highest paid Instagram influencers

Top 33 Highest Paid Instagram Influencers: The Richest Social Media Stars in 2026

Did you know that some of the richest people in the world are Instagram influencers? Some are creative content producers, and the others are celebrities with luxury and fun lifestyles. No matter what type of content they share, they have something special to brands that makes them the highest-paid Instagram influencers. 

Since more and more people trust influencers each day, they have become more valuable to brands and businesses. With the rise of influencer marketing platforms, nowadays, finding influencers is much easier than before. That’s why influencers earn more income these days.

Let’s delve into the extraordinary lives and accomplishments of the richest Instagram influencers.

17 Highest-Paid Instagram Influencers: Mega Celebrities Who Make Millions

highest paid mega influencers on Instagram
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1. Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

  • Average income per post: $3.23 million
  • Followers: 660M
  • Eng Rate: 1.13%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Nike, Herbalife, TAG Heuer.

As a famous Portuguese football player who is also a great model and public figure, Ronaldo is the most-recognized person in the world. He is not only a well-known celebrity but also the richest influencer on Instagram. 

Being popular and loved isn’t just about Ronaldo himself; his entire family has earned fame and attention through his success.

Having the most followed Instagram account, with 660M followers at the moment of writing this article, he earns almost $3.23M per post he shares for brands. Chris Ronaldo is considered the highest-paid Instagram influencer.

2. Lionel Messi (@leomessi)

  • Average income per post: $2.59 million
  • Followers: 506M
  • Eng Rate: 0.75%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Adidas, Socios.com, Gillette.

It might be uncommon for you to see the names of the most popular football players on the list of the highest paid social media influencers. People usually think that their income is only from playing football. But that’s not true. 

Being a well-known football player makes someone like Lionel Messi an icon for most people. They try to be Messi! Act like Messi and do whatever he does.

That’s why Messi or Ronaldo are Instagram stars. Messi has 506M followers and earns almost $2.59M per publication. As a sportsman, he can be an iconic figure for promoting sportswear brands.

3. Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)

  • Average income per post: $2.55 million
  • Followers: 418M
  • Eng Rate: 0.52%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Rare Beauty, Oreo, La’Mariette / Our Place.

People have known Selena since she was a teenager. Now she is a young singer and actress who quickly became famous and put her name on the list of top celebrities. Therefore, she is an iconic figure for teens and also one of the celebrities who has the highest engagement rate. 

Selena is one of the unique figures for cosmetic, fashion, and lifestyle brands. She has 418M followers on her Instagram and receives almost $2.55M per paid partnership with brands. That puts her on the list of highest paid Instagram influencers.

With her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty launching new products, she’s making even more money from her brand.

4. Kylie Jenner (@kyliejenner)

  • Average income per post: $2.38 million
  • Followers: 393M
  • Eng Rate: 0.55%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Kylie Cosmetics, Khy × Frankies Bikinis, Khy × Dilara Findikoglu.
Kylie Jenner

There’s no surprise to see the name of the Kardashians on the list of the top 10 richest social media influencers! By the way, they are among the most famous families around the world. Although Kylie doesn’t carry the Kardashian’s family, that doesn’t make her less famous than others. 

Kylie is one of the most famous female Instagram models and has her own beauty brand, called Kylie Cosmetics. However, having 393M followers on Instagram makes her a perfect figure for some luxury brands. Meanwhile, she earns almost $2.38M per post.

Most of Kylie’s income comes from her brand and her partnerships with popular magazines and her other brands, like Kylie Skin. However, this top Instagram model has launched so many new brands recently that some believe she has lost focus on her cosmetics line.

5. Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

  • Average income per post: $2.32 million
  • Followers: 393M
  • Eng Rate: 0.05%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Under Armour, Target, Teremana Tequila.

Known as ‘The Rock’, Dwayne is a Hollywood actor mostly known for his athletic physique. Therefore, he is a perfect influencer for health and fitness brands. He has 393M followers and receives a minimum of $2.32M per post.

