Thanks to social media, we’ve got front-row seats to the dazzling lives of the elite — soaking up the glamour, decoding the secrets, capturing their triumphs, and getting caught up in their scandals. The question of "Who is the most famous person in the world?“ has most likely crossed your mind more than once.
In this article, we delve into the irresistible appeal of fame, determine today’s modern popularity metrics, explore the stardom of 15 of today’s most famous people worldwide, and determine how they measure up as they continue to polish the sheen on their stars.
How Fame Has Become an Achievable Dream
In the recent decade, the obsession with celebrity — or becoming a celebrity — has grown more intense, says writer Emma Rosenblum in a feature for Teen Vogue (1).
“Twenty years ago, stars were a much more rarefied bunch,” then came the time of the socialites that made instant celebrities out of the alta-rich of society, suggests Rosenblum.
For instance, Paris Hilton epitomized the concept of “being famous for being famous,” and ”regular girls” turned stars like Lauren Conrad followed suits, “igniting the hope for young people everywhere that large-scale popularity may not be so hard to come by after all,” writes Rosenblum.
Tabloids soon supported this wave, showing celebrities in their “regular lives” — doing groceries, grabbing coffee, going out on the street, and hitting the gym. This made stardom and influencer status seem all the more achievable.
According to Rosenblum, this gave birth to the concept of “stars are just like us,” and started an entirely new way of thinking about fame: If stars are just like us, why can't we all be stars?
Then came the social media era. According to Alfie Kohn, thanks to mainly the digitized era, the possibility of fame seems tantalizingly within reach to more folks today than ever (2). The younger generation clings to this concept even more.
Kids no longer want to be lawyers, doctors, or astronauts. Instead, “They just want to be famous,” says Kohn. They also see famous people as their role models.
Why Visibility Matters More Than Talent
According to Psychology Today, fame used to only be a by-product of a person’s talent in a certain field, like acting, singing, sports, politics, etc. (3). However, we now live in a culture where some people are just “famous for being famous,” and that can often be measured by social metrics — followers, fans, influence.
It is why many people, including children, scramble for visibility on YouTube or try to raise their social following on other platforms, even if they haven’t done anything notable.
Proficiency is no longer the only factor. The renowned individual is now receiving recognition from a large number of strangers, and there is a desire to be noticed by millions of others – criteria that can be quantified through analytics.
What Defines Fame Today
The true celebrities of this era are those who hold sway. They may have substantial social followings but often pair it with corresponding skill, knowledge, or even controversy to shape public opinion.
Dr. Ganz Ferrance, a psychologist and media personality, in an interview with Psychology Today, said that in today’s ultra-critical social media climate and numbers-based measures of fame, “you have to be able to deal with a lot of rejection, judgments, and negative comments along the way to ‘making it’ and even after you make it” (4).
What is so convenient with today’s social media platforms, like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, is that an individual’s reach and engagement metrics provide a real-time gauge of their current influence and impact.
Plus, recognition media coverage, awards, and endorsement deals help reinforce celebrity status further, making fame in 2024 both measurable and highly sought-after.
Who Is the Most Famous Person in the World Right Now?
In no particular order, we have listed some of the brightest stars in the world today — 15 global icons, from sports and music to politics and business. Vote on your favorites, and if you think we’ve overlooked someone significant, feel free to leave a comment below.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Even without a TikTok presence, Ronaldo’s unrivaled Instagram following of nearly 700 million and over 100 million followers on Facebook and X put him at the top of the global elite list (Exploding Topics, 2024) (5).
The famous Portuguese soccer star proves that sports can inspire people to rally behind great talent. Ronaldo started his football career early in Lisbon youth leagues. In 2003, he was drafted by Manchester United.
He later played for Spain’s Real Madrid and Italy’s Juventus and represented his country, Portugal, in some international tournaments, earning him respect and recognition as one of football’s best forwards. In 2024, he scored his 900th career goal — a first feat for any male player.
Ronaldo’s reach and influence expanded well beyond sports, and endorsers noticed. According to Brittanica, he became the highest-paid endorser in sports history (6). He even got a lifetime contract with Nike. He was the third athlete to receive this offer after Michael Jordan and Lebron James.
Image credits: Rafal Oleksiewicz / Getty Images
#2 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is yet another soccer player on this list. Like Ronaldo, the Argentinian megastar started his football career early on in football clubs in Argentina. At 13, his family moved to Barcelona, where he helped the team score win after win.
