Among the most prominent video-sharing platforms, TikTok has gained significant popularity worldwide. Since its emergence in 2016, the number of audiences in TikTok has increased considerably. As of January 2023, there were more than one billion monthly active users in TikTok, which allows it to become one of the top social media platforms which is widely used worldwide. The countries which have the largest user base of TikTok include the United States and Indonesia, while among the total worldwide users of this social media platform, approximately 54 per cent are women.
This has not remained a platform only for entertainment but it has been creating opportunities for a number of people to earn money. Going beyond the traditional job opportunities, today’s generation is involved in choosing the most unconventional career options, among which many prefer to become TikTok influencers due to having a significant earning potential. These earnings come in the form of advertising revenues, brand partnerships, event appearances and sponsored content. Some influencers are found to be earning millions of dollars by leveraging their passion and interest in this platform for content creation.
Examples of some popular TikTok stars with their estimated earnings
| TikTok Influencer | Estimated earnings in 2023 (In million US dollars) |
| Charli D’Amelio | 23 |
| Khaby Lame | 16.5 |
| Zach King | 13 |
| Dixie D’Amelio | 11.5 |
| Christina Najjar (Tinx) | 7.6 |
| Mikayla Nogueira | 7 |
| Addison Rae | 6 |
| Alix Earle | 5 |
| Michael Le | 4.4 |
Charli D’Amelio
Charli D’ Amelio has been recognised as one of the most popular dancers and social media personalities, with a massive number of followers on various platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. She is the second most followed TikToker having more than 150 million followers. The sharing of daily dance routines, along with lip-sync videos, allowed her to gain immense popularity on this platform. The brand partnership is one of the major sources of earnings of Charli D’ Amelio.
She is found to have collaborated with several brands, including Dunkin Donuts, Morphe and Hollister, with her sister Dixie. Kids’ Choice Awards in 2021 and 2022 has been hosted by Charli D’ Amelio while she has also obtained multiple awards such as the Kids’ Choice Award for being chosen as Favorite Female Social Star in 2021. Her love for fans, positive attitude as well as philanthropic efforts in supporting various causes made her a recognizable and well-known face on social media platforms. The annual earrings of Charli D’ Amelio amounted to around 23 million US dollars in 2023.
Khaby Lame
Khaby Lame is in the first position among the most followed TikToker globally. With more than 160 million followers, Khaby has become a social media personality and viral sensation by creating comedy and reaction videos, which lead to the spreading of laughter and joy. The birthplace of Khaby is Senegal, while he grew up in Italy. In order to showcase his creative cultural perspectives, he is involved in the creation of content in both English and Italian language.
His comedic videos on everyday life situations provide a refreshing vibe on the relevant subject matters. The maintenance of simplicity in the videos, as well as the humorous responses to the day-to-day life problems, make him unique from the others. Around 16.5 million US dollars has been earned by Khaby Lame in 2023.
Zach King
There are more than 80 million followers in the TikTok account of Zach King who is regarded as an American visual effects artist and filmmaker. He is well recognised for making mind-bending and creative videos with a unique combination of storytelling and visual effects, which captivate a million audiences. With the collaboration of several talented artists, King has found to be making uplifting films while supporting many children with his wife Rachel during his free time. The annual earnings of Zach King in 2023 was approximately 13 million US dollars.
Dixie D’Amelio
Like the younger sister Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio is also a popular social media personality who has a passion for singing. With more than 55 million followers on TikTok, Dixie earned around 11.5 million US dollars in the year 2023. By leveraging this fame and popularity, a pop music career along with reality shows on Snap and Hulu has been launched by Dixit. She is also one of the investors in their family VC firm, 444 Capital. The popularity has also led her to get an opportunity to host a talk show titled The Early Late Night Show.
Christina Najjar (Tinx)
Christina Najjar, who is well-recognised as Tinx, is found to be established herself as a lifestyle creator, podcast host and advice expert. The innovator of hot girl walks, and dating advisor Christina Najjar has gained popularity as TikTok’s older sister. This is because of the fact that the audience engagement of her content is extremely high which is around 6.64 per cent. It has been reported that an annual earnings of around 7.6 million US dollars has been obtained by Tinx in 2023.
Mikayla Nogueira
During the early pandemic, after losing her job, Mikayla Nogueira started her journey in TikTok and poisoned herself as a popular beauty influencer with more than 15 million followers. She used to share makeup tutorials along with GRWM (get ready with me) videos. Through the brand collaboration with L’Oreal, Charlotte Tilbury, Glamlite, CVS, and many others, Nogueira has grabbed considerable earning opportunities. The estimated earnings of this popular influencer have reached around 7 million in 2023. Nogueira is honoured with the Streamy Awards 2023 for becoming the beauty creator of the year.
Addison Rae
When it comes to the most followed TikTokers worldwide, Addison Rae is in the fifth position with more than 88 million followers. This fame has offered the opportunity to make partnerships with a number of brands like L’Oreal, Reebok, and American Eagle to earn more money. Apart from brand collaboration, this allows her to debut an acting career in the Netflix film “He’s All That” as well as “The Family Firm”. She has also been paid around 6 million in 2023. However, in recent times, the follower count has been observed to be even slightly dropped, despite her phenomenal success.
Alix Earle
Alix Earle has become one of the popular faces of the fan-favourite beauty trend as well as GRWM. With more than 7 million followers to date, Earle is engaged in sharing her personal life with her fans along with the sharing of skincare and makeup routines. Earle is praised by the fans due to her down-to-earth lifestyle and relatable personality. As per the report, she is found to earn approximately 5 million US dollars in 2023. In her social media career, she was engaged in collaboration with multiple brands, including White Fox Boutique, Rare Beauty, Tarte, Fashion Nova, Rhode Skin, Pretty Little Thing and many others.
Michael Le
An impressive following of more than 51 million has been gained by Michael Le by creating dancing and highly stylised videos with his brothers and sister. He has collaborated with firms like Disney, Hugo Boss, Ray-Ban and Prada for the promotion of products to generate earnings. He is one of the highest paid Tiktokers in 2023 whose annual earning was 4.4 million US dollars in 2023. The message of Le always seeks to motivate others as well as spread positivity and love.
FAQ
Who is the most followed influencer in TikTok?
Khaby Lame is in the first position among the most followed TikToker globally, having more than 160 million followers.
Who is in the second position in the context of follower numbers in TikTok?
Charli D’Amelio is the second most followed TikToker having more than 150 million followers.
How does TikTok provide opportunities to become millionaires?
Many prefer to become TikTok influencers due to having a significant earning potential, which comes in the form of advertising revenues, brand partnerships, event appearances and sponsored content.
How much earning potential is there for the TikTok influencers?
Some influencers are found to be earning millions of dollars by leveraging their passion and interest in this platform for content creation. For example, the annual earnings of Charli D’ Amelio amounted to around 23 million US dollars in 2023.