As a wrestler, actor, and father, he is killing it in all of his roles. Johnson became even more popular when he started playing a role in Fast and Furious, which led to more branding and movie contracts coming his way.

6. Kim Kardashian (@kimkardashian)

  • Average income per post: $2.17 million
  • Followers: 356M
  • Eng Rate: 0.20%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Nike, Balenciaga, Skims.

We know you were waiting to see this name on the list of the richest influencers in the world. Kim Kardashian is the most famous member of this golden family.

Like her sister, Kim Kardashian has her own cosmetic brand, KKW, and also 356M followers on her Instagram. She is one of the richest people on Instagram because she receives almost $2.17M per promotion post.

7. Ariana Grande (@arianagrande)

  • Average income per post: $2.26 million
  • Followers: 374M
  • Eng Rate: 0.45%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Swarovski, Jeff Goldblum collab.

Ariana Grande is another young American singer and actress who is very popular among teens. She has 374M followers worldwide and is one of the most influential Instagrammers due to her success and popularity at this young age. She is the brand ambassador of a beauty brand called Ultra Beauty and receives almost $2.26M per post.

8. Beyoncé Knowles (@beyonce)

  • Average income per post: $1.89 million
  • Followers: 310M
  • Eng Rate: 0.25%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Cécred, Levi’s.

Starting her career as one of the singers of Destiny’s Child band, Beyoncé became famous very soon. She started acting in different movies and became one of the most popular singers in the world. 

Beyoncé has 310M followers on Instagram, and her promotional posts are primarily for brands such as Adidas. She earns almost $1.8M per publication.

9. Khloe Kardashian (@khloekardashian)

  • Average income per post: $1.87 million
  • Followers: 302M
  • Eng Rate: 0.08%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Good American, Khloud, Fabletics.

As mentioned earlier, the Kardashian family is among the richest families on Instagram. Khloe is another member of this family who might not be as famous as Kim and Kylie, but she is on the list of the top Instagram earners. 

Khloe is a businesswoman who is a fragrance designer and helps her sister Kylie with her beauty brand. She has 302M followers on Instagram and earns almost $1.87M per post. 

10. Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)

  • Average income per post: $1.76 million
  • Followers: 294M
  • Eng Rate: 0.06%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Rhode (e.l.f. Beauty).

As a Canadian singer, Justin Bieber has always been prominent from the first day he started his career as a singer till now, and he is an icon for his followers.

Justin Bieber has 294M followers, making him an excellent influencer for most brands to introduce their new products globally. Justin is among the highest-paid influencers and earns almost $1.76M per promotion he posts on his Instagram.

11. Kendall Jenner (@kendalljenner)

  • Average income per post: $1.29 million
  • Followers: 286M
  • Eng Rate: 0.79%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: FWRD, Jimmy Choo.

It seems all the members of the Kardashian family are on the list of the richest influencers on Instagram. Kendall Jenner is the youngest sister of this family; she is a well-known model who was not on the list of the richest people on Instagram until 2018.

Still, after that, she gained much attention on social media. Now, with 286M followers and earning $1.29M per promotion, she is one of the highest-paid Instagram models.

12. Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

  • Average income per post: $1.14 million
  • Followers: 280M
  • Eng Rate: 2.25%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Apple Music, Diet Coke.

Don’t forget Taylor Swift, a young, cute American singer who became a successful singer of all time by receiving many awards, such as Grammy, Emmy, Country Music Association, and Billboard Music Awards. 

Becoming Time magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year is only one of the reasons that Taylor Swift’s name has stirred social media.

Therefore, she is definitely a person who can influence young girls because she is so successful in her career. With 280M followers, Taylor earns almost $1.14M per publication.

13. Jennifer Lopez (@jlo)

  • Average income per post: $1.13 million
  • Followers: 247M
  • Eng Rate: 0.08%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Coach, Versace, and Pantene.

The list of the richest people on Instagram will not be complete without the name of Jennifer Lopez, known as JLO, a dancer, singer, and actress who is always at the top of the news. JLO definitely knows how to get more popular each day. 

