Top Dollar
The highest-paid TikTok creators of 2021
Welcome back. ICYMI, Colin and Samir released their first interview of the year with YouTube tech review veteran MKBHD. You can listen to all their episodes on Spotify here 🎧
In Today’s Issue 💬
Who made the most on TikTok last year
How a finance creator makes up to $23,000 a month on YouTube
A song cover and comedy TikTok creator gets scouted by music execs
D’Amelio Sisters, Addison Rae, Among Top Earning TikTok Creators
The platform’s highest-paid creators collectively brought in $55.5 million in 2021—a 200% increase from the year previous, according to Forbes.
This increase in TikTok creator income is largely due to initiatives beyond brand partnerships, such as clothing lines, movies, music singles, tv shows, and book deals.
Along with this increase, the publication announced the top-five earners on TikTok in 2021.
By the Numbers
$27.5 million → the sum of Charli ($17.5M) and Dixie ($10M) D’Amelio’s income last year, as the platform’s highest-earning creators.
$8.5 million → how much Addison Rae made as the platform’s third-highest earning creator.
~$5 million → how much Bella Poarch, Josh Richards, Kris Collins, and Avani Gregg earned last year.
Our Take
While all of these creators have different claims to fame, they are each young with diversified incomes, showing that it doesn't take years of experience to carve a career on TikTok. And tapping into other resources in the creator economy, such as YouTube revenue, brand deals, and streaming partnerships brings in more chances at success—even on a smaller scale.
From Corporate Accounting to YouTube
Vanessa Ideh Adekoya started her first YouTube channel in April 2020 after quitting her job as an accountant in Dallas and moving back to her hometown of Lagos, Nigeria.
In the first year, her videos earned $10,000 in ad revenue. In June 2021 she started a new channel, Launch to Wealth, which now makes up to $23,000 a month, according to Business Insider.
She switched her strategy from creating content based on whatever topics were trending to focusing on finance education for women.
Adekoya now has 187,000 subscribers. Her audience is 91% female, with 58% based in the U.S. and 42% spread across 49 other countries.
Our Take
Finding content-market fit gives creators credibility and, depending on the niche, offers lucrative opportunities. Choosing a niche with companies that have bigger budgets and money to spend on ads, like finance, business, or entrepreneurship, gives creators a higher likelihood of pulling in more earnings.
Sponsored by Good Mythical Morning
Rhett & Link Celebrate 10 Years of Good Mythical Morning 🎉
In January of 2012, comedy duo Rhett & Link published the first episode of their daily talk show, Good Mythical Morning. In the premiere episode, Rhett led off with “This is the beginning of something beautiful. Hopefully something special in your life.”
Fast forward 10 years to today—Good Mythical Morning has over 17 million subscribers and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week (That’s one year longer than Seinfeld).
Let’s take a look at the show’s history over the past decade 👇
By the Numbers
7B+ → Lifetime views
2,000+ → Episodes released
700M+ → Views per year
Every Monday through Friday on Good Mythical Morning and its after-show Good Mythical More, Rhett & Link eat truly unbelievable things, explore surprising new products and trends, compete in original games with celebrity guests, implement serious experiments in hilarious ways, and more.
Check out this week’s episodes and give Rhett & Link some love on this tweet.
Is Becca Means the Next TikTok Music Star?
Last week TikTok creator Becca Means shared that she’s been scouted by music execs in LA and NY, and will move to LA later this month to pursue a music career.
Less than six months ago the 18-year-old began posting song covers and voiceover dub TikToks, earning herself an audience of nearly 3 million followers.
We’ll be able to watch her musical journey on her YouTube channel, where she plans to document the whole process.
Our Take
Like Dixie D'Amelio and Lil Huddy, Becca Means showcases a mix of personality, comedy, and talent on TikTok, which has built an audience that not only loves her craft, but her personality. The future of entertainment will have multi-faceted creators who can connect to fans on multiple levels.
🔥 In Other News
TikTok is coming to a waiting room near you.
LinkedIn launches an audio events platform.
Amanda Rach Lee partners with Sephora Canada for their Lunar New Year campaign.
Instagram tests chronological feeds.
Ludwig raises over $100,000 for No Kid Hungry.
Zac & Jay are hiring a shorts editor.
