The 25 Most Influential Social Media Influencers and Creators of 2025

Handle: @ladymisskay_
Genre: Lifestyle Creator
Followers: 1.1 million

Don’t even try to call Kay Poyer, 25, an activist — she’ll swat that label away before you can say “voice of a generation.” This Dallas doll made a name for herself with takes on everything from trans rights to her love for her local food bank.  “I’m really proud of myself that I’ve built a brand off of saying crazy shit all the time,” she says. “It feels really good to be somebody with a huge mouth and have so many people be interested.” Videos from her TikTok account are treated as tantamount to gospel by her, as she describes them, “pierced up goth girl” followers. But Poyer’s strongest asset is her sage advice about finding community. “You need to go where the people are,” she says. CT Jones

Handle: @bran__flakezz
Genre: Lifestyle Creator
Followers: 1.6 million

It took a little grit and a lot of “gay chaos” for Brandon Edelman, 29, to go from cog in the fashion world to full-time creator, but that doesn’t mean he’s changed. The Philly creator — who describes his content “like being on FaceTime with your best friend” — tells Rolling Stone that he’s grateful he wasn’t an overnight success, because it’s helped him stay grounded and make videos tailored to people who want to make social media a real career. “My platform is being this Philly kid who, no matter how much money I have, I still want to eat at Applebee’s,” he says. While his relatable vibe continues to draw new viewers, Edelman has developed a roster of ride-or-dies for his videos with a philanthropic aim, like supporting local businesses and surprising followers with freebie-filled “Brantrips.” C.T.J.

Handle: @stoolpresidente
Genre: Media Mogul
Followers: 18.2 million

Dave Portnoy, 48, may have gotten his start launching the early-2000s raunch site Barstool Sports, but as he’s grown that into an online empire — he sold his company for $551 million in 2023, only to later buy it back for $1 — he’s found fame among a new audience as a … pizza influencer and Trump critic? His One Bite Pizza Reviews have taken off among Gen Z, and his pushback against the Trump administration — calling out the handling of Signalgate and describing the president’s fiscal policy as a “tariff scam” — have earned him some surprising new fans. Elisabeth Garber-Paul

Handle: @wishbonekitchen
Genre: Cooking Creator
Followers: 3.8 million

Chef Meredith Hayden has built her career on embracing life’s little luxuries. Whether it’s homemade ice cream with fresh peaches or a tomato-butter baked cod that’s easy to make even when you’re two rosés deep, Hayden, 29 — known online as Wishbone Kitchen — is a Gen Z phenom striving to bring her viewers that one life-changing bite. Hayden first made waves online for her vlogs as a private chef in the Hamptons, but cultivated a dedicated fan base for her easy way of embracing mistakes in the kitchen with a laugh and a lesson. While those “picturesque seaside backdrops” don’t hurt, her recipes aren’t for perfectionists — she’s just making videos that get her followers out of their comfort zone. C.T.J.

Handle: @alixearle
Genre: Lifestyle Creator
Followers: 13.2 million

TikTok’s most marketable personality Alix Earle, 24, has had another big year. She appeared in a Super Bowl commercial, became an investor in canned cocktail brand SipMargs, and was announced to be on the upcoming Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars. Yet she’s still thinking of ways to keep in touch with her most loyal fans, the ones who adore her for the way she keeps it real and tells stories about regretting getting veneers or her acne struggles: After leaving Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network, she announced that her podcast, Hot Mess With Alix Earle, will be more video-forward, which she’s calling a “vlogcast.” “It’s been almost three years that I’ve really been doing this, and the question of making something that lasts is always at the front of my mind,” she says. “There’s people posting more than ever. So when it comes to your content, it’s really important to have a strong voice, and opinion, and storytelling, because otherwise you’re going to be another video that people are watching and then scrolling past.” Steffi Cao

