July, Earle, who has 3.7 million Instagram followers, appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue. The University of Miami alumna gives an annual scholarship for budding entrepreneurs at Miami’s Herbert Business School.
#31. Livvy Dunne
Earnings: $3.9M, Total Followers: 3.91M, Avg. Engagement: 13.40%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
This year, Dunne, an all-American gymnast, returned to her fifth year at Louisiana State University. The move has made her the top-earning female college athlete with NIL deals worth $3 million. Brand partnerships include clothing brands American Eagle, Nautica, and Vuori. In September, Dunne starred in the Amazon docuseries The Money Game, which follows the business lives of top college athletes.
#32. Addison Rae Easterling
Earnings: $3.40M, Total Followers: 132.4M, Avg. Engagement: 0.26%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
TikTok’s “it” girl has gone from dancing on the phone to acting on the silver screen. In 2023, Easterling starred in the horror film Thanksgiving—now she’s slated to act alongside Ryan Reynolds and Jason Momoa in the animated feature Animal Friends debuting in 2025. In February, the Louisiana native anchored a Super Bowl commercial for Nerds Candy. On the music front, Easterling has attracted more than 15 million Spotify monthly listeners with her album AR and hit single Diet Pepsi. She has scored deals with brands including Lululemon and ILIA Beauty.
#33. Mikayla Nogueira
Earnings: $7M, Total Followers: 18.8M, Avg. Engagement: 1.70%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
For make-up creator Nogueira, bold is beautiful. The outspoken influencer’s make-up tutorials have gathered more than 17 million fans on TikTok. Sponsors have come flocking, too. The Massachusetts native has scored deals with TULA, Kosas, and KVD Beauty. She has launched custom collections with e.l.f. Cosmetics and P. Louise—with new product drops often selling out in minutes.
#34. Jake Shane
Earnings: $6M, Total Followers: 4.1M, Avg. Engagement: 4.45%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
The comedian and octopus lover’s social media career has some real legs. Shane started with TikTok skits playing characters like “a founding father signing the Declaration of Independence” or “Dr. Pepper showing up to take the MCAT.” He has since expanded to a podcast called Therapuss, hosting guests like Ed Sheeran, Joe Jonas, and Snookie. This fall, he began a 21-city live tour with destinations like Boston and Atlanta. Shane’s lineup of brand partnerships includes companies like Laneige, Seat Geek, and Sweetfin.
#35. Alexa Rivera
Earnings: $5M, Total Followers: 52.2M, Avg. Engagement: 5.29%, Entrepreneurship Score: 1
Rivera has grown from a character in her brother Brent’s (# 18) skits to her own social media star. Her main YouTube channel has more than 16.5 million subscribers to watch her videos of stunts and challenges (surviving the worst-rated amusement park and testing 100 Temu products). She often collaborates with other YouTube stars including brother Brent, Mr Beast (#1), and the Stokes Twins (#4). Her brand deals include CashApp, Lancome, and Prada.
#36. Bailey Sarian
Earnings: $9.5M, Total Followers: 13.7M, Avg. Engagement: 0.09%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
“If you’re interested in true crime and like make-up, subscribe because I’m here for you.” That’s YouTube star Bailey Sarian’s pitch. It’s working. Some 7.5 million folks subscribe to her channel Murder, Mystery & Makeup to watch Sarian discuss macabre crimes (serial murder, arson, cannibalism) while giving make-up tutorials. The loyal fanbase helped Sarian sign a lucrative deal with production company Audioboom. In 2021, she launched the podcast Dark History, which discusses history’s wildest crimes. The show averages 1 million listeners.
