The borders between Creators and showbiz are blurring.
Edited by Steven Bertoni. Reporting by Zoya Hasan and Alexandra York.
In 2025, creators continue to rewrite the script for the media and entertainment industries. MrBeast’s reality game show broke viewership records on Amazon. Alex Cooper, Matt Rife, and Jake Shane packed theaters with sold-out live performances. TikTok star Addison Rae released a hit pop album. Sketch comics Adam W and Hannah Stocking each have more followers than SNL. Meanwhile, Dhar Mann, Rhett & Link, and Alan Chikin Chow now run their own production studios. Need more evidence of social media’s surge into the mainstream? This year, YouTube reported the majority of its users watch on their home TVs–in fact, each day, a billion hours of YouTube video are watched on the TV screen.
Fans and dollars are flocking by the millions. “The private funding environment for creators is as strong as I’ve ever seen,” says Eric Sheridan, Goldman Sachs’ co-head of Technology research. “You’re seeing a lot of investments directly into creator brands, into creator companies, and into the private companies that enable creators with tools to build their businesses.”
The investment is paying off. This year, our list of the 50 richest creators across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube earned an estimated $853 million, an 18% jump from 2024’s record year. And that’s not counting the millions in equity deals that creators are increasingly scoring for partnering with brands ranging from snacks, clothing, soda, and booze. “Next year, it’s expected that influencer marketing will expand to $50 billion,” says Ryan Detert, the founder and CEO of creator marketing firm Influential, who partnered with Forbes on our list. “The dollars are going into the hands of creators who are now the new media channels.”
Their fanbase continues to grow, too. In 2025, our honorees boasted a combined 3.4 billion followers. That’s up 24% from last year’s total. And this is among stiff competition. Goldman Sachs estimates that there are now 67 million creators worldwide, and they expect the number to explode to around 107 million by 2030.
As AI tools flood the market, creator content will only increase in scale–and quality–as advanced editing and targeting software allow influencers to produce videos cheaper, faster, and better. Burnout is a significant problem in the creator economy, and new software could make the daily grind more tolerable. “AI tools can tell me who my audience is, tell me how to create content faster, and lower the barrier to content creation in a way that could speed up my time to market,” says Goldman’s Sheridan. “That’s a big relief for the creator economy.”
While the surging wave of social media stars goes by many names (creators, influencers, podcasters, and vloggers), the most accurate handle for this powerful crop of new media masters is clear—entrepreneurs.
#1-10
#1. Mr. Beast
Earnings: $85 M
Total Followers: 634 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.39%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
YouTube’s ringmaster of stunts and challenges is again the most followed person on social media. His empire continues to expand beyond digital platforms with candy brand Feastables, fast food chain MrBeast Burger, and now streaming: his hit show, Beast Games, has been renewed for two seasons on Amazon Prime.
#2. Dhar Mann
Earnings: $56 M
Total Followers: 137 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.17%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The producer of wholesome YouTube shows has established a full-fledged Hollywood studio and a team of hundreds to create modern back-to-school specials that have garnered billions of views. The top scripted video creator in digital annually earns ten figures from Google AdSense. His studio has extensive brand partnerships, including Meta and Universal.
#3. Jake Paul
Earnings: $50 M
Total Followers: 79 M
Avg. Engagement: 2.33%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson created a huge buzz in November, and brought Paul a hefty payday. Netflix jumped in to stream the event live for the first time, though the combined fanbases of Paul and Tyson almost overwhelmed the platform. And just when you thought his social media presence couldn’t get bigger, he’s teamed up with his brother for an even more intimate look into their lives on HBO’s new reality series, Paul American.
#4. Rhett & Link
Earnings: $36 M
Total Followers: 33.8 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.17%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The variety show hosts of the Internet continue to expand their comedy empire. They have launched streaming channels on Roku, Amazon Prime, and Samsung, launched a live event business, and even published a best-selling cookbook, ”The Mythical Cookbook.” Behind the scenes, their creator fund invests and supports rising influencers.
