Who is America’s highest-paid Instagram celebrity, you wonder? The answer might come as a bit of a surprise for many. Bored Panda, in a research based on data by social media management company Hopper HQ, has compiled a list of names that are the biggest money-makers on Instagram, the Meta-owned social media company dedicated to sharing photos and videos.
According to the research, some stars can earn up to USD 3.2 million for a single sponsored post on their Instagram account. Among such stars is Portugal football icon Cristiano Ronaldo — the most-followed human on Instagram with over 631 million followers. But Ronaldo is an exception, given that his popularity is much wider than even the most famous celebrities in any country, including the US.
Thus, when it comes to American celebrities, the result is pretty different from what could be perceived as the obvious.
What data reveals about the highest-paid celebrities on Instagram
Image: Courtesy of Kylie Jenner/@KylieJenner/X
Using data from Hopper IQ, the team at Bored Panda analysed over 90,000 Instagram posts of 850 American celebrities and estimated their annual earnings. The posts they studied featured the words “paid partnership” or hashtags such as #ad or #sponsored between April 2023 and March 2024, to create a ranking that delivered an estimate for the 20 highest-paid celebrities.
The celebrities include everyone from the fields of sport, acting and music in America.
According to ETX, Kevin Hart earned an estimated USD 28 million in 2023 from 26 advertisements on Instagram. He has over 179 million followers. The brands he has sponsored include Gran Coramino tequila, VitaHustle and the Hart House vegan restaurant.
But neither follower count nor number of advertisements determine the amount earned. An example is Mark Wahlberg, who made an estimated USD 15.5 million with 88 sponsored posts shared with a follower count of over 29 million.
Unlike Hart, the Jenner-Kardashian sisters have far more followers but fewer sponsored posts. This means their income is also lower than that of the actor.
These are the top 20 highest-paid Instagram celebrities in the US
1. Kevin Hart – USD 28.1 million (Followers: 179M)
2. Kylie Jenner – USD 16.8 million (Followers: 399M)
3. Khloé Kardashian – USD 16.7 million (Followers: 308M)
4. Mark Wahlberg – USD 15.5 million (Followers: 30.4M)
5. Kendall Jenner – USD 12.3 million (Followers: 293M)
6. Dwayne Johnson – USD 9.5 million (Followers: 397M)
7. Jennifer Lopez – USD 9.1 million (Followers: 252M)
8. Ellen DeGeneres – USD 9.2 million (Followers: 138M)
9. Stephen Curry – USD 7.5 million (Followers: 56.6M)
10. Cardi B – USD 6.08 million (Followers: 167M)
11. LeBron James – USD 6.4 million (Followers: 159M)
12. Kim Kardashian – USD 4.3 million (Followers: 362M)
13. Shaquille O’Neal – USD 3.4 million (Followers: 34.6M)
14. DJ Khalid – USD 3.4 million (Followers: 38.9M)
15. Demi Lovato – USD 2.8 million (Followers: 156M)
16. Gigi Hadid – USD 2.78 million (Followers: 77.9M)
17. Vanessa Hudgens – USD 2.75 million (Followers: 51.3M)
18. MrBeast – USD 2.10 million (Followers: 56.6M)
19. Paris Hilton – USD 2 million (Followers: 26.4M)
20. Kris Jenner – USD 1.9 million (Followers: 52.2M)
(Hero image: Courtesy of Strong Black Lead/@strongblacklead/X; Kylie Jenner/
@KylieJenner/X; Khloé/@khloekardashian/X; Featured image: Kylie Jenner/
@KylieJenner/X)
(With inputs from AFP via ETX Daily Up.)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Who is the highest-paid creator on Instagram?
The world’s highest-paid celebrity creator on Instagram could be Cristiano Ronaldo, based on the fact that he is the most followed person on the platform, has some of the biggest brands in his bag, and regularly endorses them on his social media.
– Does Instagram pay famous users?
Yes, Instagram pays famous social media users across countries.
