- Addison Rae Easterling
$5 million
2.Charli D’Amelio
$4 million
3.Dixie D’Amelio
$2.9 million
From Norwalk, Connecticut, sisters Charli,
16, and Dixie, 19, have turned singing-and-
dancing videos into deals with Hollister
Clothing and Morphe cosmetics. Dixie also
premiered a single, “Be Happy,” in July.4. Loren Gray
$2.6 million
Gray, an 18-year old pop singer, joined
Musical.ly, an early iteration of what became
TikTok, way back in 2015. She has parlayed
her success on the app into eight singles and
a contract with Virgin Records.5.Josh Richards
$1.5 million
Thinking beyond merchandise and deals,
Richards, 18—who gained fame for dance
TikToks and vlogs about his life—has
cofounded a celebrity-management agency,
TalentX, which represents 105 infl uencers.
He’s also the chief strategy offi cer of Triller,
a small American TikTok rival.6.Michael Le
$1.2 million
The 20-year-old’s dance videos—two of him
grooving on an escalator in particular—have
become some of TikTok’s most-shared con-
tent. Among his sponsorships is a multiyear
partnership with Bang energy drinks.6.Spencer X
$1.2 million
Seeking to become music’s fi rst big-time
beatboxer, Spencer X, 28, has gone from
couch-surfi ng in Los Angeles to recording
singles in his own luxe two-story Hollywood
apartment in less than a year.28
FRONTRUNNERFORBES.COM OCTOBER 20 20TIKTOK^ BY^ ABRAMBROWN^PHONE:^ JITTIMA^ KUMRUEN/GETTYIMAGES;^ ADDISON^RAE:^ANNAWEBBER-GETTYIMAGES(LEFT)^n late July, hours after President Trump issued his latest
threat to ban TikTok in the U.S., 19-year-old Addison Rae
Easterling posted a new video to the app, imagining what
her life would be like in such a world: She’d be back at
Louisiana State University, where a year ago she was just
another anonymous freshman. Today she has 55.3 million followers and
ranks No. 1 on our inaugural list of TikTok’s highest-paid stars.
Easterling (above), who became famous for her dance TikToks, earned
an estimated $5 million in the past year through branded merchandise
(T-shirts, hoodies, phone cases) and sponsorships with companies
including Reebok. She recently inked a deal to be the global face of
American Eagle; began a weekly Spotify podcast, in which she discusses
her life with her cohost mom; and launched a makeup line, Item Beauty.
TikTok’s fate might be uncertain, but have no doubt: These seven seven-
fi gure infl uencers have a bright future no matter the platform.SEVEN-FIGURE
TIKTOK STARS
Social Media
I
STUDIES IN SCARLET
Trend LinesBold-colored watch dials always make a
statement. And now, aft er waves of blue and
green, the tide has turned crimson. Think of it
as the only time you want to be in the red.
From left: IWC Portugieser Chronograph Ref. 3716
($7,950); Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Red-Wine
($5,300); TAG Heuer “Grand Prix de Monaco
Historique” Limited Edition ($7,050); Grand Seiko
Heritage Collection SBGH269 ($6,400)Income estimates are pretax earnings from June 30, 2019, through June 30, 2020.