Cristiano Ronaldo named Instagram’s top earner for the third year in a row

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again outstripped competition, clinching the title of Instagram’s highest earner for the third successive year. The news comes after Ronaldo was acknowledged as the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in July, accentuating his move to Saudi Arabia.

According to the 2023 Instagram Rich List compiled by Hopper HQ, an Instagram scheduling tool, Ronaldo earns a staggering USD 3.23 million per Instagram post. This hefty sum comes as Ronaldo approaches nearly 600 million followers on the social media giant.

His principal competitor on the list, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, garners almost USD 2.6 million for each Instagram post. This places these football legends, Ronaldo and Messi, ahead of not just every other sports persona, but also famous celebrities like singer Selena Gomez, reality TV star and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner, and actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Only two other athletes, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and Brazilian footballer Neymar, reached the top 20, with Neymar earning nearly twice per post as his fellow Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Kylian Mbappe.

Mike Bandar, Hopper HQ’s co-founder, expressed his astonishment at the annual earnings from the platform increasing each year. However, he highlighted the dominance of players like Ronaldo and Messi, suggesting that their influence extends beyond the pitch to the digital sphere, manifesting the potency of personal branding.

“It’s still shocking to me that the annual money made on the platform increases every year,” Bandar said. “Yet, what fascinates me more is the consistent players at the top.

“It’s apparent that the glitz and glamour of traditional celebrities still holds power over the new ‘influencer’ status. Ronaldo and Messi not only dominate the pitch, but also the digital sphere as it’s clear they personify the power of personal branding and the influence it holds over us ‘ordinary’ people.”

Interestingly, the global influencer earning the most on Instagram is the TikTok sensation Khaby Lame, who, however, stands at the 40th spot on the rich list. The stark disparity is evident as Ronaldo makes nearly 10 times the revenue Lame accumulates for his posts, reflecting the enduring appeal and dominance of established celebrities in comparison to emerging influencers.