#5. Alex Cooper
Earnings: $32 M
Total Followers: 15 M
Avg. Engagement: 3.79%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Podcast powerhouse Alexandra Cooper is a deal-inking machine. Following a $60 million three-year stint with Spotify, she moved her sex and relationships-turned-interview show, Call Her Daddy, to radio giant Sirius XM earlier this year for a whopping $125 million multi-year contract. But that’s not all: Her podcast network has grown to seven shows in addition to Call Her Daddy. A documentary on her life dropped in June. And her 2025-launched Unwell Hydration, which sells sports (and hangover) drinks, can be found at Target, Meijer, Sprouts, and is an official partner of the National Women’s Soccer League. Up next: She’s producing a Hulu reality show, Overboard For Love.
#6. Charli D’Amelio
Earnings: $23.5 M
Total Followers: 216 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.57%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
In October 2024, Charli D’Amelio accomplished the impossible: She made her Broadway debut. The lifelong dancer turned TikToker made the sought after leap onto the stage in & Juliet, a production for which her run has since been extended through September this year. But she hasn’t left her roots entirely. With just shy of 200 million TikTok followers at her fingertips, she’s maintained partnerships with fashion brands like Prada and Kate Spade, and has a stake in her family’s multi-pronged business (sister Dixie is #12 on this list), D’Amelio Brands.
#7. Matt Rife
Earnings: $50 M
Total Followers: 42 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.63%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Rife spent years grinding on the comedy circuit until he fatefully began sharing his now-famous crowd work on social media in 2021. His fan base exploded. Today, he attracts 40 million fans and makes massive money selling out more than a hundred thousand seats to live shows. He’s starred in two Netflix comedy specials, too. A slate of comedy films is coming soon.
#8. Mark Rober
Earnings: $25 M
Total Followers: 80 M
Avg. Engagement: 2.39%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
After skyrocketing past 57 million YouTube subscribers in 2024, former NASA man Mark Rober now counts nearly 69 million fans for his science content. His videos include trying to fool a self-driving car (that post got 23 million views), or comparing the power of a laser versus a lightning strike (41 million views). But he’s experimenting beyond social media, too. His company CrunchLabs creates monthly-subscription boxes for STEM-themed subscription boxes.
#9. Druski
Earnings: $14 M
Total Followers: 25 M
Avg. Engagement: 5.87%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
The hip-hop satirist has one of the strongest fan engagement rates on social media. Brands are big fans, too. In 2025, he costarred in Dunkin’ Donuts’ Super Bowl ad with Ben and Casey Affleck, Bill Belichick, and Jeremy Strong. Other partnerships have included Google, Nike, and DraftKings.
#10. Khaby Lame
Earnings: $20 M
Total Followers: 258.5 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.86%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The mime of memes continues to be the most followed human on TikTok with 162.2M fans. World-famous for his spoofs and hot takes on viral trends, the Italian influencer scores millions for deals with brands including Hugo Boss, crypto exchange Binance, and many Hollywood studios, where he often posts cameos with top stars including Tom Cruise and Matt Damon. “You should not be in a rush to make money,” says Lame. “Start by making the content you like.”
#11-20
#11. Steven Bartlett
Earnings: $29 M
Total Followers: 25 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.46%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Since launching business podcast The Diary of A CEO as a side hustle in 2017, British entrepreneur Steven Bartlett has turned it into a more than $20 million franchise. After building and selling digital marketing company Social Chain, which landed him a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in 2020, he went all in on building the show. In 2025, he officially founded Flight Story, a media and investment company that now produces five podcasts along with Diary of A CEO. He’s inked partnerships with the likes of LinkedIn and Oracle. One of the biggest shows in the U.K., he moved to Los Angeles this year to build his American audience.