Handle: @sabrina.cinoman.brier
Genre: Comedian
Followers: 1.4 million

Sabrina Brier, 31, was working as a Hollywood assistant in a Zoom writers room just five years ago, but today, the comedian is at the forefront of people’s screens. Whether she’s playing “That Friend Who Is Always Right” or the “Extremely Passive Aggressive Roommate,” there’s always something quotable in the skits she puts together. Look no further than one moment of her simply saying “Oh!” that became a viral meme. This year, Brier wrote and recorded her first audiobook, That Friend, which tells the story of a “self-proclaimed Queen of the West Village” who also happens to be named Sabrina. “The way the media landscape is changing is actually a really beautiful thing, because a lot of different boxes that artists and creators usually get put into are all kind of mixing up in this exciting, unexpected way,” she says. “I can work off this extreme privilege of making my own money as a content creator, have a direct line to my audience — that’s all I need to be creative and find my way.” S.C.

Handle: @theovon
Platform: Podcaster
Followers: 26.3 million

It could be easy to label Theodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III, known to fans as Theo Von, as yet another crude manosphere influencer. The podcaster and self-declared “white trash” comedian, 45, sat in front of Logan and Jake Paul at Donald Trump’s inauguration and regularly brings a host of right-wing personalities onto his show, This Past Weekend. But Von skirts the typical red-pilled content: He’s now the podcast bro de facto for any politician trying to connect with the American public for both parties. Everyone from Bernie Sanders to Ro Khanna have guested on his show, while Von himself has become a megaphone for the worries that millions of guys have: Fears around the cost of living, the concern of being addicted to porn, and what political affiliation actually means today. S.C.

Handle: @anaykashe 
Genre: Lifestyle Creator
Followers: 2.1 million

These days, viral moments and Anayka She, 27, go hand in hand. The creator’s platform is full of witty clips, whether it’s a fun fact about ancient Egypt or what stainless steel actually means. Millions of people have fallen in love with her comedy over the past five years, but it didn’t come overnight. “I feel like a lot of people think, ‘One thing will happen and I’ll be a superstar,” she tells Rolling Stone. “For a lot of people, it’s incremental. I try to reflect and realize that I’m in the position I always wanted to be in.” For She, that means finally getting to work on her music career — she released an R&B single earlier this year, and will soon be going on her very first tour. S.C.

Handle: @ironmouse
Genre: VTuber
Followers: 5.2 million

Puerto Rican Twitch creator Ironmouse may remain anonymous, but she’s become iconic for her pink-and-purple haired avatar and high-pitched, squeaking voice alone — which is real, she claims, a result of a lung infection due to Covid-19 complications. The vlogger and gamer is a mainstay in VTubing (virtual YouTubing, or using graphics and motion-capture software to mask one’s identity) and the most subscribed female Twitch streamer of all time. “I feel like people are embracing VTubers more than ever, and it’s really cool to see,” she tells Rolling Stone. Aside from streaming, she’s also a singer — she’s released two singles in the past year, as well as being featured on Canadian rapper bbno$’s single “1-800.” S.C.

Handle: @ilonamaher
Genre: Sports Creator
Followers: 9.1 million

When Team USA Rugby star Ilona Maher became the unofficial behind-the-scenes chronicler of the 2020 Olympics, people were drawn to her upbeat, goofy humor. But in the years since, Maher’s impassioned and unique devotion to women’s sports — and body positivity — captured hearts worldwide. A runner-up on Season 33 of Dancing With The Stars, Maher demands one thing from her audience: confidence. “Take up space,” Maher, 29, said while accepting her 2025 ESPY Breakthrough Athlete award. “Pitch it faster. Run harder. Put another plate on the bar. And never tone it down.” C.T.J.

