Cristiano Ronaldo topped Hopper HQ’s 2021 Instagram Rich List, with an estimated sponsored-post rate of $1,604,000. Dwayne Johnson ranked second at $1,523,000, followed by Ariana Grande at $1,510,000. These figures were estimates of potential fees for a sponsored post—not verified payments or each celebrity’s total Instagram income.
Hopper HQ’s 2021 top 10
The table reproduces Hopper HQ’s ranking and the follower counts displayed alongside it. Those counts are the figures shown on the list, not current follower totals.
| Rank | Celebrity | Followers shown | Estimated fee per sponsored post |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 306 million | $1,604,000 |
| 2 | Dwayne Johnson | 249 million | $1,523,000 |
| 3 | Ariana Grande | 247 million | $1,510,000 |
| 4 | Kylie Jenner | 244 million | $1,494,000 |
| 5 | Selena Gomez | 240 million | $1,468,000 |
| 6 | Kim Kardashian | 231 million | $1,419,000 |
| 7 | Lionel Messi | 223 million | $1,169,000 |
| 8 | Beyoncé | 189 million | $1,147,000 |
| 9 | Justin Bieber | 180 million | $1,112,000 |
| 10 | Kendall Jenner | 171 million | $1,053,000 |
What the figures do—and do not—mean
Hopper HQ describes the figures as estimates of what a celebrity could charge for a sponsored Instagram post. They are not audited earnings, confirmed contract amounts, or a ranking of wealth. The list does not say how many paid posts anyone published, what a negotiated deal paid, or what remained after management fees and other arrangements.
Hopper HQ says it used internal data, agency rate cards, and public information. BBC Sport reported that factors included average engagement, posting frequency, industry variables, and follower count. Neither source provides the underlying data, a reproducible calculation, or individual contracts. The ranking therefore offers a modelled comparison of potential sponsored-post rates, not a precise account of income.
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BBC Sport reported the list on July 1, 2021, and The Guardian covered it on June 30, 2021. Hopper HQ’s page now displays a publication date of November 2, 2023, while presenting a 2021 ranking; that displayed date should not be mistaken for the list’s original release date. BBC Sport’s report rounded Ronaldo’s estimate to just over $1.6 million and Johnson’s to $1.52 million; its follower counts also differ slightly from Hopper HQ’s displayed figures. The Guardian likewise rounded values. The table above uses Hopper HQ’s figures consistently rather than mixing versions.
Who else stood out on the list?
Six of the ten entries were women, while two were professional footballers: Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Hopper HQ separately said women made up 56% of its highest-earning influencers in 2021, and that influencers from Africa and Asia made up 25% of its overall list. Those percentages describe Hopper HQ’s list, not Instagram creators as a whole.
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Reacting to Ronaldo’s position, Hopper HQ co-founder Mike Bandar told BBC Sport: “It was great to see Cristiano Ronaldo take the number one spot this year after steadily ranking within the top five throughout the list’s history.” The Guardian quoted Bandar saying of the pandemic period: “With people using the app more than ever before, some could say it was inevitable earnings would peak.” That was Bandar’s interpretation of the period, not independent evidence that increased app use caused sponsored-post fees to rise.
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