In this article, we will list the 30 Most Famous Celebrities on Instagram. If you want to skip our analysis of influencer marketing and want to see the top 10 most followed celebrities head over to the 10 Most Famous Celebrities on Instagram in 2023.
In 2012, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META), the owner of Facebook, acquired Instagram for $1 Billion. While many thought of it as a mistake, this move helped solidify Meta’s dominance in social media. In fact, the adoption of Instagram's features, such as reels, is one of the major reasons for its continued growth. This is evident from Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund's comment about Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) in its Q2, 2023 investor letter:
“Shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), the world’s largest social network continued their upward trajectory, rising by 35.4% due to stabilizing revenues and ongoing improvements in margins. Meta reported continued growth in Instagram Reels adoption and other new advertising products. In addition, the company’s advancements in AI continue contributing to its targeting and measurement capabilities, while GenAI innovation presents an opportunity for new products and incremental monetization. The company also achieved a significant milestone of 3 billion daily active users across its family of apps, representing a 5% year-over-year increase. User engagement remains robust, with video content and Instagram Reels playing a significant role in user time on the platform. The monetization gap between Reels and other ad formats is steadily narrowing, and Meta anticipates it will reach revenue neutrality by late 2023 or early 2024. Meta has also reported an increase in its speed and agility of execution following the recent organizational changes and cost cuts. Longer term, we believe Meta will benefit from its leadership in mobile advertising, massive user base, innovative culture, leading GenAI research and potential distribution, and technological scale, with further monetization opportunities ahead.”
The photo-sharing application has more than 2 billion monthly active users, which is why it is unsurprising that it is one of the most valuable social media companies in the world. Almost all celebrities and the richest actors in the world are active on Instagram. With that in mind, one might wonder who are the most followed celebrities on Instagram, which the second half of this article will uncover. Let’s first see why Instagram has become the go-to place for celebrities and influencers for organic brand building. If you are interested in knowing which countries use Instagram the most, Check out 25 Countries with Most Instagram Users in 2023
Some of the key differences between Instagram and Facebook make the former suitable for organic brand building. Instagram is hyper-visual and lets you share photos, videos, stories, and reels with brief captions. Facebook allows for a wide range of content format which includes longer texts, links, videos, articles, and stories. Instagram app has built-in features that help its users create good organic content. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META)'s Facebook sees Instagram’s content as user-generated content (even if it is by a company) and gives it better organic reach on its platform.
A 2019 social media engagement study reported that brands see a 0.09% engagement rate on their Facebook posts and 1.6% on Instagram. The higher engagement rates have led to celebrities and influencers using Instagram for their brand building. Apparel, footwear, and fashion companies such as Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE), Puma, and LVMH understand the appeal of Instagram for their marketing.
Nike, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) utilizes LeBron James, an American professional basketball player and one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram, for influencer marketing. He frequently shows off his Nike collection on his Instagram.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s Audible is also one brand that can be thought of as extensively using influencer marketing. It is an audiobook platform that lets you stream books on the go. While the majority of the influencers endorse Audible on YouTube, its Instagram page shares endorsements by some of the most followed celebrities on Instagram. One such example is the appearance of Lonnie Rashid Lynn, known by his stage name Common, on Audible’s Instagram page to talk about its celebration of top hip-hop artists. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) realizes the worth of reach and engagement of influencers. Those with substantial following on social media, can create their Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s influencer account, recommend products, and earn a commission.
Siete Bucks Spirits LLC is co-owned by Dwayne Johnson, who is also known as the Rock and is one of the most followed people on Instagram. The company launched a tequila brand "Teremana Liquid" in 2020, which, according to Dwayne Johnson, sold 1 million cases between April 2022 and April 203. The massive success of this brand is owed to Johnson’s following on Instagram. The celebrity actor and former professional wrestler has 389 million followers on Instagram. He frequently posts videos and pictures of enjoying Teremana alone and at parties, which gather significant engagement. One of his recent video posts on Instagram, which shows him enjoying Teremana with a group of friends, has gathered 256,000 likes and 2,682 comments.
With Facebook’s declining organic reach, brands are incentivized to increase their reach through paid ads, which yield better results on Facebook compared to Instagram. Facebook’s ads are also more optimized to appear toward the right people, as opposed to Instagram. Since brands are more likely to invest in paid ads with decreasing organic reach, is it likely that a future algorithm update may decrease Instagram’s organic reach?
Meta gives two reasons for Facebook’s declining organic reach. The first is that with more and more content being produced, there is far more content created than there is time to absorb it. As a result, the competition in the feed is increasing, and it's getting harder for any story to gain exposure in the feed. Secondly, Meta says that instead of showing all people all the content, the news feed now shows them the content that is more relevant to them to increase engagement. Both of the reasons that Meta cites apply to Instagram. So, it is likely that Instagram’s organic reach may decline. In fact, according to some industry experts, Instagram’s organic reach has already declined by 50% since 2015. However, it is unlikely that Instagram’s organic reach will become less than Facebook’s.
