The early 2000s saw the start of social media as we know it, and the world has never been the same. With Facebook making an appearance in 2004 and YouTube in 2005, the oldest social media platforms have been around for a while, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone today who isn’t on either of these platforms or newer ones such as X (formerly known as Twitter), TikTok, or Snapchat. Some other notable platforms include LinkedIn, Pinterest, and the dinosaur of them all, MySpace (launched in 2003).
Many of today’s celebrities are influencers who use these platforms for fame, business, lifestyle content, and more. We’ll explore the top 10 social media influencers of all time according to AI. Some of the influencers may surprise you.
Top 10 Influencers According to AI
1. Kim Kardashian
No surprise here. Kim Kardashian was born a socialite and turned it into a full-blown social media career after her first appearances on the reality TV show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The popular show ran until 2021. Kardashian transformed her fame into business success with fashion stores called Dash, shaping apparel known as Skims, and beauty and fragrance companies. Ultimately, this household name has changed social media as we know it.
Date Started: 2003
Famous Platforms: Most active on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat
Number of Followers: Over 400 million
Known For: Socialite, beauty and fashion businesses, reality TV
Net Worth: 1.7 billion
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese footballer (soccer player), and the most famous player in modern times. He has played the highest number of international matches and scored the most international goals. Forbes has declared him the highest-paid athlete on earth numerous times. If this wasn’t impressive enough, Ronaldo has over one billion followers across social media. Sometimes being a footballer is more than just kicks.
Date Started: 2003
Platforms Used: Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube
Number of Followers: Over 1 billion combined
Known For: Renowned soccer player (forward)
Net Worth: $800 million
3. Kylie Jenner
Like her sister Kim, Kylie Jenner rose to fame on the reality TV show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” Although Kim Kardashian’s star seems to shine the brightest, Kylie has nearly matched her, starting with her makeup company, Kylie Cosmetics. At a much younger age, Kylie and her top model sister worked with clothing brand Pac Sun and eventually started a line called Kendall & Kylie. Have you tried the famous Kylie Lip Kit?
Date Started: 2007
Platforms Used: Instagram, X, Facebook
Number of Followers: 135 million on Instagram, 27 million on X, 22 million on Facebook
Known For: Kylie Cosmetics, reality TV
Net Worth: $900 million
4. MrBeast
James Stephen Donaldson is a highly famous YouTube personality known for exciting videos featuring challenges and prizes, as well as charitable outreach. His YouTube channel is the most subscribed to on the platform. His first channel “MrBeast6000” was a hit in 2017 and led to millions of views. MrBeast has a team of over 250 people helping make his content. When he was first starting out, he hired all his friends. Now that’s a cool guy.
Date Started: 2007
Platforms Used: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X
Number of Followers: 350 million on YouTube
Known For: Stunts, challenges, and giveaways
Net Worth: $1 billion
5. Charli D’Amelio
Charli D’Amelio became a top influencer through her dances on TikTok. Her quick rise to fame made her the most followed personality on TikTok, surpassing another popular creator, Loren Gray. This visibility led to exciting moments, like dancing with Jennifer Lopez in 2020 during the Super Bowl. She placed first with her partner Mark Ballas on Dancing With the Stars 31.
Date Started: 2019
Platforms Used: TikTok, YouTube, X
Number of Followers: 155 million on TikTok
Known For: Dance artist
Net Worth: $45 million
6. PewDiePie
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, otherwise known as PewDiePie, is known for his gaming content as well as humorous videos on YouTube. He is considered one of the most famous content creators in the world. To start his influencer career, he posted a series of videos called “Let’s Play.” By 2013, his was the most subscribed to channel on YouTube. Over time, the influencer branched out into vlogs, music videos, and comedy shorts. If you ever need a friend to play horrifying video games with, you’ve found your guy.
Date Started: 2010
Platforms Used: YouTube
Number of Followers: 110 million subscribers and 29.4 billion views on YouTube
Known For: Gaming videos
Net Worth: $60 million
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7. Addison Rae
Addison Rae Easterling is a social media personality known for her singing and acting. TikTok is her top platform, where she is one of the most followed influencers. She went on to perform in major movies and made a splash in the music industry with her song “Obsessed” which debuted in 2021. Her song “Diet Pepsi” reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Date Started: 2019
Platforms Used: TikTok
Number of Followers: 110 million subscribers and 29.4 billion views on TikTok
Known For: Acting and singing
Net Worth: $25 million
8. Huda Kattan
Huda Kattan is the founder of Huda Beauty, and known for her game-changing influence in the cosmetics industry. Her brand is known worldwide, setting the trend for her popular YouTube videos that blend high-quality cosmetics with storytelling and authenticity. For viewers, this type of content is now the hallmark of any YouTube star, and it has placed her as one of the most popular beauty influencers globally. Huda took the concept of blending skills to a whole new level.
Date Started: 2013
Platforms Used: YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok
Number of Followers: 4.6 million on Instagram, 1 million on TikTok
Known For: Beauty tutorials
Net Worth: $550 million
9. Logan Paul
Logan Alexander Paul is one of the highest-paid YouTubers of all time. He’s now a professional wrestler and actor, and makes social media appearances on his main channel “Logan Paul Vlogs.” His podcast “Impaulsive” has millions of listeners. He performs part-time in the WWE and has won the WWE United States Championship. His specialty on social media was the real take-down.
Date Started: 2013
Platforms Used: YouTube
Number of Followers: 23 million and 6 billion views on YouTube
Known For: Wrestling, vlogging, comedy sketches
Net Worth: $150 million
10. Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain is best known for her content on YouTube, but broke the mold to become a celebrity on a larger scale. When signed by Louis Vuitton in 2019, she became the first influencer to align with a luxury brand. Chamberlain set an industry standard with her video editing and content style and managed to accomplish all of this at the age of 16. She has been a brand ambassador for both Louis Vuitton and Cartier, and has hosted Met Gala red carpet interviews since 2021.
Date Started: 2017
Platforms Used: YouTube, Instagram
Number of Followers: 12 million on YouTube, 16 million on Instagram
Known For: Vlogging and fashion
Net Worth: $12 million
I hope you found AI’s choices for top social media influencers as interesting as I did. The huge numbers of followers and earnings on this list are impressive, and go to show that when you have passion, technology, and access to social media, you can have a monumental effect on the world.
Which of these influencers is your favorite? Was there someone you thought should make the list?