#12. Dixie D’Amelio
Earnings: $14.6 M
Total Followers: 86.4 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.60%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Like sister Charli (#6), Dixie D’Amelio turned viral fame into mainstream success. She can be seen modeling for campaigns across fashion and beauty—like a collection with Spanish retailer Pull&Bear, as the face of APM Monaco jewelry, and a limited footwear collection (in collaboration with D’Amelio Footwear) with Lulus’ “Lulus Loves” campaign. Plus, she’s a prominent face behind her family-launched Be Happy Snacks Co., which sells its popcorn products at Walmart.
#13. Brent Rivera
Earnings: $11 M
Total Followers: 123.6 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.96%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Rivera is going from skits to snacks. One of Vine’s original stars, Rivera has built a following of more than 125 million fans thanks to his short, physical comedy sketches—many featuring his sister, Lexi (#40). In 2025, Rivera used his massive following to launch Levels, a chip brand touting Gen Z—geared flavors like churro cinnamon and chili lime.
#14. Dani Austin
Earnings: $13.6 M
Total Followers: 3.5 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.26%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Self-proclaimed “goofy mom” Dani Austin is a multi-media machine. With millions of followers across her platforms, content ranges from getting her daughter ready for a ballet recital to videos recounting family vacations. Followers aspire to her life so much that products are flying off the shelves thanks to her affiliate links. Along with promoting other brands (like Stanley, Walmart and Abercrombie), she’s a business woman of her own. She launched haircare company Divi in 2021, and it’s currently sold DTC, at Target and Ulta Beauty.
#15. Logan Paul
Earnings: $10 M
Total Followers: 80.6 M
Avg. Engagement: 2.91%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Logan Paul is staying busy, as usual. Apart from his multiple business ventures, including the buzzy Prime Hydration, Paul inked a reality show with HBO where he and his brother Jake get into the nitty gritty details of their lives. On the wrestling front, he teamed up with John Cena in WWE, and recently challenged soccer star Lionel Messi to a boxing match following a legal battle between their energy drink brands.
#16. Nick DiGiovanni
Earnings: $10 M
Total Followers: 44.4 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.55%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
Cooking off against robots, carving a $50,000 tuna, eating the world’s spiciest food—DiGiovanni’s over-the-top videos have made him one of the world’s most popular food creators. The Harvard grad parlayed a spot on Gordon Ramsay’s show “MasterChef” into a YouTube channel with more than 26 million followers. Offline, he published his cookbook “Knife Drop” and launched his spice line Osmo, now sold in Walmart nationwide.
#17. Marques Brownlee
Earnings: $10 M
Total Followers: 33.4 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.58%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
If it’s tech, he reviews it: the latest iPhone, the Tesla Cybertruck, even a robotic hand. Brownlee, one of technology’s tastemakers, began posting online back in 2009 with his review of a laptop remote control (remember those?). Today, his YouTube channel has more than 20 million subscribers and the power to make or break the latest gadget. “The main driver is what do we want to watch?” says Brownlee. “We make what we want to exist in the world.”
#18. Emma Chamberlain
Earnings: $9 M
Total Followers: 26.9 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.96%
Entrepreneurship Score: 4
With YouTube regaining the top spot for social media content, OG-vlogger Emma Chamberlain is coming back to the platform at the right time. After taking time away from long-form videos in 2024 to focus on her podcast, Anything Goes, and her coffee company, among other fashion endeavors (like hosting the Met Gala red carpet), she’s back to posting multiple times a month. And she averages well over a million views per upload. But now, she’s expanding from the little screen to the big one: Chamberlain will make her acting debut in Forbidden Fruits, which is set to be released in 2026.
#19. Stokes Twins
Earnings: $20 M
Total Followers: 165 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.21%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Their zany videos feature brothers Alan and Alex building secret rooms in their house, debunking popular internet myths, and competing in challenges such as surviving the world’s strictest school or using the worst-rated products on Amazon. With more than 125 million YouTube subscribers, they’re among the most popular video creators today.
