Revealed: Top Internet Influencers’ Earnings Unveiled in 2023 Rich List

The life of a content creator often appears glamorous and appealing.

Influencers have the ability to earn a living simply by sharing snippets of their everyday lives. With the right content, they can skyrocket to fame almost overnight. However, the swift ascent to internet fame can just as easily plummet if they make a misstep.

For those who skillfully navigate the online world without getting ‘canceled,’ the potential for financial success is immense.

However, only a select few have truly excelled, turning their social media presences into multimillion-dollar ventures, or branching out into industries like podcasting, acting, or singing.

Influencers looking to make real money off content creation, however, must diversify and expand ‘into product lines’ if they want to ‘provide a more stable and secure long term revenue stream, global brand strategist Laura Bull, who owns the branding agency Brand Management Co, told the Daily Mail.

“Partnerships and licensing deals are the most profitable,” she explained. “This strategy is how Mr. Beast is achieving success, much like predecessors such as Jessica Simpson and the Kardashians.”

Indeed, it is not enough to simply be a social media star these days. According to Cristy Stewart-Harfmann, an influencer marketing professor at Florida Atlantic University, ‘the most successful creators transition from creator to founder.’

So, while you may know their names, do you know how much your favorite influencers are actually raking in? The Daily Mail has uncovered the details of the highest-earning women in the business, revealing how much they make and who has come out on top.

Alex Cooper

Alex Cooper shot to fame by hosting the Call Her Daddy podcast but has been embroiled in drama with her fellow influencers and former co-host ever since 

Cooper tops the influencer rich list with an estimated net worth of a whopping $60 million, according to Parade. 

The internet personality became a household name after dishing about her raunchy exploits and past relationships on her podcast Call Her Daddy. 

In 2021, Cooper, now 31, left Barstool and signed a lucrative $60 million three-year deal with Spotify before moving Call Her Daddy to Sirius XM in 2024, complete with a $125 million multi-year contract. 

But what started as a sex-focused podcast has since expanded to an interview-style show that has become a must-visit for celebrities with something to promote or tea to spill. Cooper has interviewed the likes of Miley Cyrus, Hailey Bieber, Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Kim Kardashian, Cardi B and Zayn Malik, among others.

Fans of the podcast can also purchase ‘Daddy Gang’ merchandise. Cooper added to her millions by selling $800,000 worth of merch within three days of its release in November 2020. 

Although she has been embroiled in controversies over the years – first with her original co-host Sofia Franklyn, then most recently with influencer Alix Earle – her career shows no signs of stalling.

In 2023, she created the Gen Z-focused media company Unwell Network with her producer husband Matt Kaplan, which includes shows with comedian Grace O’Malley and influencer Madeline Argy. 

Then, in 2024, Cooper launched Unwell Hydration, a brand that sells low-sugar hangover drinks and is available at popular grocery chains like Target and Sprouts. In addition, she entered the world of television with her Unwell Winter Games and Love Overboard, a yacht-based dating reality series on Hulu where singles must pair up or walk the plank. 

Cooper, however, won’t just hawk anything. She previously revealed on Harry Jowsey’s Boyfriend Material podcast that she turned down an $8 million brand deal because she could not stomach ‘putting her face next to’ it, although she did not reveal what the product was.

Aside from her obvious revenue streams, Cooper’s high net worth could also be in part due to her own admitted stinginess.

She once said, ‘My friends make fun of me because of how reserved I am with money,’ and described herself as ‘spontaneously generous with money, but smart with it’ after buying her parents a house.

The star also told Entertainment Tonight she does not go on ‘crazy vacation vacations’ but buys herself a lot of Uggs and sweatpants. However, she admitted she does not check her bank account simply because she no longer needs to. 

Charli D’Amelio

Charli D’Amelio became a TikTok sensation during Covid and has since made a reported $45 million

The 21-year-old became the most followed person on TikTok in her teens after posting a dancing video in her school uniform. Soon after, Charli moved from her posh Connecticut home to Los Angeles to pursue fame and then joined the Hype House (fellow members included Addison Rae, her sister Dixie D’Amelio, her then-boyfriend Chase Hudson and singer Alex Warren). 

