Popular YouTuber MrBeast has once again emerged as the world’s highest-paid digital creator, topping the 2026 Forbes Top Creators ranking.
The latest ranking comes as the 50 biggest digital creators collectively earned an estimated $1.02 billion over the past year.
According to the annual ranking released by Forbes on July 1 and seen by our correspondent on Sunday, the combined earnings of the top creators rose by 20 per cent from the $853 million recorded in 2025 and by 80 per cent compared to the inaugural list published in 2022.
Forbes noted that the creator economy has grown into a major force in the entertainment industry, with social media stars now producing films, television shows and expanding business empires that increasingly compete with traditional Hollywood studios.
“The creator economy is no longer trying to break into show business—it is show business,” Forbes said in its report.
Jimmy Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, claimed the top spot on the list with estimated earnings of $300 million, backed by a global social media audience of 873 million followers.
His growing business portfolio includes his YouTube brand, Beast Industries, Feastables, Lunchly, Viewstats, and the Amazon Prime reality competition show, Beast Games.
Dhar Mann secured the second position with estimated earnings of $65 million, while British entrepreneur and podcast host Steven Bartlett came in third with $52 million.
Gaming content creator Markiplier ranked fourth with estimated earnings of $38 million, while comedy duo Rhett & Link rounded out the top five after making $37 million.
Others who made the top 10 included Codie Sanchez, Mark Rober, IShowSpeed, Druski and Charli D’Amelio.
Forbes said many of the highest-earning creators are no longer relying solely on social media, but are expanding into sectors such as streaming, publishing, advertising, technology and consumer products.
According to Forbes, the 2026 ranking was compiled using creators’ estimated gross earnings from March 2025 to March 2026, alongside factors such as audience reach, engagement and business ventures.
Full list of Forbes Top 50 Creators 2026
1. MrBeast — $300 million — 873 million followers
2. Dhar Mann — $65 million — 171 million followers
3. Steven Bartlett — $52 million — 38.7 million followers
4. Markiplier — $38 million — 76.8 million followers
5. Rhett & Link — $37 million — 45.6 million followers
6. Codie Sanchez — $31 million — 10 million followers
7. IShowSpeed — $30 million — 184 million followers
8. Mark Rober — $30 million — 90.7 million followers
9. Ms. Rachel — $26 million — 34.2 million followers
10. Jesser — $25 million — 54.9 million followers
11. MrBallen — $24 million — 31.4 million followers
12. Druski — $20 million — 38.5 million followers
13. Charli D’Amelio — $18 million — 209.8 million followers
14. Jacksepticeye — $18 million — 48.9 million followers
15. Adam W — $17.3 million — 67.2 million followers
16. Rebecca Zamolo — $15 million — 45.3 million followers
17. Jake Shane — $14 million — 6 million followers
18. Nick DiGiovanni — $14 million — 65.4 million followers
19. Brent Rivera — $13.7 million — 120.8 million followers
20. Typical Gamer — $13 million — 31.6 million followers
21. Jordan The Stallion — $12.4 million — 49.1 million followers
22. Stokes Twins — $12.4 million — 177.5 million followers
23. Alix Earle — $12 million — 14.5 million followers
24. Marques Brownlee — $10.9 million — 33.6 million followers
25. Alan Chikin Chow — $10.5 million — 131.4 million followers
26. Ashton Hall — $10 million — 38.1 million followers
27. Haley Baylee — $9.6 million — 37.4 million followers
28. Khaby Lame — $9.9 million — 252.1 million followers
29. James Dumoulin — $9.9 million — 23.2 million followers
30. Mikayla Nogueira — $9 million — 21.8 million followers
31. Vivian Tu — $8.2 million — 10.7 million followers
32. Dani Austin — $8.1 million — 3.8 million followers
33. Tana Mongeau — $8 million — 22.8 million followers
34. Nara Smith — $7.5 million — 17.3 million followers
35. Nurse John — $7.2 million — 19.2 million followers
36. Leah Kateb — $7.1 million — 11.4 million followers
37. Dixie D’Amelio — $7 million — 72.9 million followers
38. Erika Kullberg — $6.8 million — 21 million followers
39. Lexi Rivera — $6.7 million — 56.3 million followers
40. Josh Richards — $6 million — 34.7 million followers
41. Hannah Stocking — $5.8 million — 74.4 million followers
42. Katie Fang — $5.4 million — 8.2 million followers
43. Brooke Monk — $5.2 million — 72.2 million followers
44. Anwar Jibawi — $5 million — 83.9 million followers
45. Anna Sitar — $4.4 million — 27.7 million followers
46. iJustine — $3.4 million — 12.9 million followers
47. Tini Younger — $3 million — 16.3 million followers
48. Drew Afualo — $2.7 million — 13.4 million followers
49. Steven He — $2 million — 29.6 million followers
50. Logan Moffitt — $1.3 million — 10.6 million followers