#20. Ms. Rachel
Earnings: $23 M
Total Followers: 24.8 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.61%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Leave the parenting to Ms. Rachel. Viewership has nearly doubled for her YouTube videos teaching kids everything from the alphabet to “Potty Training with Ms Rachel” over this past year. Now other streaming giants are competing for her young audience. In January, Ms.Rachel inked a licensing deal with Netflix to bring her fan-favorite content to the platform.
#21-30
#21. Ryan Kaji
Earnings: $35 M
Total Followers: 39.4 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.01%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Kids entertainer Ryan Kaji may be getting older but his content isn’t. At 3 years old, Kaji was gaining fans with his toy unboxing videos. At 13, he’s cashing in with his own line of toys and merch. His YouTube channel, Ryan’s World, has also evolved into a 90-minute movie, which premiered in theaters in August and hit the streaming giant Hulu recently.
#22. Rebecca Zamolo
Earnings: $22 M
Total Followers: 41.3 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.27%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Fame is a family affair for the YouTube star with 19 million subscribers. Zamolo, often with husband Matt and daughter Zoe, creates highly produced kid-friendly videos ranging from challenges (doll house escape room!) to skits based on blockbuster films like “The Incredibles,” “The Addams Family,” and “Ghostbusters.” Says Zamolo: “I used to say I wanted to be a star on a network show—and now I am the network. There’s a lot of power in that.”
#23. Sean “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin
Earnings: $18 M
Total Followers: 44.7 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.30%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Despite telling his millions of followers he was considering retirement, Sean “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin can’t seem to step away from content creation. His recent YouTube videos, where the Irish streamer can be watched playing a variety of games, often stretch to two hours or more. In the descriptions, he promotes his newly launched coffee brand, Top of the Mornin’. He also continues to host his “Thankmas” charity streams, which have so far raised some $26 million to support causes like homelessness and mental health.
#24. Adam W
Earnings: $16.5 M
Total Followers: 61.2 M
Avg. Engagement: 2.19%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Waheed reaches 55 million fans—and racks up a billion views a month. “I’d rather get eyeballs,” he says, “and figure out how to make money later.” He’s part of a new generation of funny folks breaking through via their phones. Over the last year, Waheed made an estimated $16.5 million thanks to deals with major brands including T-Mobile, Old Spice, and the NFL.
#25. Andre “Typical Gamer” Rebelo
Earnings: $17 M
Total Followers: 20.8 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.04%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Expert tips, entertaining commentary and engaging gameplay in titles like Fortnite, GTA and Minecraft have made Typical Gamer one of the most influential streamers today. Now, he’s also proven himself as a successful entrepreneur: Last year, he invested $2 million into JOGO, a game studio focused on empowering players to create within Fortnite, which has already grown into a $10 million (revenue) business.
#26. Markiplier
Earnings: $32 M
Total Followers: 74.1 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.34%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Mark Edward Fischbach, better known to his followers as Markiplier, counts YouTube videos titled “A Game About Digging a Hole,” “3 DRUG DEALERS in a TRENCHCOAT,” and “THIS IS (not) STEALING” as some of his most watched—with millions of views each. But what started as a career playing games for his viewers has turned into a multi-media career. Ranging from Spotify-sponsored podcasts to an apparel brand, he most recently released six-episode series The Edge of Sleep on Prime video.
#27. Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff
Earnings: $13 M
Total Followers: 16.6 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.08%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Gaming live-streamer Nickmercs started his career in 2010, and went on to win millions of dollars between gaming prizes and sponsorship deals. After his $10 million contract to stream non-exclusively with Kick.com, he returned to primarily stream on Twitch in November 2024. He’s had partnerships with Under Armour and tech company Corsair. He was also a co-owner of esports team FaZe Clan until 2025.
#28. Kai Cenat
Earnings: $8.5 M
Total Followers: 66.1 M
Avg. Engagement: 12.90%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The super streamer knows how to connect with his fan base. His average engagement rate of more than 12% is one of the highest on the list. The Brooklyn native got his start on YouTube and Twitch in 2018, posting wild game streams and pranks. He’s going mainstream, including a splashy T-Mobile ad campaign alongside Snoop Dogg and Patrick Mahomes.
