Australia's biggest Instagram influencer by follower count is actor Chris Hemsworth, followed by fellow actor Hugh Jackman, though fitness figures like Kayla Itsines and lifestyle creators like Tammy Hembrow and Emily Skye are also major players, with lists often changing but consistently featuring these global stars and local content creators.
The biggest Australian influencer by follower count, particularly on Instagram, is actor Chris Hemsworth, with over 58 million followers, followed by fitness entrepreneur Tammy Hembrow (around 17M followers) and fitness expert Kayla Itsines, both major figures in the health and wellness space. Other highly influential Australians include musicians like Cody Simpson, YouTube personalities like Chloe Ting and RackaRacka, and rising TikTok stars, with the definition of "biggest" often depending on platform and niche.
Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth)
With a 50 million follower count and seven figure endorsement deals from companies like Hugo Boss and TAG Heur, it's safe to say that Hemsworth has earned his spot as the number one Australian Instagram influencer.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the most-followed person, sportsperson and European on Instagram. Lionel Messi is the most-followed South American on Instagram. Selena Gomez is the most-followed woman, actress, singer and North American on Instagram. Virat Kohli is the most-followed Asian on Instagram.
The Top 10 Australian YouTubers
Lachlan Power. Lachlan Ross Power (born 25 August 1995), also known as his pseudonym Lachlan, is an Australian YouTuber, professional gamer and internet personality, known primarily for his video game commentaries of Fortnite Battle Royale. He is the founder of lifestyle brand and gaming organization PWR.
TL;DR: MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTube channel in 2026, while T-Series is the most-viewed channel. Other popular channels include Cocomelon, SET India, and Kids Diana Show.
Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) is the number one highest paid influencer on Instagram. He has the most followers of any person in the world. As a global football star, his reach is massive. He often works with sports and health brands.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates 1 billion social media followers.
However, it's generally agreed that influencers with 1 million followers can make anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 per sponsored post, depending on their engagement and niche. Influencers in lucrative niches such as beauty, fashion, and fitness may command even higher rates.
Australia's top celebrities consistently include globally recognized actors like Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie, often leading search trends and influence lists, with rising stars like Jacob Elordi gaining significant traction, while established legends like Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe remain prominent figures.
Famous Australian female influencers include fitness gurus like Kayla Itsines and Tammy Hembrow, lifestyle creators such as Sarah Magusara and Chloe Morello, and viral TikTok stars like Leah Halton, known for huge followings across fitness, beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment. They cover diverse niches, from fashion and travel (like Bella Fiori) to family content, attracting millions globally with relatable and engaging posts.
Essena O'Neill. Essena O'Neill (born 3 November 1996) is a former internet celebrity from Coolum Beach, Queensland, Australia, who made national and international headlines when quitting social media in 2015.
You don't necessarily need a million followers or even content that goes viral. According to Wise, nano influencers (with roughly 1,000 to 10,000 followers) can earn anywhere from AU$16 to $156 for a single Instagram post, while micro influencers (10,000 to 100,000 followers) could earn AU$150 to $750 per post.
Top Social Media Influencers
Buying Instagram followers means paying for a number, which means most of your "followers" will be bots or inactive accounts who'll either spam (or never engage with) your posts. Plus, they can cause more harm than good (keep reading).
Who is the Most Followed Person on Social Media?
Adam Mosseri. Adam Mosseri is the head of Instagram where he oversees all functions of the app including engineering, product and operations. Adam has been at Meta, formerly Facebook, for more than 11 years.
Pop princess Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) snatches the crown for the highest paid female influencer, with 422 million followers and an estimated $2.6 million per post. Her authentic and relatable content keeps fans coming back for more.
You don't need a specific subscriber count for $2,000/month; instead, you need significant views, possibly 400,000 to 800,000 monthly, depending on your niche and RPM (revenue per mille), but you can reach it with fewer subscribers (10k-100k) through brand deals and affiliate marketing, especially in high-paying niches like finance or tech. The key factors are views, watch time, CPM/RPM, and diversified income streams, not just subscriber numbers, although you need 1,000 subs and 4,000 watch hours to join the YouTube Partner Program and earn from ads.
The most viewed video on YouTube, and generally online, is "Baby Shark Dance" by Pinkfong, with over 16 billion views, followed by music videos like "Despacito" and kids' content like "Johny Johny Yes Papa". While "hottest" can imply trending or mature content, the all-time most-viewed videos are dominated by children's songs due to high repeat viewership, with "Despacito" being the top non-kids' song.
You can make money on YouTube through the following features: Advertising revenue: Earn revenue from Watch Page ads and Shorts Feed ads. Shopping: Your fans can browse and buy products from your store, or products you tag from other brands through the YouTube Shopping affiliate program.