Like other celebrities on the list, Jennifer Lopez has her own brand. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t collaborate with different brands to promote their businesses.

She has 247M followers on Instagram and mainly works with fashion brands, such as Guess or Dolce Gabbana. She earns almost $1.13M for each post she dedicates to other brands.

14. Niki Minaj (@nickiminaj)

  • Average income per post: $1.03 million
  • Followers: 224M
  • Eng Rate: 0.12%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Dre, MAC.

Calling herself Barbie on Instagram, Niki Minaj is a singer, rapper, and songwriter, with 224M followers. She earns $1.03M for every post she shares, which makes her one of the richest Instagram influencers.

Nicki has always been bold among other celebrities. If you haven’t noticed, Nicki and her fans, the Barbz, have their unique lingo that outsiders often struggle to understand.

15. Neymar da Silva Santos (@neymarjr)

  • Average income per post: $945,000
  • Followers: 231M
  • Eng Rate: 0.66%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Nike.

It seems that football players and models are more popular than others on social media platforms, such as Instagram. We named three football players on the list of 30 richest influencers on Instagram. This time, we will go to Brazil, the country of sun and sand. 

Neymar is a famous athlete who plays for Brazil’s national football team and is the model of most sports brands, including Nike. Neymar has 231M followers and reaches $945,000 per post he publishes for famous brands.

16. Katy Perry (@katyperry)

  • Average income per post: $1.03 million
  • Followers: 203M
  • Eng Rate: 0.10%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: CoverGirl, H&M.

The pop star who is known for her unique character and style, Katy Perry, is another celebrity on the list of highest paid Instagram influencers. The way she dresses and does her makeup makes her so popular. That’s why she became an excellent icon for marketing clothes and shoes. 

She also has her own shoe collection that carries her brand name, the Katy Perry collection. She has 203M followers and earns $1.03M per post, which makes her one of the richest Instagram influencers.

17. Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real)

  • Average income per post: $780,000
  • Followers: 176M
  • Eng Rate: 0.15%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Nike, Fabletics Men, Gain.

Last but not least, let’s talk about the comedic Hollywood star Kevin Hart, a man who is loved by everyone in the world obsessed with comedy movies.

Kevin was invisible to most people in the comedy world, but everything changed when he got a role in the Jumanji movie alongside The Rock.

He now has 176 million followers on Instagram and makes around $28 million each year ($780,000 per post) from Instagram brand promotions.

16 Highest-Paid Instagram Influencers (Non-Celebrity)

highest paid Instagram non celebrities

1. Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli)

  • Average income per post: $1.5 million
  • Followers: 273M
  • Eng Rate: 4.39%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: MRF, Puma, Agilitas.

Few athletes are known enough to have a global fan base. As one of India’s most celebrated cricket players, Virat Kohli has become a rich influencer in the world, having millions of fans.

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In 2018, he received India’s highest sporting honor, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, boosting his popularity even further. Currently, he has an impressive 271 million followers on Instagram.

He is one of the top Indian Instagram influencers who is the icon of some clothing and sporting brands worldwide and earns almost $1.5M per post.

2. Eleonora Pons (@lelepons)

  • Average income per post: $180,000
  • Followers: 54.1M
  • Eng Rate: 2.31%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Shein, Eyebuydirect, Universal Music Group.

The famous Mexican influencer and dancer, Eleonora, started modeling on the Vine platform. But this platform couldn’t stay as popular as Instagram.

Therefore, Eleonora created an Instagram account and now has 54.1M followers. Eleonora has appeared in different music videos and earns $180K per post. Besides her Instagram, she is one of the hottest YouTubers, often referred to as an old YouTuber.

3. Huda Kattan (@hudabeauty)

  • Average income per post: $158,000
  • Followers: 57M
  • Eng Rate: 0.04%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Huda Beauty, Wishful.

Huda is one of the most popular beauty influencers on Instagram who lives in Dubai. She started her account as a makeup artist who gives tips and tricks about having better makeup.

