Multi-million-dollar earnings, partnerships with huge global brands, massive companies of their own. If you keep up with some of the biggest content creators out there, you’ve probably already heard bits and pieces of this sort of news. But do you know who’s at the top of the content creation game? And how much money do they really make?
Forbes recently released its Top 50 Creators of 2022 list, which covers some of the richest creators on the internet, their social media following, and how much money they raked in last year. Read on for the main takeaways from Forbes’ first-ever creator ranking, and to see some of the wildest income streams on the list.
5 lessons from Forbes’ Top Creators 2022
Before diving into the list, let’s see what you can learn from these creators and their mega success.
More followers don’t necessarily mean more money
While having millions of followers means having a bigger audience to monetize, making your follower count go up shouldn’t be your first priority. While TikTok darling Charli D’Amelio has almost 50 million more followers than MrBeast, when you compare the 2021 earnings of the two creators, the YouTube wild child made more than three times as much money than D’Amelio.
Diversify and reinvest
The most successful content creators on Forbes’ list don’t just stick to content creation. That’s because being too dependent on a single platform can artificially cap your income. Whether you want to launch a venture capitalist fund like the D’Amelios, or start a beauty brand like Addison Rae and Desi Perkins, it’s smart to diversify your income streams and reinvest some of the money you make into other ventures.
Find income streams that match your brand
If you’re a lifestyle vlogger, it makes sense to partner with cosmetics or fashion brands. But if you’re a master trash-talker like Jake Paul, you can make a lot more bank hyping up a boxing match. Find your niche, and be creative when you explore new revenue streams.
Age is just a number in the creator economy
10-year-old Ryan Kaji is the youngest content creator on Forbes’ list, raking in $27 million in 2021. On the other end of the spectrum, the four members of The Old Gays are in their 60s or 70s. And guess what? They made seven figures from their viral TikTok account last year.
Try new types of content
While diversifying your income streams, you also need to be willing to experiment with new types of content. Just because you’re great at making short-form videos for TikTok, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try filming longer videos, or even podcasting. Some of the most successful creators on Forbes’ list, such as Alexandra Cooper and Rickey Thompson, started podcasts that eventually led to lucrative deals with Spotify.
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Forbes’ top 50 creators of 2022
See the key stats of Forbes’ inaugural creator ranking at a glance — from how much top creators earned last year, to their most impressive income streams.
#1: MrBeast
2021 earnings: $54 million
Total followers: 162 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: MrBeast Burger, a fast food franchise.
#2: Charli D’Amelio
2021 earnings: $17.5 million
Total followers: 203.7 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: 444 Capital, a venture capitalist firm investing in tech and consumer brands.
#3: Alexandra Cooper
2021 earnings: $20 million
Total followers: 3.6 million
Top platform: Podcasting
Wildest income stream: An exclusive podcasting deal with Spotify worth $60 million.
#4: FuckJerry
2021 earnings: $30 million
Total followers: 20.1 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: What Do You Meme, a Cards Against Humanity-style game where you create your own memes.
#5: Emma Chamberlain
2021 earnings: $12 million
Total followers: 27.6 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Chamberlain Coffee, her namesake tea and coffee brand. It raised a $7 million investment from venture capitalists in August 2022.
#6: Huda Kattan
2021 earnings: $13 million
Total followers: 63 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: Huda Beauty, her eponymous makeup brand valued at $1.2 billion.
#7: Rhett & Link
2021 earnings: $30 million
Total followers: 11.8 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: Mythical Accelerator fund, a vehicle for investing in up-and-coming creators.
#8: Khaby Lame
2021 earnings: $10 million
Total followers: 231.4 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: A brand ambassador deal with crypto marketplace Binance.
#9: Addison Rae
2021 earnings: $8.5 million
Total followers: 133 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Item Beauty, her line of beauty products.
#10: Jake Paul
2021 earnings: $45 million
Total followers: 57.3 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: Boxing and MMA matches, including an upcoming bout against UFC legend Anderson Silva.
#11: Markiplier
2021 earnings: $38 million
Total followers: 49.5 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: Cloak, a clothing merch brand aimed at gamers.
#12: xQc
2021 earnings: $8 million
Total followers: 13.5 million
Top platform: Twitch
Wildest income stream: His Twitch streams. According to leaked data, he made approximately $8.5 million from August 2019 to October 2021.
#13: Unspeakable
2021 earnings: $28.5 million
Total followers: 18.8 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: A $28.5 million deal with Spotter, an accelerator for YouTubers.
#14: Patrick Starrr
2021 earnings: $15 million
Total followers: 11.7 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: ONE/SIZE, his own makeup brand.
#15: Jacksepticeye
2021 earnings: $16.8 million
Total followers: 43.9 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: Cloak, a clothing merch brand aimed at gamers.
# 16: Bhad Bhabie
2021 earnings: $51 million
Total followers: 29.9 million
Top platform: OnlyFans
Wildest income stream: Her OnlyFans account, which netted her $49 million in 2021.
#17: Josh Richards
2021 earnings: $5 million
Total followers: 34.7 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Animal Capital, a venture capitalist firm with $17 million in funding.