#37. Flau’jae Johnson
Earnings: $7M, Total Followers: 4.2M, Avg. Engagement: 1.87%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Johnson is a threat on and off the basketball court. The Louisiana State University guard is one of the most popular players in college basketball. She’s used her name, image, and likeness to score partnerships with brands like Bose, Powerade, and Puma. With more than 3.5 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, she’s also carving out a place for herself in the music industry. She started rapping as a kid and, in January, signed a multi-million dollar record deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
#38. iJustine
Earnings: $3.5M, Total Followers: 12.9M, Avg. Engagement: 0.05%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Justine Ezarik began her social media career in 2007—back when influencers were known as lifecasters. Over the years, she’s built a tech-savvy brand by reviewing new gadgets and gear from Apple, Google, and Tesla. Her 7 million YouTube subscribers tune in to her Tech Tuesday videos to watch her review the latest smartphones, headphones, and EVs. Beyond reviews and unboxing, iJustine interviews the most prominent tech leaders. Her guests have included Apple’s Tim Cook, Alphabet’s Sunday Pichai, and Spotify’s Daniel Ek. She has inked brand partnerships with Microsoft, Amazon, and BMW.
#39. Alan Chikin Chow
Earnings: $2.1M, Total Followers: 71M, Avg. Engagement: 0.39%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Chow’s YouTube Shorts attract some 1 billion viewers a month. The creator uses a team of actors and campy production to make videos that range from classroom comedies to vampire and zombie-themed horror movies. With 70 million social media followers, Chow has scored brand deals with Max, McDonalds, and Old Spice.
#40. Nara Smith
Earnings: $6.5M, Total Followers: 13M, Avg. Engagement: 15%, Entrepreneurship Score: 1
Smith’s quiet tone and subtle demeanor, juxtaposed with bold outfits, have drawn millions to her cooking and lifestyle videos. A mother and wife, Smith’s voiceover videos of home-cooked recipes regularly bring in more than 10 million (sometimes up to 45 million) views per post on TikTok. Famous for wearing Met Gala-caliber outfits while making family meals, she’s attracted stylish brand partners like Calvin Klein, Alo, and Marc Jacobs—for which a campaign where she “made their Tote Bag from scratch” went viral. Her Substack newsletter, Paper Pantry, has 47,000 subscribers.
#41. Monet McMichael
Earnings: $8M, Total Followers: 5.5M, Avg. Engagement: 5.18%, Entrepreneurship Score: 1
Few creators rack up engagement rates as high as beauty creator Money McMichael. In an industry where a 2% rate is excellent, the Rutgers nursing alumna engages with 12% of her community. This tight connection with her audience has attracted sponsorships from companies such as Google, MAC, and L’Oreal Paris. She also collaborates with eyewear brand Dezi and perfume maker Snif.
#42. Drew Afualo
Earnings: $2.1M, Total Followers: 8M, Avg. Engagement: 3.6%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
For Afualo, filming TikToks clapping back against misogynistic internet trolls has grown into an influential media brand. Afualo now has more than 8 million followers across TikTok and Instagram. In 2024, the former journalist launched a Spotify podcast, The Comment Section, and a new memoir, Loud. “I’ve always told people that if you’re pure and intentional, you will find an audience,” Afualo tells Forbes. “But inauthenticity never hits.”
#43. Jordan The Stallion
Earnings: $4.5M, Total Followers: 15.3M, Avg. Engagement: 2.92%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Howlett first hit viral fame on TikTok revealing recipes for fast-food favorites at Chipotle, Taco Bell, and McDonald’s. Now, he’s attracted more than 15 million followers, offering hot takes, advice, and wisdom about social media’s trendiest topics. The LA native played baseball at UC Riverside, at one time living out of his car to afford tuition. “It’s the people who never intended to be in this space who always thrive so well in this space,” says Howlett. “ People succeed the best when it’s something they’re learning—there’s a level of humbleness.” Today, he has sponsorship deals with YouTube, State Farm, and H&R Block.
#44. Haley Baylee
Earnings: $5.9M, Total Followers: 23.3M, Avg. Engagement: 2.69%, Entrepreneurship Score: 1
Haley Kalil, known on social media as Hayley Baylee, has created a roster of brand partnerships ranging from KFC to Google to CeraVe. Previously an honoree on Forbes’ Top Creators Fashion 50 list, the former Miss Minnesota and Sports Illustrated model has found her niche with comedic shorts on YouTube and TikTok. But it’s live events where Kalil takes the crown—this year, Oscars and People’s Choice Awards invited Kalil to create behind-the-scenes content for the star-studded awards.
