The 20 Most Influential Creators Right Now
HOW DO YOU measure a creator’s influence? There are endless ways to answer that. On one side is hard data, from views and subscribers to sponsorships and revenue. Then there are the intangibles, like how a creator uses their chosen platform — whether it’s long-form videos, short-form vertical clips, or livestreams — to tell stories in unique and authentic ways. For Rolling Stone’s inaugural Most Influential list, we weighed all of these factors, then argued and debated to arrive at the 20 creators who are pushing the mediums forward — and making it impossible to turn away.
Adam W
Observational comedy skewering gender relations and the perplexing nature of modern life is nothing new, but Adam W — the stage name of 30-year-old recent Los Angeles transplant Adam Waheed — has used platforms like YouTube and TikTok to transform it for a new era. The Egyptian American comedian got his first taste of virality in 2016, when a clip about his girlfriend getting ready for a night out while driving her car blew up. His highly produced videos, in which he often stars with other internet personalities (like former Vine star Hannah Stocking), center on relatable everyday experiences like glitchy food-delivery apps, his mom always trying to clean while he’s hanging out at home, or getting friend-zoned by a date. In 2022, he was the fastest-growing comedian on YouTube (he nabbed 10 million followers in 11 months) and racked up more than 11 billion views. He’s also moving into philanthropy — he just opened the second Adam Waheed School in Bali, which will serve 600 underprivileged kids. — E.G.P.
Alex Cooper
It can be hard even for seasoned interviewers to crack the ultra-polished veneer of the rich and famous. Not so for Cooper, 28. The host of the Spotify podcast Call Her Daddy has gotten Hailey Bieber to dish about the Selena Gomez feud rumors, Kelsea Ballerini to go deep on her divorce, and Cole Sprouse to … smoke cigarettes and just generally behave like a douchebag — all moments that went viral, clipped and cut by fans and spread across every platform imaginable. Cooper launched the podcast in 2018 for Barstool Sports, then emerged from a highly publicized dispute with the company, and with her former co-host, Sofia Franklyn, holding a mind-boggling $60 million solo deal in 2021 — making her the highest-paid female podcast host on the platform. Though the podcast at first primarily centered on sex and relationships, it’s since evolved with a much broader focus, with Cooper openly discussing such topics as trauma, feminism, and mental health with the world’s biggest stars — as well as tackling thorny political subjects like abortion rights in documentary episodes. — E.J.D.
Amelia Dimoldenberg
Maybe no one has dated as many celebrities as Dimoldenberg. For nine years, the London-based journalist, 29, has been taking notables on “dates” — interviews in the city’s fried-chicken restaurants, in which she awkwardly flirts and deploys her signature deadpan wit — airing them on her YouTube channel “Chicken Shop Date.” What started as a bit became a sensation, attracting stars like Ed Sheeran, Daniel Kaluuya, and Shania Twain. Let’s just hope she doesn’t get her long-anticipated date with Drake — because she’s pledged it will be her last. – A.M.
Botez Sisters
Alexandra and Andrea Botez, 28 and 21, respectively, were raised in Canada and Texas, and trained in chess by their Romanian father from age six, becoming two of the most-recognized women in the male-dominated game. Fierce play and sibling chemistry have earned them more than a million followers each; they post clips of themselves playing, talking, and joking about the game — all while streaming from an L.A. content house launched by esports company Envy Gaming. Alexandra, an outspoken critic of sexism in professional chess (she liked The Queen’s Gambit but said Anya Taylor-Joy’s character would have faced far greater obstacles), recently beat reigning world champ Magnus Carlsen in a friendly match. Andrea, who also competes in the hybrid sport of chessboxing and balances her board time with extensive gym training, originated the “Botez Gambit”: accidentally blundering your queen for no gain. The meme quickly entered the lexicon of chess players worldwide. — M.K.