Handle: @speedymorman
Genre: Journalist
Subscribers: 1.6 million

If there’s a viral interview clip making the rounds, there’s a good chance Speedy Morman is at the scene of the crime. The New York native started at Complex as an intern, and quickly became one of the most recognizable interviewers online with his jovial spirit and fast-paced style. Morman’s nice, but he’s no pushover, quick to interject with a one-liner or a pointed question. And while he doesn’t consider himself a comedian — he tells Rolling Stone he leaves comedy to people like Druski — that hasn’t kept his interviews from becoming meme fodder. Whether it’s snapping Ray J’s unbreakable glasses, or complimenting GloRilla’s thick Memphis accent and another artist’s “beautiful spirit” (pronounced brrr-tferrl), Morman, 31, and his series, 360 With Speedy, have become a go-to press stop for everyone from rappers to movie stars to sitting presidents. “I try to remain true to the essence of journalism, while also interjecting personality and fun,” he says. “I’m a journalist first. And then the rest is just vibes.” C.T.J.

Handle: @hellotefi
Genre: Lifestyle Creator
Followers: 2.5 million

Estefanía Vanegas Pessoa, known to the world as Tefi Pessoa, often thinks back on the time a storyteller visited her Miami middle school. “I remember thinking, ‘That is what I want to do. That’s real power.’” Now 35, Pessoa effortlessly switches from red-carpet interviewer to the voice of wisdom. Her content is lifestyle mixed with her signature blend of big-sister energy, but storytelling remains at its heart. In May 2025, she started an advice column with The Cut, Ask Tefi, and in August, she launched a podcast, Tefi Talks. And for those who might not get all their answers from there, Pessoa’s TikTok account is still a fount of insight — formulated just for the girlies. “I don’t think I’ve ever made a video with a man in mind,” Pessoa says. C.T.J.

Handle: @drewafualo
Genre: Lifestyle Creator
Followers: 10 million

For Drew Afualo, 29, describing her content lane is easy. “I just fuck up terrible men on the internet,” she tells Rolling Stone. The job is a long cry from the sports journalist career Afualo dreamed of after college, but she has turned her viral rants tearing down misogynists into a TikTok empire. She’s completed a national tour, become a New York Times bestselling author for her memoir, Loud, and still found time to record her popular (and often viral) podcast, The Comment Section. Afualo is an era-defining creator whose voice represents TikTok’s rise in the digital economy — think a household name but on for-you-pages — and she’s kept her crown by never backing down from a fight. “Influence online is having the ear of millions of people,” she says. “And that is a wonderful and horrifying thing all at the same time.” C.T.J.

Handle: @dukedennis
Genre: Streamer
Followers: 25.2 million

For a while, Duke Dennis, 31, functioned as a meme, his name shorthand for a guy who could steal your girlfriend if he wanted to. Over time, though, his brand has expanded and his relationship with his audience solidified. As a member of AMP, he’s something like the older brother of the group, offering a model for how the young men around him should act. This year, Dennis visited China to stream and says his biggest goal is to be featured on Law & Order. “One episode, even if I’m just a dead body or something. I’m cool. That’s my peak,” he told Rolling Stone earlier this year. This spring, after it was revealed that he had children, Dennis became the butt of online jokes, as various women posted claiming to be the mothers of those kids. In reality, Dennis hasn’t come forward with the children’s identities in order to protect them from online attention. In all, he handled the ridicule gracefully, opening up to his audience about a part of his life he’d long kept quiet. The result: even more aura. Jeff Ihaza

Handle: @octopusslover8
Genre: Comedian
Followers: 4.9 million

It’s been two years since influencer and comedian Jake Shane turned his octopus-dish-review account into a comedy journey. After he shifted to improv based on historical or biblical events — What if John Wilkes Booth went into the wrong theater? What did Jesus’ disciples gossip about? — Shane has exploded from viral account of the week into a mainstay in creator spaces. While he’s still open about his struggles with mental health, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Shane, 25, has become synonymous with a self-deprecating sense of humor that lets fans in on the joke. He has presented at the American Music Awards, had a recurring role on Hacks, and dispelled the yearslong theory that Lea Michele can’t read on an episode of his Therapuss podcast. Now, on his second stand-up tour, Shane says he’s focused more on screen roles. But fans still react the strongest when he’s doing what he started with: shitposting at home with his best friends. C.T.J.

