5 of the richest TikTok stars and their recent millions – ranked: how do Khabane ‘Khaby’ Lame, sisters Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, big brand-endorser Addison Rae and comedian Matt Rife stack up?

Apr 25 , 2024

TikTok’s top earners (from left): Addison Rae, Khabane “Khaby” Lame, Charli D’Amelio, Matt Rife and Dixie D’Amelio. Photos: @AnthonyEhilebo/X; @addisonrae, @charlidamelio, @mattrife, @dixiedamelio/Instagram

Media darling sisters Charli and Dixie D’Amelio have also appeared in reality TV show The D’Amelio Show and podcast Charli and Dixie: 2 Chix, while Matt Rife’s viral stand-ups led to sold-out arena shows

Addison Rae’s family boosted their own careers by starring in a 10-episode Snapchat-produced reality series, Addison Rae Goes Home – but will the potential TikTok ban in the US affect their wealth?

Creative platform, moneymaking opportunity or the voice of a new generation? No matter how you look at it, TikTok continues to be a cultural phenomenon with a colossal number of users every day – 1.7 billion worldwide in 2023, to be precise, according to a report by What’s the Big Data in late November last year, with a predicted 2.05 billion for 2024.

The TikTok building in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, in March 2023. Photo: AP

According to Influencer Marketing Hub, a social media research firm, businesses are increasing their influencer marketing budgets, with an estimated US$6.16 billion spent in the US alone last year. This means that creators are open to even more financial spending from big brands hoping to cash in on the social media platform.

On April 24, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that could potentially ban TikTok in the US if its owner, Chinese company ByteDance, doesn’t sell it within a year. ByteDance responded by calling the law “unconstitutional” on X (formerly Twitter), declaring its intention to “challenge it in court”.

While we wait to see how TikTok’s story unfolds, here are five of TikTok’s most influential stars right now – and their estimated 2023 earnings from the social media platform to other areas like music and film, according to Forbes.

5. Addison Rae Easterling aka Addison Rae, 23

Estimated earnings: US$6 million

Addison Rae Easterling at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles, in December 2023. Photo: @addisonraee/Instagram

In 2019, Rae’s dance moves on TikTok made her an internet darling. Her family even moved to Los Angeles to capitalise on her fame, per NBC, which also stated that “Rae’s family is among a new generation of influencers and stage parents who capitalise on the viral success of their children”.

“Stage parents” who use the success of their viral children to boost their own careers. Rae and her family starred in a 10-episode Snapchat-produced reality series Addison Rae Goes Home.

Addison Rae asked her 37 million-plus Instagram followers whether they prefer vinyl or CDs in December 2023. Photo: @addisonraee/Instagram