CodeMiko
VTubers present themselves online via avatars, often keeping their identities hidden. But Youna Kang, 33, a former VFX animator who lost her job during the pandemic and started experimenting with social media, opens the process to fans by building virtual avatars of herself right there for her viewers to watch. Like beauty bloggers who talk frankly about nips and tucks, Kang, a.k.a. Code-Miko, shows her audience how VTubers use technology to pursue perfection. She also seems to flout Twitch’s strict guidelines in order to stoke controversy, like earlier this year, when she used a shock collar on herself during a stream and got suspended. (And of course she’s also experienced plenty of sexism: After unveiling CodeMiko 3.0 last year, some credited her male engineer instead of her.) Working in 3D, while most VTubers work in 2D, she shows the glitches and growing pains of building toward perfection — which is more impactful than perfection itself. Her work is tech-nerdy in the best way, as well as visually arresting — and it doesn’t hurt that she’s hilarious, too. — E.G.P.
The D’Amelio Sisters
Charli and Dixie D’Amelio might be the closest thing TikTok has to a royal family. With 150.4 million followers, 18-year-old Charli, a competitive dancer, was one of the first major stars of the app, in late 2019. Since then, she’s gone from viral fame to scoring major-brand deals (Dunkin’, Hollister), walking red carpets, and winning the Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing With the Stars. That star material must be genetic, as Charli’s older sister Dixie, 21, has built a massive following (57.3 million) on the app, too. Her focus: music. She’s released several moody, introspective pop songs and opened for Big Time Rush. The sisters have also taken their act to TV, joining their parents, Heidi and Marc, to star in the reality series The D’Amelio Show, now renewed for its third season on Hulu.
Druski
He’s appeared in Jack Harlow and Drake videos, is on a cross-country comedy tour, played himself in the LeBron James vehicle House Party, and is starring alongside Chloë Bailey in the Peacock movie Praise This. But the Atlanta-raised stand-up, born Drew Desbordes, continues to be a presence all over social media. That’s where Druski, 28, got his start in 2017, posting sketches he wrote and performed that skewered recognizable characters from his hometown, from wannabe rappers to blowhard record execs to aggro soccer moms to white frat bros. In the years since, he’s become BFFs with Harlow, gained fans like 50 Cent, traveled on private jets with the Nelk Boys, sat out part of the pandemic at Odell Beckham Jr.’s Los Angeles home, and become a staple on Black Twitter. Just a few weeks ago, when he slipped down some stairs onstage and sprained his ankle, a still of him midfall, with his leg buckled under and his arm flailing, became a meme in its own right. But Druski, of course, took it in stride. — E.G.P.
Dylan Mulvaney
After losing her gig in a touring production of The Book of Mormon during Covid, Mulvaney, 26, took to TikTok. When she came out as trans in 2021, she used it to document her experience. Her first post in her “Days of Girlhood” series went live on March 12, 2022, drawing people in with her bubbly personality, and keeping them there with an honest look at the struggles and joys of transitioning. In the year since, she’s appeared on talk shows, walked runways, and discussed trans rights at the White House, all while dodging right-wing attacks with grace. – C.J.
Elsa Majimbo
Elsa Majimbo, a comedian from Nairobi, Kenya, is sure of two things: First, she is not interested in having visitors, and second, she definitely wants to be rich. That much was made clear in the incredibly popular TikTok clips she began posting in 2020, after moving home from school during the pandemic lockdown. Her videos — very short and low-fi, often recorded while she’s in bed wearing cheap sunglasses and very audibly munching on chips — tout her curmudgeonly, anti-work ethos, as well as her cutting sense of humor. If she was trying to avoid social interactions, it may have backfired — her clips have landed her deals with Fenty, MAC, and Beats by Dre, and, y’know, millions of fans. But it’s not all lying around in her misanthropic glory for Majimbo: She’s a talented chess player, has released a dub-ASMR single called “Snack Queen,” collaborated with luxury brand Valentino on a book called The Alphabet for Adults and Kids, and hosted a podcast called Bedtime With Elsa (where, yes, she conducted interviews from bed). Yet the persona she’s created struck a DGAF chord with audiences: Majimbo loves canceling plans, she’d rather dance to the ringtone than answer her phone, and if she ever grows to regret spending all of her money, she says, she’ll “weep in Louis Vuitton.” May her line of merch, spouting her catchphrase — “Labor is not meant for me” — as well as a line of “unwelcome mats,” keep her laughing in designer threads forever. — A.M.