Handle: @alexandracooper
Genre: Lifestyle Podcaster
Followers: 9.5 million

When lightning strikes in the pop-culture zeitgeist, Alex Cooper, 31, is often at the center of it. The Call Her Daddy host and Unwell Network founder has invited guests like Chappell Roan and Kamala Harris onto her podcast, which boasts more than 250 million streams. Though she’s known for her access to high-profile figures at the height of their popularity (even Kamala Harris sat in the Call Her Daddy chair during her presidential bid), she’s branching out, releasing a tell-all documentary, Call Her Alex, on Hulu earlier this year, executive-producing a new reality dating show for the streamer, and launching an electrolyte drink line called Unwell Hydration. S.C.

Handle: @camilla
Genre: OnlyFans Model
Followers: 18.5 million

After a cameo in MrBeast’s massive “Squid Game” YouTube video in 2021, OnlyFans star Camilla Araujo, 23, has become a master of internet virality, using rage bait and provocative comments — and a strategic, data-driven approach similar to that of MrBeast — to fuel her explosive growth. Araujo’s rise reflects a growing class of Gen Z influencers who are using OnlyFans to springboard into mainstream internet fame. She’s part of the Bop House, the mega-viral OnlyFans content house, and runs her own social media consultancy, but that’s just the start. “I want to be everywhere,” she says. “I want to be unavoidable.” Taylor Lorenz

Handle: @hasanabi
Genre: Political Streamer
Subscribers: 10.5 million

The biggest socialist in streaming isn’t slowing down. “People are looking for someone willing to fight against the Trump administration,” Piker says — and he’s up for the job. Piker, 33, covered the L.A. ICE protests, interviewed leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon in France, toured Queens with NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, and visited the headquarters of the Japanese Communist Party. Freedom of speech is top of mind: He was detained by border security and questioned about his political views when returning from a trip abroad in May. “That was an interesting experience,” he jokes. And yet his recent international focus is no accident. It’s about “solidarity with other working-class movements all around the world,” he says. “It’s a united struggle.” Miles Klee 

Handle: @MrBeast
Genre: Stunt YouTuber
Followers: 871.6 million

Whether he’s making 2,000 people fight for $5 million or spending seven days stranded at sea, stunt YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a. MrBeast, continues to wield staggering influence. This year alone, Donaldson, 27, has flirted with taking over as the new X CEO and made a bid to buy TikTok. But controversy has dogged his high-octane productions: His Amazon show Beast Games led to a class-action lawsuit after contestants revealed poor working conditions. S.C.

Handle: @calebsaysthings
Genre: Comedian
Followers: 1.6 million

The stand-up comedian is known for his sharp jabs at everything from fatphobic trolls to HOAs. But he’s more than a jokester, hosting a hit chat podcast, So True With Caleb Hearon, and branching into acting. He starred in the 2024 film Sweethearts on HBO Max, was recently cast in the long awaited Devil Wears Prada sequel, and will star in director Lilly Wachowskis’ solo feature debut — which Hearon co-wrote. “I think it’s radical that I don’t dislike myself as a fat person in a society that hates fat people,” Hearon, 30, told Rolling Stone in 2024. “I want fat people — especially little fat gay kids in red states — to watch my stuff and go ‘Oh, actually, a cool life is possible for me.’” C.T.J.

Handle: @quenblackwell
Genre: Comedian
Followers: 20.8 million

Quenlin Blackwell, 24, is everywhere. The comic, model, and creator — known online as Quen — was a popular staple on the dearly departed video app Vine, but survived its fall to become a Gen-Z voice almost synonymous with internet content. She thrived on Twitter before it was X, raked in the views on YouTube, then made her mark on TikTok in 2019. Now, she’s on YouTube cooking for PinkPantheress for her Feeding Starving Celebrities series, onstage with Charli XCX for her “Guess” performance at the 2025 Grammys, and on set for a role in Rachel Sennot’s untitled upcoming series for HBO. “[It girl] means you’re authentic and you aren’t scared to be exactly who you are,” she tells Rolling Stone. “If you’re actively trying to be an It girl, you’re already doing it wrong.” C.T.J.

