Forbes has released its 2026 Top Creators list, highlighting the biggest names driving the rapidly growing creator economy.
According to the publication, the 50 creators featured on this year’s ranking collectively earned more than $1 billion over the past year, marking the first time the list has crossed that milestone since its launch five years ago. The group generated a combined $1.02 billion in annual earnings, a 20 percent increase from last year’s $853 million and an 80 percent jump from the $570 million reported when the ranking debuted in 2022.
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, claimed the top spot with an estimated $300 million in earnings. The 28-year-old creator has built a massive business empire that includes multiple YouTube channels with more than 640 million subscribers, a production company, food brands, and the Amazon Prime reality series Beast Games.
Dhar Mann secured the No. 2 position with $65 million in earnings. His content operation employs roughly 200 people and produces digital programming that attracts nearly 300 million views in an average week. Discussing his strategy, Mann explained, “Most traditional studios create content and hope the audience follows. We listen to the audience and follow what they want.”
Rounding out the list of top earners were Steven Bartlett with $52 million, Markiplier with $38 million, and Rhett & Link with $37 million. Entrepreneur and content creator Codie Sanchez also made a strong showing, earning $31 million through business-focused educational content.
The 2026 rankings reflect the wide reach of today’s creator economy, with successful creators spanning categories such as education, lifestyle, food, wellness, technology, and finance.
Among the standout names, Ms. Rachel earned $26 million through her educational content for toddlers on YouTube, while lifestyle influencer Alix Earle brought in $12 million. Food creator Jordan Howlett, known as Jordan The Stallion, generated $12.4 million through content and brand deals, while fitness and wellness influencer Ashton Hall earned $10 million, largely through online coaching and nutrition programs.
Other notable creators on the list include podcast personality Tana Mongeau, who earned $8 million, TikTok cooking star Nara Smith with $7.5 million, and tech reviewer iJustine with $3.4 million.