Josh Richards
A founding member of Los Angeles’ Sway House (the bro-ier version of TikTok’s Hype House, which was also home to Bryce Hall and Noah Beck), 21-year-old Richards weathered some scandals during the pandemic, like hosting huge parties during the lockdown. He’s since parlayed his piercing blue eyes, emotive eyebrows, and dead-on lip-syncs to take a surprising career turn as a bona fide Gen Z entrepreneur. He’s formed a multimillion-dollar venture-capital fund, become chief strategy officer at TikTok competitor Triller, and co-founded his own production company with Mark Wahlberg. Alongside Brianna Chickenfry and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, he’s also the co-host of the wildly popular podcast BFFs. Wearing multiple hats has paid off for his brand: According to Forbes, he’s the fourth-highest earner on TikTok, notching $5 million in sponsorship deals with brands like Amazon and CashApp last year. He’s even got his own line of energy drinks. Not bad for a teen from Ontario, eh? — E.J.D.
Kai Cenat
It’s hard to pin down exactly why people love this streamer so much — maybe because he does so many things, from prank videos to “just chatting” sessions to livestreaming games. While Cenat, 21, recently dethroned gaming heavyweight Ludwig as Twitch’s most-subscribed creator, and won 2022 Streamer of the Year, his rise hasn’t been without controversy: During his 30-day sub-a-thon in February, in which he streamed 24 hours a day, viewers claimed they saw a woman stealthily pleasuring him while on camera (he says she was merely rubbing his thigh). More recently, was also recently temporarily banned, reportedly for “repeated explicit simulated activity in GTA.” Yet his genuine goofiness and love of the camera keep viewers coming back. — E.G.P.
Khaby Lame
If you’ve ever looked askance at any overly complicated TikTok “hack,” you’ll find a kindred spirit in Khabane “Khaby” Lame, who’s amassed more followers than any other user on the platform. Lame took off on TikTok in 2020, after he was laid off from his factory job in Chivasso, Italy. The Senegalese Italian, 23, rose to international prominence by reacting expressively — and wordlessly — to everything from botched cooking attempts to one creator’s “nap tent.” Though he got his start flashing his signature bored smile, his content has grown into more produced skits — while still riffing on the idea of useless tip videos. With a Hugo Boss campaign and trip to the Oscars under his belt, it’s only a matter of time before Lame goes from your phone to the big screen. — B.E.
La’Ron Hines
Hines’ interviews of kids at his family’s Mississippi day-care center all begin with the question: “Are you smart?” The answer is always yes, but the preschoolers’ replies to Hines’ follow-ups — anything from “Where do koalas live?” to “Who’s Mona Lisa?” — are far less predictable. No matter what nonsense they come out with, Hines supports them 100 percent, and why not? You try telling an adorable little girl who defines “bankruptcy” as “that means that your clothes so soft” that she’s wrong. The series has won Hines, 21, a 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality, and landed him on the red-carpet circuit, where he challenges the likes of Big Sean and Issa Rae with his brain teasers (asked what the “e” in email stands for, Snoop Dogg replied, “Eternity”). On the side, he’s working on a music career — his single “Web of Lies” dropped in December — and a Snapchat reality show, La’Ron in a Million. — M.K.
Logan Paul
Even people who know nothing about YouTubers have heard of Logan Paul. The erstwhile pot-stirrer of content creation along with his brother, Jake, Paul started out posting clips on the now-defunct platform Vine, dropping out of college in 2014 to become a full-time content creator. He has since sparked countless controversies over the course of his nearly decade-long career, most recently drawing the ire of animal-rights activists after a California sanctuary found his former pet pig seemingly abandoned (Paul claims he responsibly re-homed the pig a few years ago, and thanked the sanctuary for saving the pig’s life). Despite all of this (or maybe because of it), his influence is undeniable: He has millions of YouTube subscribers, a blockbuster boxing and wrestling career, a line of sportswear apparel called Maverick, and Impaulsive, which he describes as “the world’s greatest, most thought-provoking, mentally stimulating podcast in the history of mankind … hosted by a bunch of idiots.” His contract with WWE has expired, but we know he’s not going anywhere. — E.G.P.
