TikTok's top paid influencers – how Addison Rae, Charli D’Amelio and other teen stars are making millions from the controversial dance music app
With every passing decade, the systems, beliefs and ambitions evolve, too. Even 10 years ago, describing yourself as an influencer would likely have been met with looks of bafflement. There were no Instagramers or TikTokers in the early 2000s, but now, they have millions of followers, are considered celebrities in their own right and rake in millions of dollars.
The unlikely battlefield of growing geopolitical tension, TikTok – that irreverent and wildly popular app loved by millennials and generation Z – has seen many users shoot to fame. And since lockdowns began across the world, it’s been an especially interesting time to stalk TikTok and the people who have taken to the app to dance their boredom away.
Who are Instagram’s 5 highest-paid social media influencers?
Let’s see who made the most money while having the most fun, with a list of the top five highest-earning TikTok stars in 2020.
Josh Richards (@joshrichards), aged 18, 20.8 million followers Earnings: US$1.5 million
Apart from making a lot of money on TikTok, he’s also co-founded his own talent management company called TalentX and his own drink business, Ani Energy.
Not one to slow down, this guy is making the most of it with sponsorship deals with Reebok and HouseParty, a merchandise line, YouTube ad revenue and a new song-making deal with Warner Records.
Loren Gray (@lorengray), age 18, 46.1 million followers Earnings: US$2.6 million
After being wronged by a string of bad talent managers, this gifted lady shone by showing her true self on TikTok and developed the biggest fan base of any TikToker until spring. This was followed by moneymaking deals with Skechers, Hyundai and Burger King, and more recently a deal with Revlon. It requires her to create content for the company’s TikTok account and Revlon-sponsored posts for hers.
Jaime Xie, not Jamie – the tech billionaire heir turned fashion instaguru
Dixie D’Amelio (@dixiedamelio), aged 18, 32.8 million followers Earnings: US$2.9 million
With 32 million followers, Dixie, the older sister of star TikToker Charli D’Amelio is making the most of her fame and focusing on her music career. She has released her first single Be Happy in June which is doing extremely well with 58 million streams. Charli D’Amelio (@charlidamelio), 16 years, 76.9 million followers Earnings: US$4 million
Call her lucky or present in the right app at the right time, but TikTok has changed her life forever. Who would believe that Charli posted on TikTok for the first time in June 2019? After a series of dance videos went viral, Charli joined singer Bebe Rexha in opening for the Jonas Brothers at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. She has never looked back and made money with sponsorship deals with companies like EOS cosmetics and appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Sabra hummus.
A competitive dancer as a kid and a US$5 million-making Tiktoker who enjoys the top-spot on Forbes’ list of TikTok’s highest-earning stars is Addison Rae Easterling. Her success story begins with a sponsored post for Fashion Nova and continues in Los Angeles where she is pursuing celebrityhood full-time. She created Hype House, a content creator collective, which further amped her business and sponsored content from brands like Reebok and watch company Daniel Wellington. Want more stories like this?
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Forget traditional career paths, the highest-earning TikTok entertainers – Gen Z teens like Dixie D’Amelio, Loren Gray and Josh Richards – are literally dancing their way to the bank and making millions