#29. Bailey Sarian
Earnings: $9.5 M
Total Followers: 13.7 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.08%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Serial killers, death cults, cold-case murders—and makeup tutorials. That combination has built Sarian a YouTube and podcast empire. Her show, “Murder, Mystery and Makeup,” and podcast, “Dark History,” have more than 7.5 million subscribers on YouTube. Last year, she launched a collaboration with Melt Cosmetics under the brand “Fatally Yours.”
#30. Addison Rae
Earnings: $5 M
Total Followers: 127.2 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.36%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Addison Rae has evolved from millions of views on TikTok to millions of streams on Spotify. In 2025, she released her debut album Addison, with the lead single “Diet Pepsi” alone amassing nearly 400 million streams on the platform. And while she isn’t seen dancing on the small screen nearly as often as when she rose to fame in 2020, Rae has still managed to ink TikTok brand deals with the likes of YSL Beauty, Chanel, Lululemon and even AirBnB.
#31-40
#31. Devon Rodriguez
Earnings: $7 M
Total Followers: 64.6 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.16%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
For the Bronx native, social media is an art form. The painter and sketch artist built a massive fan base with his hyper-realistic drawings of strangers on the New York subway. “It’s not even about the portrait, it’s about the person’s reaction,” says Rodriguez. Celebrities sit for him, too. A-list subjects have included Ben Affleck and Oprah. Brand deals include McDonald’s, Mastercard, and Verizon.
#32. Alix Earle
Earnings: $8 M
Total Followers: 12.7 M
Avg. Engagement: 4.49%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Get ready with me as I go everywhere. The New Jersey native gained fame with her tell-all beauty videos and has since expanded into modeling, podcasts, beverages, and marketing. In February, the University of Miami alum appeared in multiple Super Bowl commercials for Carl’s Jr., Hellmann’s, and the hot soda brand Poppi. In 2025, she signed an equity deal to be the face of the canned tequila brand SipMargs.
#33. Mikayla Nogueira
Earnings: $7.8 M
Total Followers: 20.1 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.49%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The Massachusetts native has turned makeup into millions of dollars. Nogueira creates beauty tutorials and reviews for her 20 million fans across TikTok and Instagram. Big brand deals have followed, including partnerships with Estée Lauder and e.l.f. In March, she launched her own brand, Point Of View, offering serums, moisturizers, and lip balm.
#34. Erika Kullberg
Earnings: $7.2 M
Total Followers: 21.3 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.21%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Money trouble? Erika Kullberg has your back. The former corporate lawyer produces skits and tutorials to help you flex your financial muscles—from scoring massive airline discounts, car-buying hacks, and how to save big bucks on Hermès, Costco, and Black Friday shopping. Her weekly podcast “Erika Taught Me” features talks on leadership and success—guests have included Tim Ferriss, Scott Galloway, and billionaire Ankur Jain.
#35. Alan Chikin Chow
Earnings: $3.8 M
Total Followers: 117 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.31%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The writer and actor brings surreal stories of high school romance, vampires, and evil teachers to the 93 million subscribers of his YouTube channel “Alan’s Universe”. Meanwhile, his simpler comedy skits attract hundreds of millions of views on Shorts. In 2025, Chow is expanding beyond social media to bring his content to TV streaming giant Roku.
#36. Haley Baylee
Earnings: $6.5 M
Total Followers: 30 M
Avg. Engagement: 4.61%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Funny is fashionable for the former Miss Minnesota and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. Kalil creates self-deprecating skits spoofing the fashion and creator cultures. “I started watching every platform for at least an hour a day,” she says. “I learned the style and applied it to my content.” Hollywood is in on the joke: In 2024, the Oscars hired her to report from the red carpet.
