Millions of dollars in revenue These Tiktok influencers earn more than CEOs a year

Nowadays, it is nothing new for influencers to earn more, they are a high-income group in the Internet era, more than some top CEOs.

YouTube is the most important base of influencers abroad, a year ago, Forbes released the top ten highest-grossing YouTube influencers in 2020, the annual income of Internet celebrities on the list ranged from $15 million to a maximum of $29.5 million, and he/she earned the majority of their income through video advertising, in addition to earning income by promoting big names.

In addition to YouTube, with the rapid growth of TikTok users, influencers on TikTok are making a lot of money. According to the latest forBes, TikTok's seven highest-grossing influencers made a combined $55.5 million last year, up 200 percent from the previous year.

At the top of the list is Charli D'Amelio, who earns $17.5 million a year, and she has been releasing dance videos on TikTok since 2019 with 133 million followers, with revenue streams including selling personal branded clothing and advertising promotions on TikTok.

By comparison, according to the Wall Street Journal's data analysis of MyLogIQ, the median full-year compensation for CEOs of S&P 500 companies in 2020 was $13.4 million (2021 data to be supplemented). CEO compensation includes stock and option awards, annual salaries, bonuses, benefits, and certain retirement benefit earnings.

Charli D'Amelio is paid more than ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods ($15.6 million in 2020), Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson ($14.7 million), Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian ($13.1 million) and McDonald's CEO Chris Kempsinski ($10.8 million).

Charli's sister, Dixie D'Amelio, is also a TikTok influencer, with about half the number of fans her sister, in second place with $10 million, and annual revenue comparable to Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly.

Of course, CEOs of some S&P 500 constituent companies make more money. Robert Kotick, head of video game giant Activision Blizzard, made nearly $155 million in 2020. Apple CEO Tim Cook made nearly $99 million in the year ending Sept. 25. Ceos of some small companies make more money.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Mae Karwowski, CEO and founder of the influencer marketing agency, as saying, "He/she's really building a business empire. She noted that many TikTok influencers are running new companies, launching brands, and diversifying their revenue streams.

Krishna Subramanian, CEO and co-founder of social media data company Captiv8, expects TikTok influencers' revenue to continue to grow in the coming years. He said TikTok influencers sometimes have stronger fans than Hollywood stars, who tend to be more privacy-conscious.