We listed the most famous celebrities on Instagram based on their total Instagram followers. This list was curated based on follower count as of 27th August 2023.
30 - Kylian Mbappe
Handle - @k.mbappe
Followers - 107M
Kylian Mbappe is the captain of France's National Football Team and also plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He is regarded for his exceptional speed and dribbling abilities.
29 - Billie Eilish
Handle - @billieeilish
Followers - 110M
Billie Eilish is a 21-year-old American songwriter and singer who shot to fame after the release of her single ‘Ocean Eyes’. Billie Eilish frequently collaborates with other popular artists such as DJ Khaled for her singles.
28 - Ellen DeGeneres
Handle - @ellendegeneres
Followers - 139M
Ellen DeGeneres is a Primetime Emmy award winner actress and comedian now renowned for her “ Ellen DeGeneres show”.
27 - Drake
Handle - @champagnepapi
Followers - 142M
The 36-year-old Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter Aubrey Drake Graham is an influential figure in contemporary music. Drake is also an ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, a Canadian professional basketball team.
26 - Chris Brown
Handle - @chrisbrownofficial
Followers - 143M
Chris Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of all time. He is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and dancer.
25 - Rihanna
Handle - @badgalriri
Followers - 152M
Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, songwriter, businesswoman, and actress, with a net worth of $1.4 Billion. She is regarded as one of the most popular singers of the 21st century. Her single ‘Umbrella’ topped multiple charts in the US and around the world for several weeks.
24 - Demi Lovato
Handle - @ddlovato
Followers - 157M
Demi Lovato is a 31-year-old American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Mitchie Torres in the musical television film ‘Camp Rock’.
23 - LeBron James
Handle - @kingjames
Followers - 158M
LeBron James is an American professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Lakers. He has competed in 10 NBA finals and won four. James has consistently represented Nike, because of his $87 Million contract with the company.
22 - Cardi B
Handle - @iamcardib
Followers - 169M
Cardi B shot to fame because of her Instagram. She is an American rapper known for her aggressive flow and outspoken lyrics.
21 - Kevin Hart
Handle - @kevinhart4real
Followers - 178M
Kevin Hart is an American standup comedian and actor. He has starred in numerous Hollywood films and released several well-received comedy albums.
20 - Zendaya
Handle - @Zendaya
Followers - 184M
The 26-year-old actress and singer, Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman has received various accolades including Prime Time Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. She was also on the list of 2022 Time Magazione’s 100 most influential people in the world. Her 184 millions strong fans on Instagram make her one of the most followed actresses on Instagram.
19 - Katy Perry
Handle - @katyperry
Followers - 204M
Katy Perry is an American singer and songwriter. She became famous with the release of her hit single “ I Kissed a Girl”.
18 - Miley Cyrus
Handle - @mileycyrus
Followers - 213M
Miley Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her first popular role was the role of ‘Hannah Montana’ in a series of the same name.
17 - Neymar
Handle - @neymarjr
Followers - 213M
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is a Brazilian football player who has recently joined as a forward for the Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. Neymar has won 28 titles, with 21 coming from Europe.
16 - Kourtney Kardashian
Handle - @kourtneykardash
Followers - 224M
Kourtney Kardashian is one of the most followed socialites on Instagram. She is an American socialite and media personality with a net worth of $65 million. She is known for her role in the reality show Keeping Up with Kardashians.
15 - Nicki Minaj
Handle - @nickiminaj
Followers - 225M
Nicki Minaj is the professional name of Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty. She is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Nicki Minaj is known for her alter ego accents and animated flow in her rapping. She is one of the most followed singers on Instagram.
14 - Jennifer Lopez
Handle - @jlo
Followers - 251M
Jennifer Lopez is a 54-year-old American Actress and singer, who started her acting career in the 1980’s. She also found success in her singing career with songs such as ‘Waiting for Tonight'; topping multiple charts.
13 - Virat Kohli
Handle - @virat.kohli
Followers - 257M
Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian National Cricket Team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in Cricket’s history. Virat is one of the most followed cricketers on Instagram.
12 - Taylor Swift
Handle - @taylorswift
Followers - 271M
Taylor Swift is an American singer and songwriter, and a prominent cultural figure of the 21st century. She is also recognized for her songwriting and artistic reinvention capabilities.
11 - Justin Bieber
Handle - @justinbieber
Followers - 292M
Our 11th most famous celebrity on Instagram is 29-year-old Justin Beiber who started his music career only when he was 15 years old. He is a Canadian Singer recognized for his influence on modern-day pop music.
