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Cristiano Ronaldo topped Hopper HQ’s 2021 Instagram Rich List, with an estimated potential fee of $1,604,000 for a sponsored post. Dwayne Johnson ranked second at $1,523,000 and Ariana Grande third at $1,510,000. These were estimates of potential rates—not verified payments or total annual Instagram income.
Hopper HQ’s 2021 top 10 Instagram earners
The figures below are Hopper HQ’s estimated sponsored-post rates and the follower counts shown on its list. They are historical figures, not current follower totals or present-day rates.
| 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 |
The Hopper HQ list gives the ranked estimates and follower counts. Contemporary coverage reported rounded figures: the BBC’s July 1, 2021 report put Ronaldo at just over $1.6 million, Johnson at $1.52 million, and Messi at $1.16 million. The Guardian’s June 30, 2021 report also rounded figures. Small differences reflect rounding or source versions; the table uses Hopper HQ figures consistently.
What “highest-paid” means in this ranking
The list ranks estimated charges for a sponsored Instagram post. It does not establish that a celebrity received that amount for any particular post, how many paid posts they published, or their total income from Instagram. Actual deals can differ after negotiation and other arrangements; the sources do not disclose individual contracts or payments.
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It is also not a ranking of wealth or total celebrity earnings. The estimates should be read as potential per-post rates in 2021, not annual salaries or current prices.
How Hopper HQ estimated the rates
Hopper HQ says it used internal data, agency rate cards, and public information. BBC Sport described factors including average engagement, posting frequency, industry variables, and follower count. Neither source publishes the underlying data or a reproducible calculation, so the figures cannot be independently checked from the published methodology.
Follower count is only one stated factor; the ranking does not show that audience size alone determined each celebrity’s position. On Hopper HQ’s top 10, six of the names were women, and Ronaldo and Messi were professional footballers. Hopper HQ separately said women represented 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.
#1 Best Overall
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When the ranking was published
The ranking is for 2021: the BBC covered it on July 1, 2021, and The Guardian on June 30, 2021. Hopper HQ’s page currently displays a publication date of November 2, 2023, while presenting the 2021 list; that displayed date should not be mistaken for the ranking’s original release date.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #2
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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