Jimmy Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, has emerged as the world’s top-earning digital creator with estimated annual earnings of $300 million, according to a report by Vanguard News detailing Forbes’ 2026 Top Creators list.
The annual ranking documents the rapid expansion of social media personalities into multinational commercial enterprises spanning film, television, consumer packaged goods, and software investments. Across the 50 creators featured on the list, combined revenue reached $1.02 billion, marking a 20 percent increase from the $853 million recorded in the prior year’s ranking.
The Forbes publication, edited by Steven Bertoni with reporting by Zoya Hasan, Alexandra York, Sofia Chierchio, and Martina Di Licosa, notes that digital stars are mounting serious competition against traditional entertainment studios through independent film releases, lucrative streaming agreements, and direct-to-consumer product lines.
Top Tier: Donaldson, Mann, and Bartlett
Donaldson topped the list by leveraging his massive digital audience—exceeding 873 million total followers and generating over five billion YouTube views each year across his channels. His parent company, Beast Industries, operates consumer brands including Feastables and Lunchly, the analytics platform Viewstats, and extensive merchandise licensing. The company also secured venture investment at a reported $5 billion valuation and acquired teen financial literacy app Step in February 2026. On television, Donaldson is currently producing a third season of Beast Games for Amazon Prime Video.
Scripted video creator Dhar Mann ranked second, generating an estimated $65 million. Supported by a 200-person production team producing content in 13 languages, Mann’s inspirational shorts pull nearly 300 million weekly views. In addition to serving as the NFL’s “Chief Kindness Officer” for Super Bowl LX, Mann signed a commercial deal with Fox Entertainment to produce 40 vertical dramas over an 18-month span.
British entrepreneur Steven Bartlett secured third place with $52 million in earnings. Bartlett, host of The Diary of a CEO podcast, oversees holding company Steven.com, which is valued at $425 million. His commercial activities span partnerships with Spotify, Adobe, and LinkedIn, investments in software firms Lovable and Replit, and his continuing role on television’s Dragons’ Den.
Filmmakers, Talk Shows, and Cross-Platform Stars
Mark Edward Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, earned the fourth spot with $38 million. Fischbach independently financed and directed the horror film Iron Lung, which grossed $50 million across roughly 3,000 North American theaters under a negotiated 50-50 box office revenue split with cinema operators. He also continues to co-host podcasts including Distractible.
Comedy duo Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal captured fifth place with $37 million. Their flagship YouTube series, Good Mythical Morning, generates roughly 240 episodes per year for nearly 20 million viewers. Their Mythical brand has expanded across streaming platforms like Tubi, food programming under the Mythical Kitchen umbrella, and publishing ventures such as the book Spaghetti Head & Chicken Fingers.
High Engagement and Specialized Niches
The remaining top 10 positions feature a blend of mainstream entertainers, live streamers, and business educators:
- Charli D’Amelio (6th, $18 million): Holding over 209 million followers and an 11.59 percent engagement rate, the TikTok star expanded beyond social dance videos to appear on Broadway in & Juliet and secure fashion partnerships with Prada and Kate Spade.
- Druski (7th, $20 million): Comedian Drew Desbordes built a multi-platform comedy following into major brand campaigns with Dunkin’ and T-Mobile, a hosting role at the BET Awards in June, and projects with Hollywood talent.
- IShowSpeed (8th, $30 million): Streamer Darren Watkins Jr., known for energetic gaming streams and viral soccer collaborations, partnered with Doritos, Beats by Dre, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, alongside a FIFA-backed World Cup 2026 tour.
- Mark Rober (9th, $30 million): The former NASA engineer operates engineering subscription service CrunchLabs and employs a 100-person production staff creating science videos with seven-figure per-episode budgets, backed by deals with Google, Disney, and Rivian.
- Codie Sanchez (10th, $31 million): The former journalist and investor educates an audience of more than seven million across platforms on small business acquisition and “boring businesses” such as laundromats and vending routes.
Editor’s note: While the ranking is organized from 1 to 10 in the source report, the individual earnings listed for positions 6 through 10 do not strictly follow descending monetary order, reflecting Forbes’ composite methodology incorporating audience size, business equity, and engagement metrics alongside direct annual earnings.