But while the days of dancing on TikTok and going viral might be over, she still boasts 216 million followers across social media.

At the height of her TikTok fame in 2021, she was said to be earning a whopping $47,945 per day alone. That same year, she brought in $17.5 million in branding and endorsement deals. 

Her family’s finances have long been a mystery to followers, who ran to Reddit to how the family can afford an estimated $10 million house back in 2024. 

‘You have no idea how much brands are willing and able to pay creators,’ one Reddit user was quick to explain – and they are correct. 

Charli is said to have brought in $45 million over the years from her social media pages, brand partnerships, clothing line and reality show. Not everything has stuck, however, including a short-lived singing career and her family’s Hulu series, which was canceled after three seasons. 

Even so, Charli – who starred on Broadway in the musical &Juliet – has since become the queen of diversifying her brand, working with Amazon, Prada, Puma, Burberry, Dunkin Donuts and Kate Spade. According to Forbes, the D’Amelios rake in around $250,000 per sponsored post. 

Dixie D’Amelio

Dixie D’Amelio shot to fame alongside her sister Charli and has been making money from lucrative social media ad campaigns ever since 

While her sister may have shot to fame first, 24-year-old Dixie seemingly rode her coattails to internet stardom.

In fact, Dixie amassed a whopping $14.6 million in a year thanks to her many campaigns. Take one look at Dixie’s Instagram page and you will see a slew of sponsored content, promoting everything from Crocs to MyMuse functional soda. 

Most recently, she hit Coachella by partnering with Crocs (and yes, that did mean she had to wear a bedazzled pair). Almost every single post that she has shared recently is tagged with ‘#ad,’ as she promotes everything from Revolve to Coffee-Mate creamers.

While the Connecticut-native may have brand deals aplenty, it is possible they will dry up if she does not change her brand. 

‘The wealthiest creators have seven streams of income that will include, products, brand deals that include equity, licensing, affiliates and digital products,’ Stewart-Harfmann said. 

She added that while brand deals pay well for people with millions of followers they are ‘often are a one and done’ deal. 

Being only an influencer is precarious, she explained, because ‘at any time a social media account could be hacked or taken down,’ referencing the brief ban of TikTok in the US.

‘Compared to peers who built strong vertical ownership, her positioning is less clearly defined,’ Stewart-Harfmann said. 

Indeed, Dixie had an unsuccessful career as a singer with her song Be Happy, but still hit radio shows across the country to promote it. She and her family then kept the theme alive when they launched Be Happy Snacks Co, which sells popcorn at Walmart. 

However, she has yet to find a specialty that sticks, but that has not stopped her from raking it in as she is said to be worth an estimated $10 million – though she has previously confessed to wanting to ‘marry rich.’

Emma Chamberlain

YouTube star Emma Chamberlain has been a prominent brand ambassador and ‘friend of the house’ for Louis Vuitton since 2019, cementing her as a certified fashion it girl

Emma Chamberlain might be worth $22 million now, but she previously admitted that ‘there were hard times for our family’ when she was growing up with ‘very little money’ in California.

One of the OG YouTube influencers, Chamberlain, now 24, has distanced herself from her earlier content creation days and instead has cemented herself as a next-gen fashion ‘it’ girl. 

She’s hosted interviews on the Met Gala red carpet and has also been a brand ambassador and ‘friend of the house’ for Louis Vuitton since 2019. As such, she is often seen at Paris Fashion Week and stars in the design house ad campaigns. 

She brings in about $9 million a year thanks to her entrepreneurship, including her podcast Anything Goes and her company Chamberlain Coffee, which Forbes estimated earns $20 million a year. 

Now one of the wealthiest Gen Z stars, Chamberlain is branching out even more by acting in the movie Forbidden Fruits alongside The Summer I Turned Pretty actress Lola Tung and Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart.