#37. Jake Shane
Earnings: $9 M
Total Followers: 4.9 M
Avg. Engagement: 3.29%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
What started as TikTok culinary reviews of octopus dishes has now evolved into a 36-city comedy tour. Shane’s podcast, “Therapuss,” hosts celebrity guests (Katy Perry, Tate McRae, Glen Powell) and dispenses life advice. In 2025, he took his podcast on the road, including an upcoming appearance at Radio City Music Hall. “I owe it all to my [follower] community,” he says. “They let me be myself and find different ways to make them laugh.”
#38. Hannah Stocking
Earnings: $5 M
Total Followers: 72 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.72%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
She turns awkwardness into art. Stocking got her start on Vine and now has 72 million fans across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram who watch her highly produced sketches that exaggerate everyday dramas. “My content is minimal talking,” she says. “If someone doesn’t speak English, they can still laugh—it’s Charlie Chaplin-esque.”
#39. Josh Richards
Earnings: $6 M
Total Followers: 35.3 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.47%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Podcasts, venture investing, apparel—all in a day’s work for the Canadian-born entrepreneur. Richards got his start dancing and lip syncing on TikTok. Today, he is the cohost, with Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, of Barstool’s BFFs podcast covering sports and pop culture. He also runs production company Cross Check Studios, is a general partner at influencer investment firm Animal Capital, and is an advisor to UnHide, a vegan clothing brand.
#40. Lexi Rivera
Earnings: $5 M
Total Followers: 55.2 M
Avg. Engagement: 6.65%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The star of kid-friendly YouTube skits and challenges started when she was 11, appearing in her brother’s Vine videos. Rivera attended college—for a day. “I ended up taking a chance on social media,” she says. Smart move: She now has 17.5 million YouTube subscribers. On Instagram, she shares travel and fashion content with 8 million fans. “It’s more natural and more my vibe.”
#41-50
#41. Livvy Dunne
Earnings: $4.9 M
Total Followers: 15.7 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.82%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Dunne’s college gymnastics era may be ending, but her creator career is just heating up. Dunne is one of the NCAA’s highest-earning athletes, thanks to NIL endorsement deals totaling nearly $5 million in 2025. Partnerships have included Vuori, American Eagle, and Nautica. The New Jersey native recently appeared on the cover of the “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Issue.
#42. I ShowSpeed
Earnings: $20 M
Total Followers: 118.1 M
Avg. Engagement: 30.89%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
The prolific streamer is world-famous for his high-energy gaming reactions, pranks, and travel content. Born Darren Jason Watkins Jr., Speed got his start with gaming content on YouTube in 2016—he now has 40 million subscribers on the platform alone. In the real world, he often appears at Champions League soccer games and WWE matches—sometimes dressed in a costume hawking Logan Paul’s energy drink Prime. On the music front, Speed has signed with Warner Music and released the single “World Cup.”
#43. Brooke Monk
Earnings: $2.6 M
Total Followers: 58.1 M
Avg. Engagement: 5.73%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Brooke Monk has clearly mastered the art of comedic storytelling on TikTok. Her 39 million fans on the platform are engaged as ever, and brands such as hair care company K18 Hair, energy drink Alani and streaming platform Paramount have tapped the creator for partnerships. Meanwhile on YouTube, 9 million subscribers get a closer glimpse into her life with makeup tutorials and Q&A sessions.
#44. iJustine
Earnings: $3.5 M
Total Followers: 13.7 M
Avg. Engagement: 0.05%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Gadget guru Justine Ezarik began streaming back in the days of webcams. Today, she is a leading voice in the tech industry. Her YouTube channel boasts more than 7 million subscribers who tune in for her reviews of cameras, computers, and even EVs. She scores big interviews with tech titans. Guests have included Apple’s Tim Cook and Craig Federighi, plus Spotify founder Daniel Ek and Microsoft CEO Sundar Pichai. “YouTube is always changing, I’m always changing,” says Ezarik. “I have a new interest every other month, so it’s fun to integrate that into my content.”
