Elon Musk is the the second most influential celebrity of the year so far
A new study has named Taylor Swift as the most influential celebrity in America.
The study by digital marketing experts at Authority Hacker, analyzed the top 50 most followed accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. This resulted in a combined list of 90 prominent celebrities, which were then analyzed across each platform to ensure a cohesive representation of each celebrity’s reach. The celebrities were then ranked according to the average number of monthly searches they receive on Google.
The study revealed that Taylor Swift is the most influential celebrity of the year and receives more than 4.5 million dedicated Google searches each month in America. Her popularity reflects her continuous ability to connect with fans from coast to coast, placing her firmly as the most searched-for celebrity in 49 out of 50 states, including New York, Texas, and her home state of Pennsylvania.
Swift appeared as one of the top five most searched celebrities across every state, and it was also revealed that she could earn up to $625,700 for a single sponsored post if monetized to her audience of more than 274 million followers on Instagram, highlighting just how influential she is. As she continues to make headlines with her new romance with NFL star, Travis Kelce, it would not be surprising to see this monthly figure to grow.
Elon Musk is the second most influential celebrity in America and receives an average of 2.8 million Google searches each month across America. Musk was the second most searched celeb in 29 states, including California, Texas, and Ohio.
While Musk exclusively uses his social network, X (formerly Twitter), his reach remains undeniably vast, and if monetized, a sponsored post to his 160 million followers could net him an estimated $339,000. That’s equivalent to what the average American household spends on groceries in a little over 64 years.
LeBron James is the third most influential celebrity in America this year and receives more than 2.7 million Google searches each month. The Lakers power forward was the most popular celebrity in one state, Mississippi, and appeared in the top five searches in 45 of all 50 states. These included Washington, New York, and his hometown of Ohio, where he was the second most searched for celebrity, after Taylor Swift.
On Instagram, a sponsored post to his audience of 158.8 million followers could net LeBron up to $410,000. That’s the same as all 19,079 attendees at a packed-out Lakers game personally giving LeBron James $20 each.
Rihanna is the fourth most influential celebrity in America and receives more than 2.43 million Google searches each month from American citizens. She appears among the top five most searched celebrities in 46 out of 50 states, which include Florida, Illinois, and Georgia.
If monetized, the Fenty Beauty founder could net up to $399,000 per sponsored post with her 152.7 million Instagram followers. For comparison, the median house price in Georgia, one of the states where Rihanna is most popular, costs around $358,000.
The fifth most influential celebrity in America is Selena Gomez, who receives more than 2 million Google searches each month. She also appears as a top five search for half of all states in America, which includes Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
The actress and musician has more than 430 million followers on Instagram, which if monetized, could generate in excess of $884,000 per sponsored post. With that money, the Only Murders in the Building star could afford to buy a fresh pair of Louis Vuitton shoes and shades every day for an entire year, with change left over.
The sixth most influential celebrity in America is Inter Miami’s soccer superstar Leo Messi and the seventh is reality TV star Kim Kardashian, garnering 2 million and 1.98 million Google searches, respectively.
Ariana Grande is the eighth most influential celebrity in America, receiving 1.73 million Google searches each month. Justin Bieber is the ninth most influential celebrity, receiving 1.65 million searches on Google each month.
Billie Eilish rounds off the ten most influential celebrities in America with more than 1.62 million searches.
This study reveals that the most Googled celebrities of the year are predominantly musicians. The top five searches in each state are held by only 17 celebrities combined, of which 12 are musicians, two are athletes, and the list also features an entrepreneur, a reality star, and a singer/actress.
The most influential celebrities in America:
| Rank | Celebrity | Average monthlyGoogle searches |
| 1. | Taylor Swift | 4,596,158 |
| 2. | Elon Musk | 2,818,100 |
| 3. | Lebron James | 2,782,268 |
| 4. | Rihanna | 2,438,911 |
| 5. | Selena Gomez | 2,042,632 |
| 6. | Leo Messi | 2,029,113 |
| 7. | Kim Kardashian | 1,986,785 |
| 8. | Ariana Grande | 1,735,893 |
| 9. | Justin Bieber | 1,653,132 |
| 10. | Billie Eilish | 1,628,522 |
Commenting on the findings, Mark Webster, Co-Founder of Authority Hacker, said:
“This study highlights the power and reach of celebrities in our digital age. Clearly, musicians have a monumental influence, but it’s also exciting to see a mix of talents, from entrepreneurs to athletes, captivating American audiences.
“While platforms and trends may change, influence remains the same – the ability to connect and resonate with a wide audience. Whether it’s Taylor Swift’s musical prowess or Elon Musk’s entrepreneurial spirit, this study celebrates those who’ve become a cornerstone of American pop culture.”
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