Alix Earle

Alix Earle has been making millions ever since she launched her career on TikTok as a college student

Earle, said to be worth $20 million, has made her fortune from brand partnerships, her Hot Mess podcast and equity positions in companies like Poppi and SipMargs.

But before her various ventures, she quickly rose to TikTok fame as a University of Miami student, filming ‘get ready with me’ videos in her college house.

The New Jersey native, 25, has since built a burgeoning career beyond the phone screen. Last year, she made it to the finals on Dancing With the Stars, and is now preparing for the release of her family’s reality show on Netflix, just like the Kardashians. Most recently, she launched her new skincare line, Reale Actives.

Bull, who wrote the book From Individual to Empire: A Guide to Building an Authentic and Powerful Brand, said that ‘the key is to make sure that the personal brand is built up first in one lane before launching a brand extension,’ referencing Earle’s skincare line which is ‘rooted in her own story.’

Earle – who has been brutally honest about her acne journey – faced backlash after the launch since followers thought it was not authentic because she had previously taken Accutane. 

Indeed, Stewart-Harfmann said, ‘Influencers are under a microscope when they launch a product.’

But the Florida-based marketing professor said the media landscape changed after the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving audiences fed up with perfectionists, which made it perfect timing for Earle to hit the scene. 

‘[They] want relatability and transparency, which is why the get ready with me style videos that feel casual and unfiltered, consistent sharing and behind the scenes in stories have lead to Alix’s success,’ she added.

Brands certainly agree, as Earle can reportedly command $450,000 for a single sponsored Instagram Story.  

Mikayla Nogueira

Beauty guru Mikayla Nogueira shot to fame and gained 17.4 million TikTok followers when she was an Ulta employee and has been raking in free beauty products ever since

Boston beauty guru Mikayla Nogueira is said to be worth almost $8 million, which she owes to numerous brand deals, including having e.l.f. sponsor her wedding.

Her brash beauty tutorials have earned her 20 million followers on TikTok and Instagram and she is said to make upwards of $500,000 per TikTok post.

However, her time as an influencer has not been without drama. Nogueira, 27, was bashed for her #sponcon wedding and faced backlash after she was accused of using false lashes to promote L’Oreal Telescopic Lift Mascara, which she later denied. 

The former Ulta employee has teamed up with Estée Lauder and Glow Recipe and even launched her own beauty brand, POV Beauty, which generated $1 million in sales within eight minutes of going live in March 2025. 

One way she saves money? She certainly does not have to splash out cash on cosmetics. Nogueira has been gifted so many free beauty products she has a ‘dream beauty room’ stocked with goodies from the brands she has collaborated with, like Rare Beauty, Benefit Cosmetics and Kosas.

Nara Smith

Model Nara Smith found fame for her cooking videos where she prepares elaborate meals from scratch while dressed to the nines  

Nara Smith became a viral internet star because of her ‘tradwife’ lifestyle – which sees the young mom cooking from scratch in lavish designer garb – and has earned her an estimated $6 million.

The 24-year-old South Africa-born beauty, who was raised in Germany, can be found packing on the PDA with her model husband Lucky Blue Smith or talking about their four children, Rumble Honey, Slim Easy, Whimsy Lou and Fawnie Golden. 

The model initially shot to internet fame for her elaborate recipes – and unique baby names – but has since become a fashion ‘it’ girl who is often found in the front row. 

While she has partnered with Ferragamo and Marc Jacobs, it appears her focus is not just on luxury fashion brands. The influencer has also worked with diaper company Coterie and launched her own smoothie at upscale grocery store Erewhon, a la Hailey Bieber. 

Although Smith has denounced the controversial ‘tradwife’ label thrust upon her by her fans – she previously told Harper’s Bazaar that her social media content is ‘not that deep’ – it has certainly stuck.

Though, Bull said, that might not be for the best.

‘If a large percentage of her followers label her a tradwife, and she rejects this notion, she needs to look at what is causing the disconnect because that will harm her business in the end,’ Bull said. 

Still, Smith is surely not losing out on cash. She is said to command between $50,000 to $100,000 per sponsored post because of her massive engagement, proving that controversy can certainly pay.