#18: Marques Brownlee
2021 earnings: $6.5 million
Total followers: 21.3 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: His YouTube ad revenue. In a 2019 interview, he revealed that it made up about 40–50% of his total income.
#19: Ninja
2021 earnings: $12.5 million
Total followers: 63.8 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: A 30-day course for aspiring streamers with MasterClass.
#20: KSI
2021 earnings: $10 million
Total followers: 45.1 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: PRIME Hydration, the workout drink brand he co-founded with Logan Paul.
#21: Dixie D’Amelio
2021 earnings: $10 million
Total followers: 89.4 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: 444 Capital, a venture capitalist firm investing in tech and consumer brands.
#22: Dani Austin Ramirez
2021 earnings: $8.2 million
Total followers: 2.3 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Divi, a hair growth brand.
#23: Ryan Kaji
2021 earnings: $27 million
Total followers: 33.2 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: A branded line of toys and clothing.
#24: JustMaiko
2021 earnings: $5.5 million
Total followers: 56.6 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Joystick, an NFT-based gaming platform.
#25: Aimee Song
2021 earnings: $2.8 million
Total followers: 7.1 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Song of Style, her clothing label.
#26: Desi Perkins
2021 earnings: $12 million
Total followers: 8 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Dezi Skin, a skincare brand.
#27: Bretman Rock
2021 earnings: $6.1 million
Total followers: 41.6 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Following: Bretman Rock, his MTV reality series.
#28: Noah Beck
2021 earnings: $4.5 million
Total followers: 44.5 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Partnerships with FIFA and Major League Soccer.
#29: Bella Poarch
2021 earnings: $5 million
Total followers: 111 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: “Build a B*itch,” a single that reached the top 10 in India, Malaysia, and Singapore.
#30: Camila Coelho
2021 earnings: $2.5 million
Total followers: 12.1 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Camila Coelho, the creator’s namesake clothing brand.
#31: Adam W
2021 earnings: $7.3 million
Total followers: 28.9 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Signing a three-picture deal with Wheelhouse, Jimmy Kimmel’s production studio.
#32: Tinx
2021 earnings: $11 million
Total followers: 1.9 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: It’s Me, Tinx, a SirusXM show.
#33: Rickey Thompson
2021 earnings: $2.5 million
Total followers: 9.5 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: An exclusive Spotify podcast deal for his show, We Said What We Said.
#34: Bailey Sarian
2021 earnings: $9.5 million
Total followers: 12.1 million
Top platform: YouTube
Wildest income stream: Dark History, a podcast.
#35: Avani Gregg
2021 earnings: $4.75 million
Total followers: 62.1 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Here for It, a Facebook Watch show.
#36: Mikayla Nogueira
2021 earnings: $2.4 million
Total followers: 15.5 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Her collaboration with cosmetics brand Glamlite.
#37: Shroud
2021 earnings: $2 million
Total followers: 19.1 million
Top platform: Twitch
Wildest income stream: Playing Valorant professionally with the esports team Sentinels.
#38: Ziwe Fumudoh
2021 earnings: $2.5 million
Total followers: 1 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Ziwe, her own show on Showtime.
#39: Lele Pons
2021 earnings: $3 million
Total followers: 94.3 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Hit singles like “Celoso” and more platinum releases.
#40: Jalaiah Harmon
2021 earnings: $1 million
Total followers: 3.5 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Sponsorships from brands like Coca-Cola, Levi’s, and Netflix.
#41: Benito Skinner
2021 earnings: $2 million
Total followers: 3 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Starring in Billy Eichner’s upcoming romantic comedy film, Bros.
#42: La’Ron Hines
2021 earnings: $1.5 million
Total followers: 9.9 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: A career as a musician and actor.
#43: Lynja
2021 earnings: $170,000
Total followers: 16.6 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Deals with Amazon, Chobani, and McDonald’s.
#44: The Old Gays
2021 earnings: $1 million
Total followers: 8.1 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Brand partnerships with Oreos, Lay’s, and Netflix.
#45: What About Bunny
2021 earnings: $1 million
Total followers: 9.3 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: A partnership with Open Farm Pet, a sustainable pet food brand.
#46: Sophie Dee
2021 earnings: $1.5 million
Total followers: 12.3 million
Top platform: OnlyFans
Wildest income stream: Her OnlyFans account, netting $200,000 a month.
#47: Elyse Myers
2021 earnings: $500,000
Total followers: 7.5 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Partnerships with Audible, Aerie, and Hyundai.
#48: Remi Bader
2021 earnings: $900,000
Total followers: 2.5 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: A clothing collection with Revolve.
#49: Elsa Majimbo
2021 earnings: $500,000
Total followers: 3.8 million
Top platform: Instagram
Wildest income stream: Partnerships with Valentino, Bumble, and Beats by Dre.
#50: Vivian Tu
2021 earnings: $200,000
Total followers: 2.4 million
Top platform: TikTok
Wildest income stream: Partnerships with Credit Karma, lululemon, and Invesco.
Step up your game
One of the most encouraging things to see from Forbes’ Top Creators list is just how much variety there is in the content creation world. Whatever your background, the type of content you make, or even your age, you can find your niche, cultivate an audience, and make some serious bank doing it. Hope this list inspires you to up your content creation game!
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