Money doesn’t grow on trees—but it does come from likes.
This year, a trend called #RichTok took off on social media. Creators like Becca Bloom shared videos showcasing their luxurious lifestyles – think caviar, expensive jewelry like Van Cleef, and generally opulent experiences – for everyone to see.
Last September, TikTok makeup influencer Mikayla Nogueira shared a video of a huge shopping spree where she bought over $186,000 worth of designer items. She said she felt like she “completely blacked out” while purchasing dozens of luxury bags, shoes, jewelry, and clothes from brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Miu Miu.
When beauty influencer Jaclyn Hill noticed her videos weren’t performing as well as before, her followers told her directly: they think it’s because she’s focused too much on making money.
People are expressing frustration with influencers flaunting their wealth. One commenter said they’re tired of seeing such displays, while another explained that extravagant purchases like expensive handbags or shoes feel out of touch when that money could significantly improve someone’s life by, for example, paying off debt.
As a long-time follower of social media creators, I’ve always wondered just how much they really earn to support those amazing lifestyles! It turns out it can be incredibly profitable, especially for the biggest names. Many of them don’t stop at just creating content – they build entire businesses, like Mikayla Nogueira with her beauty brand, or Jaclyn Hill with her own cosmetics line. It’s impressive to see how they’ve turned their influence into full-fledged companies.
Jeffree Star, the creator of his popular makeup brand launched in 2014, now makes $50,000 each time he hosts a live stream on TikTok. He earns this money by selling his makeup and receiving donations from viewers.
I’m such a fan of Jeffree Star, and I loved hearing him talk about this on the Cancelled podcast! He said he can literally make $50,000, but sometimes sales are slow. When that happens, he just chills at home, makes bacon in his bathrobe and slippers, and does a live Q&A with fans. It’s so down-to-earth and sweet that even with all his success, he’ll just hang out and connect with us while making breakfast!
Many social media personalities earn a lot of money through sponsored posts. For example, Alix Earle can charge $450,000 for a single Instagram Story, according to Vickie Segar, cofounder of the marketing agency Article 41, who revealed this information during a talk at the University of North Carolina, as reported by The New York Times.
Looking for ways to earn a lot of money? Some people are turning to OnlyFans, a subscription-based platform with adult content. Lily Phillips, who gained attention last year for a viral challenge, recently told TopMob News she’s earned “millions” sharing content on the site. Similarly, OnlyFans creator Sophie Rain reported making over $43 million in a single year.
I’ve been following the influencer world for a while now, and it’s really interesting to see what people actually earn. You hear about huge successes – launching businesses, landing major sponsorships – and, of course, there’s the attention-grabbing stuff, but honestly, a lot of the newer influencers don’t make nearly as much as you might think. It’s a bit of a surprise when you look past the headlines.
For a complete breakdown, read what creators have said about their wide range of incomes.
A content creator announced on Instagram in August 2025 that she made more than $1 million on OnlyFans within three hours, just days after her 18th birthday.
Tay posted a screenshot of her income, showing she made a total of $1,024,298. This included $486,558 from direct messages, $511,003 from subscriptions, and $26,736 in tips.
Kim Zolciak-Biermann’s daughter is building a following as an influencer. On her Bravo show, Next Gen NYC, she revealed she earns $1,000 for each sponsored post she creates on TikTok.
She explained in a July 2025 interview that living in New York City requires a significantly higher income than she was earning in Atlanta, and she’s focused on maximizing her earnings.
Ariana started making money from brand deals when she was just 14 years old and understands how profitable it can be. She’s said, “You can earn a huge amount of money for a single story or Instagram post, and I personally made a good bit of money doing that.”
In June 2025, she revealed that a sex toy company offered her $100,000 for a promotional deal she ultimately declined. The proposed campaign would have involved four social media posts – two on Instagram and TikTok each – plus two segments featured on YouTube.
The popular YouTuber, with more than 430 million subscribers, announced in February 2025 that his assets had reached a value of over one billion dollars, though this was based on calculations rather than actual cash in hand.
However, he explained that he mostly doesn’t keep that money for himself.
He shared on the Diary of a CEO podcast that he doesn’t have a million dollars in his bank account, explaining that he prefers to reinvest any earnings instead of letting them sit there.
The content creator announced she earned more than $43 million in a single year on OnlyFans. She even posted screenshots of her earnings from November 2023 to November 2024, showing she received a $4.7 million payment from a single fan.
The former Dance Moms star shared that she earned over $100,000 each month from YouTube videos when she was just 13 years old. In the 2024 documentary Child Star, she also mentioned that she now posts up to 300 times a day on Snapchat as part of her work as a social media influencer.
The TikToker revealed he has a net worth of over seven figures.
He jokingly responded to criticism in a July 2024 video, saying, ‘You can call me annoying if you want—it’s what made me a millionaire.’
The makeup artist shared that he makes around $50,000 each time he does a TikTok Live, and he streams four to five times a week. He earns this money by selling makeup and receiving gifts from viewers.
Jeffree Star mentioned on the Cancelled podcast in November 2024 that he can earn $50,000 from doing live streams. He explained that sometimes sales are slow, and he’ll just spend his time cooking bacon at home, relaxing in his bathrobe and slippers while chatting with fans and answering their questions.
Other times, he’s making bank by offering discounts on his own branded makeup products.
“It’s a niche market but it’s massive,” he added. “We’re the No. 1 or 2 beauty store.”
The OnlyFans creator, who gained attention in December 2024 for having intimate encounters with 101 men in a single day, recently told TopMob News that she makes a significant income from her adult content on the platform.
As for a ballpark figure, she said, “Oh, we’re in the millions.”
Markell, a popular creator known for his dance videos, revealed in 2023 that he makes between $500,000 and $700,000 annually. Most of his income comes from sponsorships with brands and from ads within his Snapchat videos.
After finding fame on the Netflix show Love Is Blind in 2022, the couple became popular on social media and reportedly earned $500,000 each as influencers in under two years.
After the Los Angeles wildfires in 2025, the stars of The Hills also tried using social media to generate income, though their earnings weren’t as high as many assumed.
Spencer said that reports claimed they made $3.5 million in one week. He joked that if the reports were accurate, they’d currently be house-hunting in Bel Air.
Instead, he revealed he only made $3,500 that week from the 5,000 videos on his TikTok page.
In January 2024, the popular ASMR YouTuber @itsblitzzz revealed she still earns around $56,400 annually from ads on her older videos, even though she hasn’t made any new content recently.
In just 14 years, she’s earned over $610,000 from ads on the platform, even though she has fewer than a million subscribers.
In September 2024, the ASMR creator earned $3,948.05 from TikTok, where she has almost 400,000 followers, and $910.95 from YouTube, with around 27,000 subscribers.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen so many people find creative ways to generate income, and this is a fascinating one! A YouTuber from Minnesota recently shared that she earned over $193,000 on OnlyFans between January 2020 and December 2022 – she detailed it all in an article she wrote on Medium.
In 2023, a content creator revealed on The Really Good Podcast that they earned $50,000 from a single sponsored video.
In 2023, a patient advocate shared with Salary Transparency Street that she makes around $150,000 annually, despite having fewer than 40,000 followers on Instagram.
The comedian revealed to Salary Transparency Street that they typically earn between $5,000 and $10,000 for each sponsored video they create.
The YouTuber earned $4,746.94 from ads on her videos between August 2023 and January 2024. This income came from over 923,700 views, and she had fewer than 30,000 subscribers at the time.
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2025-12-28 16:18