Monet McMichael
McMichael, 23, posts simple content like GRWM videos, outfit reveals, and goofing around with her family. But her charisma — along with her dives into tough issues, like why BIPOC creators don’t get as much engagement — shot up her follower counts. Since leaving Rutgers University with a nursing degree in May 2022, she’s landed deals with brands like Lancôme, NARS, and MAC. Her fame is only growing: In March, her attendance at a SZA concert went viral on TikTok when other creators posted clips gushing about how excited they were to see her IRL. – C.J.
MrBeast
Jimmy Donaldson started out on YouTube when he was 11, making videos of himself playing Minecraft and Call of Duty and guessing famous YouTubers’ net worths. A little more than a decade later, he’s built nothing short of a content empire, giving away millions of dollars to strangers and orchestrating over-the-top stunts on his channels. One of his most famous videos, a re-creation of the show Squid Game, has a mind-boggling 397 million views. Some critics have accused him of exploiting people in need — using the guise of charity to generate clicks — but his philanthropic efforts are no joke, with his foundation launching twice-monthly food and clothing drives in and around his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina. — E.J.D.
North West
At just nine years old, the eldest child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West has one of the most popular accounts on TikTok. While she shares the account with her uber-famous mom, North’s innate star power screams through her haphazardly edited videos — suggesting that the ability to influence might just be genetic. This proximity to celebrity paired with the snapshots of a glamorous childhood definitely helps drive her growing internet status, but it’s not what makes her clips go viral. Whether North is doing her hair with her little sister, Chicago, making homemade pasta with her BFF Gracie Teefey (Selena Gomez’s little sister), remaking the “Old Town Road” video, or dancing with Ice Spice in an absolutely over-the-top kitchen (think walk-in fridges and a separate room just for the frozen-yogurt machine), it’s her commanding yet silly energy that makes internet gold. — M.G.
Olivia Dunne
Dunne — Livvy to her fans — is the highest-earning athlete in women’s college sports. It’s not necessarily because she’s the most accomplished gymnast (though one look at her on the uneven bars makes our abs hurt), but because she’s managed to hone her cheeky wit, body-con fashion sense, flirty lip-syncs, and incredible skill into a social media craze. That’s earned the Louisiana State University student, 20, deals with companies like American Eagle Outfitters and PlantFuel. Though her content can attract negative attention from the slobbering-male set — both in comments and IRL — she posts through it, maintaining her right to flaunt hot-girl content. — A.M.
Tefi
TikTok star Tefi, a.k.a. Estefania Pessoa, 31, is probably best known for her deep dives centered on pivotal pop-culture drama from the past — think a 14-part breakdown of the demise of Jude Law and Sienna Miller’s relationship, or a 12-part series on Nipplegate (that is, the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake boob-exposing 2004 Super Bowl performance). But unlike accounts that post similar content, Tefi is never just adding noise to the internet buzz. Instead, she makes sure her contributions to pop-culture conversations are substantive. Recently, she turned a commentary on the Vanderpump Rules cheating scandal into a life lesson for her followers. (The takeaway: When people show you their true colors, believe them.) When she’s not posting scripted content, Tefi’s getting real on the platform — talking her fans through breakups, family woes, and young-adult dramas — with a charm and relatability that’s also landed her red-carpet gigs for InStyle, MTV, and SXSW. Tefi isn’t unique for spilling celebrity tea, but her authenticity on topics like body image and dating landed her a devoted following. — M.G.
Valkyrae
Rachell Hofstetter started her career as a video-game streamer on Twitch at 21, while working part time at GameStop, using her employee perks to grab the hottest games. Eight years later, she’s still at it, despite facing relentless harassment for being a woman in gaming. Now one of the most popular streamers in the world, she’s crossed over into the mainstream, thanks to her appearances on streams with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lil Nas X, and her cameo roles in Bella Poarch’s music videos for “Build-a-Bitch” and “Inferno.” She’s even burnished her nerd cred by voicing a character in Netflix’s cartoon series Sonic Prime. She’s also made it clear she has entrepreneurial ambitions, becoming the first female co-owner of the gaming company 100 Thieves, alongside Drake and Scooter Braun, as well as philanthropic ones, launching a scholarship for studious gamers in the Philippines. — E.J.D.
CONTRIBUTORS: Ej Dickson, Brenna Ehrlich, Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Maya Georgi, CT Jones, Miles Klee, Andrea Marks
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