Handle: @kai_cenat
Genre: Streamer
Followers: 80.1 million

By now, there’s a deep archive of Kai Cenat content, going back to his teenage years as a YouTuber. Watching the now-23-year-old streamer develop has been actually quite instructive, as he embodies his generation’s ethos perfectly. He’s open with his audience in a way that builds a genuine connection. Increasingly, he’s become a mogul within the world of streaming and content. For his “Streamer University” from this spring, dozens of creators from around the country descended upon the campus of Ohio’s University of Akron for four days of audience cross-pollination. (They lived in dorms and attended classes run by established streamers like Agent and DDG, who taught the basics of online drama.) Cenat remains a central figure in the world of streaming and, as he matures, appears to be set on innovating any way that he can. “I want to act and direct my own shows and more movies,” Cenat told Rolling Stone earlier this year. He’s well on his way. J.I.

Handle: @msrachelforlittles
Genre: Children’s Entertainer
Followers: 27.8 million

No other creator has stood by their channel’s mission as strongly and fearlessly as children’s musical-content creator Rachel Anne Accurso has this year. The 42-year-old educator first gained popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic for her YouTube series Songs for Littles. But in 2024, she became the center of discourse after speaking up about the children suffering in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Even when others tried to criticize her for it, she continued to raise awareness and money for child victims of systemic violence worldwide. “It’s sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering,” she said. In a landscape increasingly saturated with e-commerce and milquetoast principles, Accurso has spent the past year embodying what it means to be an influencer who chooses to live in the same reality as her audience, rather than removed from them entirely. S.C.

Handle: @druski
Genre: Sketch Comedian 
Followers: 28.4 million

When it comes to the stiff competition for funnymen online, 30-year-old Drew Desbordes, a.k.a. Druski, continues to set the tone. The Instagram-bred comedian has flexed his skills on the BET Awards stage with Kai Cenat and on his satirical game shows Coulda Been Love and Coulda Been House (Season Two of the latter features appearances by Rick Ross and Lil Yachty), and continued to make millions laugh with characters like “the white boy that’s accepted by the hood” or “those fashion dudes [who] try to be so mysterious and weird.” His slapstick humor and quick wit remain both relatable and repostable nearly a decade deep. He’s had to build his comedy empire largely on his own, self-funding projects since the beginning. “We tried too early on to push our stuff out there to the bigger people — like [Netflix and Amazon],” he recently told Afrotech. “It quickly turned into a no, but I think with the success of the shows and us doing it on our own proved to me that we can do this by ourselves.” S.C.

Handle: @ishowspeed
Genre: Streamer
Followers: 135 million

How do you become a global phenomenon? For IShowSpeed, it starts with never turning the camera off. IShowSpeed has transformed a childhood nickname (Speed) and his longtime love of video games into an IRL streaming empire. Born Darren Watkins Jr., the Ohioan, 20, is best known for his worldwide streaming tours, where the camera stays rolling as he meets foreign dignitaries and sports legends, plays in pickup soccer matches, films music videos for his budding rap career, or is hounded by massive crowds. Speed’s teen antics have gotten him in hot water, but he’s addressed each controversy with a genuine apology, all while drawing millions of views with his boisterous energy and cultural curiosity. In 2024, he set a record for the most concurrent streams for an individual on YouTube, reaching 1 million live viewers while on a tour of Indonesia. “For an artist, the only time they’re talking to their fans is at a concert,” he told Forbes in 2024. “But with livestreaming, we’re always there.” C.T.J.