YouTubers, podcasters and TikTokers are among the names included in Forbes’ 2026 Top Creators list.
The ranking of the world’s 50 most powerful influencers broke the billion-dollar mark for the first time, a 20 per cent jump from last year’s $853m.
The list is topped by American YouTuber MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, and who has turned YouTube stunts into a global production studio. According to Forbes, he has earnings of $300m.
The highest-placed Brit on the list is Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett, who finished third with earnings of $52m (£40m) and total followers of 38.7m.
The Dragons’ Den star posted on Instagram: “Actually wild! No 3. We have the best team in the world at FlightStory Studio and Steven.com.”
Last year, the Dragons’ Den star’s new company, Steven.com, announced it had closed a major eight-figure investment in a deal that valued the business at $425m (£320m).
Steven.com is a new entity incorporated in the US and serves as the new parent company for all of Bartlett’s existing creator businesses, including FlightStory.
The 33-year-old has hosted the hit podcast Diary of a CEO since 2017 and is also an investor in around 60 businesses, including matcha drink PerfectTed and hydration brand Cadence.
Last year Bartlett told BusinessCloud in an exclusive interview: “The overarching story is that we want to build the company that is the Disney of the creator economy, much like Disney has Mickey Mouse as its IP and build a world around Mickey Mouse.
“We do the same around creators. We scale their reach, their audience, their community and the value of the IP. We commercialise it.
“On the other side of the business we launch, scale and back creator ventures.
“The overarching bet is that there’s a macro shift in the world taking place where attention is increasingly shifting towards individual creators in their bedrooms with microphones. When that shifts, everything changes.”
Among the other names on Forbes’ latest Top Creators list are Dhar Mann, Markiplier, Rhett & Link, Druski, IShowSpeed and Charli D’Amelio.
The full list can be found below:
| Position | Creator | Earnings | Total followers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MrBeast | $300m | 873m |
| 2 | Dhar Mann | $65m | 171m |
| 3 | Steven Bartlett | $52m | 38.7m |
| 4 | Markiplier | $38m | 76.8m |
| 5 | Rhett & Link | $37m | 45.6m |
| 6 | Charli D’Amelio | $18m | 209.8m |
| 7 | Druski | $20m | 38.5m |
| 8 | I Show Speed | $30m | 184m |
| 9 | Mark Rober | $30m | 90.7m |
| 10 | Codie Sanchez | $31m | 10m |
| 11 | Jake Shane | $14m | 6m |
| 12 | Brent Rivera | $13.7m | 120.8m |
| 13 | Adam W | $17.3m | 67.2m |
| 14 | Jesser | $25m | 54.9m |
| 15 | Khaby Lame | $9.9m | 252.1m |
| 16 | Alix Earle | $12m | 14.5m |
| 17 | Mikayla Nogueira | $9m | 21.8m |
| 18 | Nick DiGiovanni | $14m | 65.4m |
| 19 | Stokes Twins | $12.4m | 177.5m |
| 20 | Rebecca Zamolo | $15m | 45.3m |
| 21 | MrBallen | $24m | 31.4m |
| 22 | Drew Afualo | $2.7m | 13.4m |
| 23 | Haley Baylee | $9.6m | 37.4m |
| 24 | Ms. Rachel | $26m | 34.2m |
| 25 | Alan Chikin Chow | $10.5m | 131.4m |
| 26 | Typical Gamer | $13m | 31.6m |
| 27 | Marques Brownlee | $10.9m | 33.6m |
| 28 | Nurse John | $7.2m | 19.2m |
| 29 | Tanamongeau | $8m | 22.8m |
| 30 | Josh Richards | $6m | 34.7m |
| 31 | Dixie D'Amelio | $7m | 72.9m |
| 32 | Dani Austin | $8.1m | 3.8m |
| 33 | Nara Smith | $7.5m | 17.3m |
| 34 | Lexi Rivera | $6.7m | 56.3m |
| 35 | Jacksepticeye | $18m | 48.9m |
| 36 | Tini Younger | $3m | 16.3m |
| 37 | James Dumoulin | $9.9m | 23.2m |
| 38 | Brookemonk | $5.2m | 72.2m |
| 39 | Hannah Stocking | $5.8m | 74.4m |
| 40 | Erika Kullberg | $6.8m | 21m |
| 41 | Ashton Hall | $10m | 38.1m |
| 42 | Leah Kateb | $7.1m | 11.4m |
| 43 | Katie Fang | $5.4m | 8.2m |
| 44 | Anna Sitar | $4.4m | 27.7m |
| 45 | Vivian Tu | $8.2m | 10.7m |
| 46 | Jordan The Stallion | $12.4m | 49.1m |
| 47 | Anwar Jibawi | $5m | 83.9m |
| 48 | iJustine | $3.4m | 12.9m |
| 49 | Steven He | $2m | 29.6m |
| 50 | Loganmoffitt | $1.3m | 10.6m |