Using data from Hopper IQ, Bored Panda identified the top Instagram users in the U.S. who regularly post sponsored content. They analyzed 90,000 posts from the 850 most followed celebrities, focusing on disclosed ads in their feeds, such as "paid partnership" tags and hashtags like #ad and #sponsored. This analysis only included feed posts, excluding Stories or Reels.
The team then used estimated payment data from Hopper HQ’s annual Instagram Rich list to calculate average earnings estimates. While not exact, these figures provide context on who is making money from their Instagram presence and how much they potentially earn per year from sponsored posts.
Kevin Hart leads as the top Instagram earner in the U.S., making an estimated $28,119,986 from 26 ads, leveraging his 180 million followers to promote his brands like Gran Coramino tequila and VitaHustle. Mark Wahlberg, despite posting 88 ads, earned $15,510,686 due to having significantly fewer followers (29.4 million). Celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Jennifer Lopez also rank high, with earnings of $16,816,086 and $9,130,949 respectively.
Top Instagram Earners by State
- California: Kylie Jenner ($16,816,086)
- New York: Jennifer Lopez ($9,130,949)
- South Carolina: Madelyn Cline, known for her roles in “Outer Banks” and “Glass Onion,” is a top earner and Revlon ambassador.
Top-Earning American Athletes on Instagram
- Steph Curry: $7,502,807 from Instagram ads, posting 3.5 times more ads than LeBron James.
- LeBron James: Despite having more followers, he earns less than Curry.
- Other notable NBA players: Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, and Chris Paul.
Top-Earning American Actors on Instagram
Kevin Hart is the highest-earning actor, followed by Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Johnson’s $9.5 million comes from just four sponsored posts, with a significant portion from promoting his brands.
Top-Earning American Musicians on Instagram
- Jennifer Lopez: Earns $9,130,949 from six ads, promoting brands like Intimissimi and Virgin Voyages.
- Cardi B: Earns $6 million with the same number of ads as J-Lo.
- Beyonce: Made nearly $2 million from a single ad for Verizon.
Methodology
Bored Panda analyzed over 90,000 Instagram posts from 850 celebrities to estimate their annual earnings. The calculation involved:
- Multiplying the number of disclosed ads by the estimated charge per sponsored post.
- Using data from Hopper HQ’s Instagram Rich list and a Random Forest Regression model to estimate cost per follower.
- Analyzing posts tagged with “paid partnership” and relevant hashtags to identify sponsored content.
This analysis was completed in April 2024.