#45. Ian Boggs
Earnings: $1.6M, Total Followers: 34.2M, Avg. Engagement: 0.69%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Boggs has built an 18 million subscriber channel on YouTube with comedic skits, challenges, and TikTok reviews. Says Boggs: “With TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, we can create short, condensed versions of movies that people can easily watch and consume.” The former National Geographic photographer has partnered with top streamers including Netflix, Google, Hulu, FX, and Prime Video.
#46. Savanah Moss
Earnings: $1M, Total Followers: 14.2M, Avg. Engagement: 2.27%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Moss is a creator of surreal worlds. The filmmaker shoots videos in a style she calls “fever dreams,” using jump cuts, strange props, and wild costumes to build eerie and entertaining scenes. “I studied forensic psychology in college. I loved all things scary but didn’t know what to do with it. When I started TikTok, I eventually found my niche.” For Moss, scary is a family affair—her two sisters help shoot and edit each short film.
#47. Brooke Monk
Earnings: $3M, Total Followers: 40.5M, Avg. Engagement: 2.75%, Entrepreneurship Score: 1
In 2024, Monk harnessed her 35 million TikTok followers to ink deals with energy drink giant Celsius and haircare brand K18. Monk sees success with her short comedic skits and lip-syncing videos and is also building out her YouTube—posting long-form videos about everything from personal stories to “ranking every spicy chip.” Next up: entrepreneurship—Monk recently announced she’ll be launching a beauty line in the coming months.
#48. My Nguyen
Earnings: $1.5M, Total Followers: 9.7M, Avg. Engagement: 1%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Food fuels Nguyen’s growing lifestyle empire. Nguyen honed her cooking skills at her family’s Vietnamese restaurant in LA before moving her talents online. Her Instagram account, My Healthy Dish, attracts more than 2 million followers with creative, healthy recipes. “All the food bloggers do the same thing. I’m always thinking, ‘How can I stand out? How can I make this video more interesting? How can I catch your eye?’” In 2024, Nguyen published her first cookbook (also titled My Healthy Dish).
#49. Drea Knows Best
Earnings: $2M, Total Followers: 7M, Avg. Engagement: 0.19%, Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Okeke has more than 7 million TikTok followers who watch her comedy skits, many based on her Nigerian-American background. A former engineer, she has produced the creator MasterClass, Next Level Influence, offering lessons in understanding TikTok’s algorithm to maximize views and engagement. Okeke has partnered with brands such as Bumble, Nissan, Google, Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonald’s, Netflix, and Google.
#50. Amelie Zilber
Earnings: $1.5M, Total Followers: 9.1M, Avg. Engagement: 1.36%, Entrepreneurship Score: 2
High fashion, literature, politics—the topics collide on Zilber’s social handles. The Columbia undergrad has more than 9 million followers and can easily switch between talking about abortion rights to showing off the latest looks from her partners Dior, Tiffany & Co., and Ralph Lauren. “I’ve learned a lot about how to navigate creating intimacy with the people who follow me while also maintaining a boundary for my personal life.”
METHODOLOGY
To make the 2024 quantitative list, Forbes estimated each creator’s gross earnings between June 2023 and June 2024. We count earnings, not equity held in public and private companies. 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. (Those who exclusively pitch brands score a 1—those who build brands earn a 4).
CREDITS
Edited by: Steven Bertoni
Reporting by: Matt Craig, Zoya Hassan, Alexandra S. Levine, and Alex York
Photography: Cody Pickens for Forbes using NONS SL 660 and Fujifilm Instax Wide instant cameras; Interstitial video: Cody Pickens for Forbes
Editorial Operations: Justin Conklin, Francesca Walton
Creative Director: Alicia Hallett-Chan
Director of Photography: Robyn Selman
Producer: Pete Schnaitmann assisted by Sarah Salzman
Art Direction: Fernando Capeto
Design: Philip Smith
Photo Research: Gail Toivanen
Video: Kirsten Taggart, Ivan Clow, Riley Hallaway, Morgan Sun, Kristin Hunt
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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