She reached more fame when she announced her own cosmetic brand, Huda Beauty. Huda has 57M followers and gains almost $158K per post-publication.

As one of the highest-paid Instagram influencers, Huda is doing an amazing job as both an entrepreneur and makeup influencer.

4. Dan Bilzerian (@danbilzerian)

  • Average income per post: $75,000-$150,000.
  • Followers: 29.8M
  • Eng rate: 4.21%
  • Brand partnership examples: Ignite, Legal Lean, and Monster Energy

Known for his wild lifestyle and poker games, Dan Bilzerian is not a Hollywood celeb, but he’s definitely an Instagrammer people love!

Aside from poker, Dan founded Ignite International Brands, a lifestyle company selling products like CBD oils, e‑cigarettes, spirits, and more.

Private jets, luxury cars, scenic travel, and poker nights are what Dan mostly shares with his followers. Estimates suggest he can earn up to about $75K–$150K+ per sponsored post

5. Sommer Ray (@sommerray)

  • Average income per post: $86,000
  • Followers: 23.1M
  • Eng Rate: 0.12%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Imaraïs Beauty, Tsū.

The American model, Sommer, is mostly known because of her vlog channel and YouTube videos. Apart from being a model, Sommer has founded a beauty brand called ImaraisBeauty. She has 23M followers and earns $86K per promotion post.

Sommer is a top female Instagram model with an obsession over cute animals, if huge spiders and tarantulas are considered cute.

6. Zach King (@zachking)

  • Average income per post: $82,500
  • Followers: 28.8M
  • Eng Rate: 0.26%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Disney, LG, Adobe.

You can never get enough of creativity on Zach’s Instagram. He started his online presence by sharing tutorials about Final Cut Pro, the editing software. Before he found his way to Instagram, he was a famous YouTuber. 

After gaining fame on YouTube, he became more popular on Instagram, too. However, on Instagram, he is primarily a creative video maker.

He also uses this platform to promote brands. With 28.8M followers, Zach earns $82.5K for each promotion post.

7. Logan Paul (@loganpaul)

  • Average income per post: $65,000
  • Followers: 27.1M
  • Eng Rate: 0.20%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Lunchly, Nike.

Logan is an American vlogger, boxer, wrestler, and artist who has appeared as a guest on the popular Law & Order TV series.

However, only a few may recognize him as the actor of this series because before being on TV, he had a vlog on the Vine platform with 19M followers.

Having 27.1M followers on Instagram, Logan is still famous and known as a great fighter. The value of each post-publication of Logan is $65K.

8. Jake Paul (@jakepaul)

  • Average income per post: $49,000
  • Followers: 28.4M
  • Eng Rate: 1.02%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Celsius, Dog Haus.

The Paul family has two members on the list of the highest-paid Instagram influencers non celebrity. Jake is the younger brother of Logan. He had a role in the Disney Channel series called ‘Bizaardvark.’ 

But acting is not his career right now. Jake is more like a social media character than an actor. He has 28.4M followers and gains $49K per post.

9. Joanna Gaines (@joannagaines)

  • Average income per post: $45,000
  • Followers: 13.8M
  • Eng Rate: 0.17%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Target, Loloi.

If you think a mom can’t become a successful and wealthy businesswoman, you should see Joanna Gaines. Gaines and her husband have a renovation company called Magnolia Reality to turn out-of-date homes into modern and up-to-date places.

Joanna and her husband didn’t just fix up homes; they transformed their lives, turning their dreams into a successful business with merchandise, books, a cooking show, and even a restaurant.

Although their company has many followers, Joanna receives more attention on Instagram. She has 13.8M followers and earns $45K for each promotion.

10. Nash Grier (@nashgrier)

  • Average income per post: $41,000
  • Followers: 13.5M
  • Eng Rate: 0.56%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Crocs, Amazon.

Calling himself a full-time dad, Nash is a video creator with 13.5M followers. However, now he is mostly a dad influencer or lifestyle blogger because he dedicates most of his posts to his daughter, who is still a 2-year-old kid.