#45. Drew Afualo
Earnings: $2.8 M
Total Followers: 9.5 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.88%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Afualo lives out loud. “Lean into what makes you so unique—so you—because that’s the way people grow followings,” says Afualo. The former journalist gained fame during the COVID-19 pandemic with her TikTok videos, which featured her standing up to social media bullies. Her bold personality is now on full display with her hit podcast The Comment Section. In 2024, she published her “New York Times” best-selling memoir, “Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve.”
#46. Xandra
Earnings: $3 M
Total Followers: 1.8 M
Avg. Engagement: 1.57%
Entrepreneurship Score: 3
Alexandra Pohl, a DJ and model, constantly jets to festivals and photoshoots—and shares with her fans the ups and downs of life on the go. The University of Miami grad has performed at EDC Vegas and Lollapalooza. Off the stage, she returned in 2025 as a “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit star. “Creators have followers because of who they are as a person and the way they make content,” says Xandra. “You cannot fake it.”
#47. Jordan the Stallion
Earnings: $11 M
Total Followers: 35.8 M
Avg. Engagement: 2.41%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Howlett has turned an iPhone and a bathroom mirror into a social media empire. His simple, low-maintenance videos offer hot takes on internet memes, secret recipes for fast food favorites, and celebrity visits—think Michael B. Jordan, Donald Glover, and Kevin Hart. Brand deals include H&R Block, Verizon, and Cash App.
#48. Wisdom Kaye
Earnings: $5 M
Total Followers: 22.4 M
Avg. Engagement: 4.77%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
The former electrical engineer turned into a digital fashionista during the pandemic, posting over-the-top outfits and earning the rep as the best-dressed man on TikTok. “I have to balance my artistic interests with the algorithmic interests,” says Kaye. “I have to take certain risks on the artistic side for the sake of performance.” Repped by modeling powerhouse IMG, Kaye’s brand partnerships range from high-end labels like Prada and Ferragamo to massive companies including American Express and Google.
#49. Monet McMichael
Earnings: $7.7 M
Total Followers: 5.5 M
Avg. Engagement: 4.18%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
The Rutgers University nursing grad has gone from life-saving to lifestyle, posting videos on beauty, fashion, hair, food, and travel to her large and highly engaged audience. Brands are engaged, too, helping McMichael earn millions in partnerships with brands including Visa, UPS, Lancôme, Dove, and Express.
#50. Nara Smith
Earnings: $9 M
Total Followers: 16.3 M
Avg. Engagement: 7.24%
Entrepreneurship Score: 2
Voiceover guru Nara Smith continues to attract millions for her soft-spoken recipe and lifestyle videos. She’s cooked up collaborations with luxury brands Ferragamo and Marc Jacobs, but doesn’t shy away from the messier parts of life (though her videos won’t ever show the mess), in a multi-post partnership with diaper company Coterie. In March 2025, she took a page out of Hailey Bieber’s recipe book and launched her own limited edition smoothie at high-end, L.A. grocer Erewhon.
Credits
Edited by: Steven Bertoni
Reporting by: Matt Craig, Zoya Hassan, Alexandra S. Levine, and Alex York
Photography: 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 Sophia Rivera-Korver
Styling: Jenn Polk; Sydney Lopez for Jake Shane, wearing Louis Vuitton
Art Direction: Fernando Capeto
Design: Philip Smith, Yunjia Yuan, Cecilia Runxi Zhang, Macy Sinreich
Photo Research: Gail Toivanen, Tim Schnupp
Video: Kirsten Taggart, Ivan Clow, Riley Hallaway, Morgan Sun, Kristin Hunt
Methodology
To make the 2025 quantitative list, Forbes estimated each creator’s gross earnings be – tween April 2024 and April 2025. 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, com – ments and shares divided by total followers). For the en – trepreneur rank, Forbes scored candidates on a scale of 1 to 4, ranging from people who make most of their money from traditional advertising to those building their own companies, brands and services. (Those who exclusively pitch brands score a 1; those who build brands earn a 4.)
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
