In this article we will be looking at the 25 of the most famous people in the world. You can skip our detailed analysis of these people by heading straight to our top 5 most famous people in the world.
Historically, famous people were well known figures of their time who had achieved fame through philosophical thought or actions that had helped make remarkable progress to redefine the growth and evolution of the human race. In today’s terms, however, fame, notoriety or even influence have been redefined. They have taken on a wider platform against the backdrop of various social mediums available through the internet or the mobile applications that people chose to engage with. Fame and influence are now a click or a tweet away.
As of January 2021, there were 4.66 billion internet users in the world out of which social media users had passed the 3.8 billion mark. Companies like Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Twitter Inc. (NASDAQ: TWTR) and Alphabet Inc.(NASDAQ: GOOG), were consistently ranked high as the widest pool of social media users with the deepest engagement and interactive influence.
Instagram is a photo sharing app for iOS and other mobile systems and online users. There are an estimated 500 million monthly active users on Instagram worldwide.
Twitter Inc. (NASDAQ: TWTR) is a microblogging system of sharing, allowing users to express themselves in 140 characters called tweets. As of January 2021 Twitter had 169 million monetizable daily active users worldwide.
YouTube, an application owned by Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) stores and shares videos online. YouTube is accessed by 1.68 billion users.
Celebrities and Influencers are being called on as the new marketing tool to provide coverage for products by using their following to influence public consumer trends. Not only people who have made a name for themselves in the various fields of sports, film, modelling or music but also social activists are valuable members of the online community.
While popularity on this medium is fragile and ever changing, the followers fickle and exacting – the people who have made their way to the top and retained their titles are truly to be admired and recognized as the most famous people of our present time and have made it to our list as have the platforms that they use with companies like Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), Twitter Inc. (NASDAQ: TWTR), and YouTube (Alphabet Inc. NASDAQ: GOOGL).
Our Methodology
For the purpose of organizing our list we will be looking at these famous people through the lens of followers, views and likes on their social media content, to crown the most famous amongst them all.
Followers or a celebrity’s ‘following’ are the people who see that celebrity’s posts and profile on their feed or timeline, depending on their application of choice. Views measure the number of people who have seen the content that is being shared by these famous people. Views are considered monetizable because they reflect traffic on a certain profile or page.
Our intention is to measure and analyze, by using data, against the backdrop of these social mediums and create a list of the top 25 most famous and influential people of our time.
25. Billie Eillish
Instagram: 89. 9 million
Twitter: 6.1 million
Billie Eillish is a young singer and songwriter. She rose to fame when through her inspiration of classic rock bands she started writing her own songs at the age of 11. Her first song Ocean Eyes debuted in 2015. Her instagram account, owned by Facebook, Inc.(NASDAQ: FB) is monetizable and she can currently demand $311K per influencer post on Instagram.
24. Drake (Champaginepapi)
Instagram: 90.2 million
Twitter: 39.1 million
Drake is a very popular rapper and songwriter. A post on his Instagram Facebook, Inc.(NASDAQ: FB) account is said to influence an average 1 million people. Drizzy aka Drake clocks an average of 32,000 likes and 6000 retweets per post on Twitter Inc. (NASDAQ: TWTR).
23. Bree Braugh Breezy
Instagram: 91.6 million
Twitter: 218. 6 K
Bree Braugh, also known as @MsBreezy online, is a Youtuber. YouTube is a video sharing application owned by Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Bree Braugh’s area of influence is gaming and her channel has 949K subscribers.. She currently produces and posts Gary Mod’s videos on her channel.
22. LeBron James
Instagram: 96.5 million
Twitter: 50.1 million
LeBron James or @kingjames as he’s known on Instagram, was initially drafted by Cleveland Cavaliers and won three National Basketball Associations over his career. Today, with 96.5 million Instagram followers LeBron James can monetize his Instagram at $96K per influencer post on Instagram. His Twitter influence is not insubstantial with just over 50 million followers.
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21. Zendaya
Instagram: 105.7 million
Twitter: 19.1 million
Zendaya is a singer, actress and model. Her Instagram account is estimated to grow by over 86,000 followers every day. She has an Instagram following of just over 105 million people. Zendaya can demand $288K per influencer post on Instagram. She is the 21st most famous person on our list.
20. Ellen DeGeneres
Instagram: 106.2 million
Twitter: 80 million
Ellen DeGeneres is most famous as host of her own show Ellen.The show was cancelled this year when it was reported that the set was a toxic work environment. At 63 Ellen has 106.2 million followers on Instagram, and it is estimated that a single post from her influences 273,000 people.
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19. Rihanna
Instagram: 105 million
Twitter: 102 million
Rihanna is a Barbadian pop star. She is also known for beauty and fashion lines. Rihanna’s Instagram handle @badgalriri has over 105 million followers. She can demand $243,000 per influencer post on Instagram, a company owned by Meta Platforms.