Nash also has a YouTube channel that has so many subscribers, too. But he is more active on Instagram and earns $41K for each advertising post.

11. Araya Alberta Hargate (@chomismaterialgirl)

  • Average income per post: $35,000
  • Followers: 11.7M
  • Eng Rate: 0.31%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: L’Oréal Paris, Lux.

Araya is a fashion influencer from Thailand, and her content on Instagram is mostly about her wearing different outfits in the streets, but she also shares a lot about her three kids.

She was the winner of the beauty pageant in 1998. As a top-rated model, she is the center of attention for most clothing and fashion brands.

She was the tenth-highest-paid Instagram model in 2019. With 11.7M followers, Araya earns $35K for each post she publishes for brands.

12. Addison Rae (@addisonraee)

  • Average income per post: $25,000
  • Followers: 34.2M
  • Eng Rate: 1.02%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: American Eagle, Item Beauty.

With 34.2M followers, Addison is a sexy model on Instagram who attracts clothing and fashion brands to collaborate with her to promote their products.

As one of the youngest influencers on the list, Addison receives $25K for every promotion post she creates on Instagram.

Lately, Addison has been in so many different ads for popular brands and magazines like Perfect Magazine. With each passing day, Addison becomes more and more popular.

13. James Charles (@jamescharles)

  • Average income per post: $75,654
  • Followers: 20.1M
  • Eng Rate: 0.07%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Morphe.

James is a male makeup influencer and fashion blogger known for his unique style and character. He has 20.1M followers on Instagram and is one of the highest paid influencers on Instagram. 

James hasn’t just killed it as a male influencer, but recently, he released a song. The song tells a story about figuring out who loves you enough to stay by your side during hard times and who’s going to walk away because it’s the easier choice.

14. Chiara Ferrangi (@chiaraferragni)

  • Average income per post: $91,800
  • Followers: 28.4M
  • Eng Rate: 1.47%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: Louis Vuitton, Pomellato.

As one of the top Italian influencers, Chiara is a blonde Instagram model who mainly promotes luxurious products. She was first known because of her blog, ‘The Blond Salad,’ which she created in 2009. 

After her blog gained more visitors, she created an Instagram account and became even more popular than before. Chiara has 28.4M followers and is now one of the richest Instagram influencers. 

Right now, most of her content revolves around her shooting for different brands, going out to eat, or promoting a restaurant nobody actually knows.

15. Felix Kjellberg (@pewdiepie)

  • Average income per post: $70,000
  • Followers: 20.4M
  • Eng Rate: 5.52%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: G FUEL, Razer & Origin PC.

For people who love gaming, especially Minecraft, Felix is a known character. He is one of the top gaming influencers on YouTube with a channel that has over 111M subscribers, which is the third most subscribed channel on this platform. 

But popularity on YouTube wasn’t enough for him. Now he has 20.4M followers on Instagram and earns $70K per post he creates for brands. However, he is not a gamer on Instagram anymore; he usually shares photos and videos of his family and daily life.

16. Michelle Lewin (@michelle_lewin)

  • Average income per post: $10,000
  • Followers: 15.7M
  • Eng Rate: 0.29%
  • Brand Partnership Examples: STRONG Nation, Fitplan.

Known as one of the top female fitness influencers, who didn’t stop training even when she was pregnant, Michelle is an iconic character for moms and pregnant women.

She is not only a model but also a lifestyle influencer who influences people with her fitness videos. With 16M followers, Michelle is a macro influencer and is now one of the highest-paid non-celebrity Instagram influencers.

How to Find the Best Influencers to Work with?

Unfortunately, the mega influencers and celebrities we mentioned are very expensive, and your brand needs a huge budget to work with them. If you’re a startup that can’t afford to pay these high fees, consider finding nano influencers or even micro-influencers and collaborating with them.

That’s why Ainfluencer is a solid option if you want to skip the guesswork.

It gives you access to a 100% opt-in influencer database of over 5M creators. That means every creator listed is ready to work with brands. As a result, your influencer outreach gets much better results—fewer cold messages, more real replies.

