Robert Downey Jr. Slams “Horse S–t” Claim About Influencer Culture

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Robert Downey Jr. doesn’t think influencer culture is endgame. 

Although influencers are becoming increasingly common in popular culture, the Marvel actor doesn’t believe they will fundamentally change how we view celebrities in the future.

During the April 26th episode of the Conversations for our Daughters podcast, Robert expressed strong disagreement with the idea that future stars will be influencers. He said, “I honestly don’t understand that perspective – I think it’s completely wrong.”

Although he’s 61, he understands that becoming a successful new performer is very different now than it was when he was starting out.

He explained that back in the late 70s and early 80s, people felt like they at least had a chance to succeed, even if the competition was tough. Today, he says, it’s much easier for people to become famous simply by recording themselves on their phones, with little effort beyond that.

He doesn’t see this as a bad thing, he explained. Instead, he views it as simply making the process of becoming an individual more difficult, and therefore more challenging.

The Oppenheimer actor believes future stars will find success by focusing on unique talents and projects, rather than relying solely on social media.

He hopes most young people will say, ‘That lifestyle isn’t for me.’ They’ll want to be proactive – to create, build, learn, and broaden their horizons. Ultimately, they’ll want to contribute something meaningful, rather than just seeking self-promotion as an influencer.

He acknowledged that while things were new and uncharted, he didn’t want to make any firm conclusions just yet. He described the situation as a new frontier and preferred to remain open-minded.

With cultural trends increasingly shared on smartphones, being an influencer is becoming a very profitable job. Keep reading to find out how much money popular influencers are earning.

Honestly, it’s just so endearing to hear even Robert isn’t immune to all the tech stuff! He’s admitted it’s even seeped into family life with his son, Exton, and his wife, Susan Downey. And of course, there’s his daughter, Avri, who’s eleven. It’s amazing to think he’s also a dad to Indio, who’s thirty-two now – wow, time flies! It just makes him even more relatable, you know?

My 13-year-old son recently started following online influencers, and it quickly turned into them asking for donations based on his gaming content. It became almost like a cult of personality. It feels like today’s influencers are similar to the old-time, persuasive salespeople you’d see promoting things, but for the digital age.

He acknowledged that things were new and unfamiliar, saying, “We’re in uncharted territory, so it’s hard to say how it will all play out.”

With cultural trends increasingly shared on smartphones, being an influencer is becoming a very profitable job. Keep reading to find out how much money popular influencers are actually earning.

Bradley, who shares tips on saving and earning money, revealed his 2025 income: $58,857 from OnlyFans and $123,933 from creating content as a TikTok influencer with 1.5 million followers.

In an August 2025 Instagram post, the creator shared that she made over $1 million on OnlyFans in just three hours, only days after celebrating her 18th birthday.

Tay posted a screenshot showing she made over a million dollars – specifically $1,024,298 – through her online activity. This included $486,558 from direct messages, $511,003 from subscriptions, and $26,736 in tips.

Kim Zolciak-Biermann’s daughter is building a career as a social media influencer. On her Bravo show, Next Gen NYC, she revealed she earns $1,000 for each sponsored post she makes on TikTok.

She explained in a July 2025 interview that living in New York City requires a much 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 she says it can be incredibly profitable. She explained that you can earn a lot of money for things like sharing a story or making a post on Instagram, and she personally made a significant amount that way.

I was so surprised to hear that back in June 2025, she revealed she’d turned down a huge offer from a sex toy company! They wanted to pay her $100,000 just to promote their products. The deal would have meant she’d post about them twice on Instagram and TikTok, plus a couple of Instagram Stories and even integrate them into her YouTube videos. It’s amazing she turned it down, but I totally respect her decision!

Okay, so you will NOT believe this! My absolute favorite YouTuber – the one with over 430 MILLION subscribers, can you even imagine?! – just announced he officially became a billionaire… well, ‘on paper’ as he put it, back in February 2025! I knew he was destined for greatness, but a BILLIONAIRE?! I’m so proud I could scream!

However, he explained that he mostly doesn’t keep that money for himself. 

I was really struck by something Steven Bartlett shared on the Diary of a CEO podcast. He admitted he doesn’t actually have a million dollars sitting in his bank account – instead, he prefers to put every penny back into his businesses and investments. It’s a testament to his drive and commitment, and honestly, it’s inspiring to see!

Okay, so this is blowing my mind. Apparently, even with a net worth of, like, $2.6 BILLION, he actually said he has “negative money” as of January 2026! I mean, can you even imagine? It’s just… I don’t even know how that’s possible, but it’s him, so I’m sure there’s a brilliant reason! It’s honestly fascinating, even if it doesn’t make any sense to normal people like me.

MrBeast revealed to the Wall Street Journal that he’s currently borrowing money because he doesn’t have much cash on hand. He joked that if you don’t count the value of his company, most people watching his videos actually have more money in the bank than he does – not even enough for a McDonald’s breakfast!

I’ve been following her journey for a while now, and I was absolutely blown away when she shared her earnings! She actually made over $43 million on OnlyFans in just one year. To prove it, she posted screenshots of her income from November 2023 to November 2024, and get this – one subscriber alone contributed $4.7 million! It’s incredible to see that kind of success.

The former Dance Moms star shared that she earned well over $100,000 each month from YouTube videos when she was 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 an influencer.

The TikToker revealed he has a net worth of over seven figures.

He jokingly responded to criticism in a July 2024 video, saying, “I don’t mind being called annoying – it’s actually made me very wealthy.”

The makeup artist shared that he makes around $50,000 each time he does a TikTok Live – and he streams four or 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 some days he earns $50,000, while other times he doesn’t make any sales at all. On those slower days, he enjoys a relaxed morning making bacon in his bathrobe and slippers, 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 notoriety in December 2024 for having intimate relations with 101 men in a single day, recently told TopMob News 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 revenue 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.

Following the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, stars from The Hills also tried to earn money through social media, though their income wasn’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 created 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 artist earned $3,948.05 from TikTok, where she has almost 400,000 followers, and $910.95 from YouTube, with a subscriber count of nearly 27,000.

According to a recent article she published on Medium, a YouTuber from Minnesota earned more than $193,000 on OnlyFans between January 2020 and December 2022.

In 2023, a content creator revealed on The Really Good Podcast that they earned $50,000 from a single sponsored video.

In 2023, a chronic illness advocate shared with Salary Transparency Street that she makes around $150,000 annually, despite having fewer than 40,000 Instagram followers.

The comedian revealed to Salary Transparency Street that they typically earn between $5,000 and $10,000 for each sponsored video they create.

Between August 2023 and January 2024, the YouTuber earned $4,746.94 from ads on her videos. This income came from over 923,700 views, even though she had fewer than 30,000 subscribers.

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2026-05-01 17:20