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18. Demi Lovato
Instagram: 114.4 million
Twitter: 54.6 million
Demi Lovato is a famous actress and singer. She is known for her debut in Camp Rock, a Disney movie.
17. Kevin Hart
Instagram: 121.6 million
Twitter: 36.7 million
Kevin Hart is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Hart began his career by winning several amateur comedy competitions at clubs throughout New England and in 2001 when he was cast by Judd Apatow for a recurring role on the TV series “Undeclared.” Now, Kevin Hart does a podcast where he invites many famous personalities to discuss their life’s greatest works in a “Hart to Heart.”
16. Miley Cyrus
Instagram: 143.7 million
Twitter: 46.3 million
Miley Cyrus, real name Destiny Hope Cyrus, climbed to fame as the daughter of a country singer: Billy Ray Cyrus, she later created her own persona as the quintessential Disney girl for a TV series called Hannah Montana. She now mostly produces and sings her own songs. With 143 million Instagram followers she is number 16 on our list.
15. Virat Kohli
Instagram: 148.8 million
Twitter: 43.4 million
Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer and the current captain for the national team. Kohli made his debut in 2006 and is right now all set to break the record of 100 centuries made previously by Sachin Tendulkar. At 32 years of age Kohlis instagram account grows by over 231K followers everyday and with 148.8 million followers he can demand $150K per instagram post. Kohli also has a considerable Twitter following at 43.4 million.
14. Neymar Da Silva Santos
Instagram: 159.7 million
Twitter: 54.5 million
Better known for his handle NJ10 Neymar Jr. at age 29 has a net worth of $185 million. Neymar is a Brazilian footballer who made his debut in the sport when he was 17 years old, when he was brought to play on the field for 20 minutes. His instagram account of 159.7 million followers grows by 56K fans per day.
13. Jennifer Lopez
Instagram: 173.5 million
Twitter: 45 million
Jennifer Lopez, better known to her fans as Jlo, is a 53 year old singer, actor and dancer. With a net worth of $450 million, Lopez curates her Instagram account with a great deal of care and attention to her following. Her account grows by over 149K followers per day and she can demand $124K per influencer post. Jlo is also considered influential on Twitter with a following of 45 million.
12. Taylor Swift
Instagram: 176.2 million
Twitter: 88.7 million
Taylor Swift is a singer and song-writer. At age 31, her net worth is approximately $400 million. Her following of 176.2 million fans on Instagram can allow her to demand $157K per Instagram influencer post. Taylor Swift’s Twitter following of 88.7 million ranks her as the 12th most famous person in the world today.
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11. Khloe Kardashian
Instagram: 179.3 million
Twitter: 29.4 million
The Kardashians burst onto our screens in 2007. Each of the Kardashian sisters has their particular niche in a variety of businesses. This may be makeup, fashion, modelling or health and wellness ventures. The youngest of the Kardashians, Khloe Kardashian is a socialite and model with over 179 million followers on Instagram, this Karadashian can demand $128K per Instagram post. Khloe Kardashians’ Twitter following is relatively small at 29.4 million fans.
10. Kendall Jenner
Instagram: 185.8 million
Twitter: 31.6 million
Kendall Jenner is a media personality and model. At 25 years her net worth is $30 million. Her Instagram following grows by 119K fans per day. She can deman $288K per influencer post on her Instagram.
9. Justin Bieber
Instagram: 192.8 million
Twitter: 113.9 million
Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer with a grand following on Instagram of almost 193 million people. An average post on Bieber’s Instagram has been calculated at influencing 1 million people. A documentary on his life ‘Justin Bieber: Our World’ is set to launch this October.
8. Beyonce
Instagram: 203.7 million
Twitter: 15.5 million
Beyonce Knowles made her singing debut with Destiny’s Child, as their lead vocalist. Beyonce just celebrated her 40th birthday and is the 8th most famous person on our list. Her instagram account of 203.7 million followers makes her highly influential and she can demand $189K per Instagram post.
7. Kim Kardashian
Instagram: 249.3 million
Twitter: 30.5 million
Kim Karadashian, the most famous and influential of the Kardashian sisters with an Instagram following id 249.3 million followers. With a net worth of $1.3 billion West is deemed a pop culture phenomenon. She is currently considering a divorce from husband Kanye West.
6. Selena Gomez
Instagram: 257.3 million
Twitter: 65 million
Selena Gomez at 29 years has an estimated net worth of $80 million. She began her career on a TV series called Barney and Friends. With 257.3 million followers on Instagram today and an additional 65 million Twitter followers, she ranks in as the 6th most famous person in the world. Gomez can demand $274K per Instagram post.
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