Ainfluencer also automates the outreach for you. So instead of chasing influencers, you get matched with those already interested.

More importantly, if you don’t have time to run campaigns, Ainfluencer can do it for you. You just share your goals, and our team finds influencers, handles communication, and delivers results.

Main Features of Ainfluencer

Some other helpful features: include:

  • Unlimited Campaigns & Offers: There’s no limit to how many campaigns you can create or how many offers you can send. You can actually test and try different influencers and campaigns freely.
  • Smart Filters & Matching: You can search for influencers based on detailed filters like location, niche, gender, language, number of followers, engagement rate, and more. The platform also recommends matches based on your campaign goals.
  • Direct Messaging: It also allows you to message influencers directly through the platform’s inbox. In fact, you can discuss timelines, deliverables, pricing, and build a working relationship without a middleman.
  • Escrow Payment Protection: When you pay an influencer, Ainfluencer holds the money safely in escrow. The influencer only gets paid after they deliver the content and you approve it. This helps avoid scams or missed deadlines.
  • Reviews & Ratings: Moreover, you can check what other brands say about an influencer before hiring. Reviews and star ratings show how reliable, creative, and professional they are.
  • Performance Insights: Before choosing a creator, you can view their follower count, engagement rate, audience demographics, and past campaign results. After launching a campaign, you can also track views, likes, clicks, and sales.
  • Past Collab History: Ainfluencer even lets you see what brands a creator has worked with before, how much they were paid, and what type of content they delivered. It helps you avoid trial and error.
  • Free Influencer Tools: If you need free tools to audit accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, Ainfluencer can provide you with Instagram fake follower checker, lookalike finder, influencer pricing calculator, and more.

Looking for creators who actually match your brand?

Join Ainfluencer Today

Conclusion

We have football players, actors, models, content creators, and more people with unique talents in the list of the highest paid Instagram influencers. Being a social media icon is not easy.

Every character on the list has tried hard to stay in this position and become an influential person. However, this hard road leads to a better result too. The more effective a person is, the higher their income may be.

And the good news? You don’t have to be a celebrity to work with top creators. With platforms like Ainfluencer, brands of any size can connect with real influencers and run campaigns that actually convert.

Highest Paid Instagram Influencers: FAQs

1- Who Is the Highest Paid Instagram Influencer in the World?

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the highest-paid Instagram influencer with over 600 million followers and about $3.23M from sponsored posts and brand deals.

2- Who Is the Highest Paid Instagram Influencer in the UK?

Brooklyn Beckham, the oldest son of famous soccer player David Beckham and fashion designer Victoria Beckham, has become the highest-paid Instagram influencer in the UK. 

His popularity on Instagram comes from his family’s fame, his own career in photography, his many brand partnerships, and, of course, being married to Nicola Peltz. As a result, Brooklyn earns a significant income from sponsored posts and collaborations with brands, making him the top Instagram influencer in the UK.

3- Who Is the Highest Paid Instagram Influencer in the US?

Kylie Jenner is one of the richest Instagram influencers in the U.S. because of her popular brand, Kylie Cosmetics. Being in the Kardashian family also helps her stay famous and keeps her on the list of the richest people every year.

4- Who Is the Richest Social Media Influencer?

Apart from celebrities, like Ronaldo and Kylie Jenner, who are definitely rich people on social media, Jimmy Donaldson is a non-celebrity who is named as the richest social media influencer in 2023. He gained most of his fame from YouTube, where he is known as MrBeast and has 217M subscribers. As Forbes mentions, he earns $3.2M for each post he shares on this platform.

5. How Much Does Instagram Pay for 1 Million Followers?

If you have around 1 million followers on Instagram, you can typically earn between $10,000 and $15,000 per sponsored post. That number can go even higher if your engagement is strong, your content stands out, and you’re in a valuable niche.

6. How Much Do Influencers Make on Instagram?

It varies, but most earn between $100 and $10,000 per post depending on their follower count, engagement, and niche. Top influencers can make $100K+ per post