Selena Gomez tops list of highest Instagram earners

Screen Grab from Instagram/@selenagomez

Since its inception in 2010, Instagram has evolved from a simple photo-sharing platform into a profitable tool for celebrities and brands.

Over the years, the app has paved the way for the rise of social media “influencers”—mainly actors, music artists and sports personalities—who have collected hefty pay checks from endorsement opportunities.

Recently, Instagram released a list of its most profitable stars dubbed as “Instagram’s Rich List,” using data from its internal post-scheduling tool, HooperHQ.

With a massive following of 122 million, pop superstar Selena Gomez took the No. 1 spot, gaining over $550,000 (over P27 million) per sponsored post.

No stranger to fame are the Kardashian sisters Kim, Kylie, Kendall, Khloe and Kourtney, who ranked second, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th place, respectively.

Models Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid were listed as the eighth- and ninth-highest Instagram earners, while sports icons Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James were ranked third and tenth, respectively.

Meanwhile, Mike Bandar, co-founder of HooperHQ.com addressed Instagram’s ever-growing role in advertising and establishing brands.

“Instagram is now an incredibly effective marketing tool for brands and it’s fascinating to see how celebrities and influencers are able to monetize their accounts so effectively,” he said in a blog post.

“With approximately 700 million active monthly users across the world, it offers a wealth of potential customers for brands that have the budget to harness the influence of the people on our lists, and a chance for people to make a real career out of ‘gramming,’” he added.

Check out the full top 10 list below.

1. Selena Gomez – 122 million followers – $550,000 (over P27 million) per post
2. Kim Kardashian – 100 million followers – $500,000 (over P25 million) per post
3. Cristiano Ronaldo – 104 million followers – $400,000 (over P20 million)  per post
4. Kylie Jenner – 95 million followers – $400,000 (over P20 million)  per post
5. Kendall Jenner – 81.7 million followers – $370,000 (over P18 million)  per post
6. Khloe Kardashian – 68 million followers – $250,000 (over P12 million)  per post
7. Kourtney Kardashian – 57.8 million followers – $250,000 (over P12 million)  per post
8. Cara Delevingne – 40.4 million followers – $150,000 (over P7 million) per post
9. Gigi Hadid 34.7 million followers – $120,000  (over P6 million) per post
10. Lebron James – 30.7 million followers – $120,000 (over P6 million) per post  /ra

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