According to Brittanica, Messi has been named the world’s best men’s player of the year seven times (2009–12, 2015, 2019, and 2021) because of his left-footed, quick, and precise ball control (7).
With an undeniable talent and a successful career, Messi has amassed an incredible following worldwide. He is third in the Instagram charts with 504 million followers and seventh on Facebook with 116.9 million page likes.
Even with such many followers, the football star is known to be somewhat private. That doesn't stop him from being a genuine philanthropist, and he continuously helps disadvantaged children through the Leo Messi Foundation.
UNICEF recognized Messi as a goodwill ambassador for his focus on children’s rights (Biography, 2024) (8). His life and trajectory have grown steadily, and Apple TV has even produced a docuseries about his life and journey.
Image credits: Edilzon Gamez / Getty Images
#3 Selena Gomez
Hollywood is the prime stage for cultivating fame, and Selena Gomez has shown that this is her playground. The American actress-singer successfully transcended from her teeny-bopper Disney days to a full-blown pop queen, diving into music and film with such unbridled enthusiasm.
For a time, Gomez became the most followed celebrity of all time. Today, she still holds the top spot, following only Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to the Exploding Topics report, Gomez has a cumulative reach of 689.1 million social media platform followers, with 58.2 million on TikTok, 424.3 million on Instagram, 65.8 million on X, 18.2 million on Threads, 88 million on Facebook, and 34.8 million on YouTube.
Today, Gomez has expanded her reach even more with her beauty line. According to Bloomberg, her makeup enterprise Rare Beauty has made Gomez one of the country’s youngest women with a 10-figure fortune (9).
Image credits: Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images
#4 Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is regarded as one of the most innovative performers of this generation, and his talent has pushed him from small-town Ontario stages onto pop centerstage.
Like many youngsters who dream of fame, Bieber was discovered on YouTube in 2007. Bieber’s extensive catalog of chart-topping hits inevitably earned him his following of 592.6 combined social media followers, including 27.6 million on TikTok, 294 million on Instagram, 110 million on X, 91 million on Facebook, and 73.6 million on YouTube.
Beliebers have been following his career from the Strat and have supported his rise to fame. Despite his colorful and rather complicated life, which included very public love dramas and substance abuse, the singer-songwriter has been recognized because of his raw talent (US Weekly) (10).
This is evident across the 18 AMA awards, 23 ASCAP awards, 26 Billboard awards, and 33 Guinness World Records, among other significant nominations and recognitions.
Image credits: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
#5 Taylor Swift
There is always much interest in what Taylor Swift is up to, who she references in her songs, what she’s wearing, and even who she’s currently dating.
Since starting to perform in 2006, the pop superstar has distanced herself from her country roots. Swift has received multiple recognitions for her talent throughout her career, including 14 Grammys, 40 AMAs, 39 Billboard Music Awards, and 23 VMAs (Techreport, 2024) (11).
Last but certainly not least of her impressive achievement list is her recent record-breaking Eras Tour, which made $1.4 billion in revenue, became the highest-grossing tour in history, and earned her a Guinness World Record.
On socials, the singer-songwriter has a cumulative following of 552 million followers — 32.8 million on TikTok, 284 million on Instagram, 95.2 million on X, 80 million on Facebook, and 60 million on YouTube.
Image credits: Noam Galai / Getty Images
#6 Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande has managed to juggle all her endeavors with excellence and grace. The singer-actress has been at it since she was a child, with her first gig at 8 years old, and there’s no evidence that she’s stopping anytime soon.
She’s done music, television, movies, and Broadway and has earned a following of fans who are enamored by the influential singer’s talent and beauty.
Her songs have a way of reaching the top spot on the charts. Of her 22 hits, all have reached no. 1. Her most recent hit in January 2024 made her the female artist with the most no. 1 hits, surpassing Taylor Swift (12).
She has a cumulative social media following of 508.3 million, which includes 35.7 million on TikTok, 376 million on Instagram, 42 million on Facebook, and 54.6 million on YouTube.
Image credits: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
#7 Elon Musk
Elon Musk is known for promoting the interests of science and technology and thrusting them into the limelight. Investopedia lists Musk as one of history’s most successful entrepreneurs (13).
His popularity grew exponentially when he became the CEO of electric automobile maker Tesla and the private space company SpaceX. Known for ideas that push the envelope with insights that often draw controversy, Musk drew a following of curious minds, some believing in his genius, others judging his frequently controversial behavior.
Musk was an early investor in several tech companies, like PayPal, whose sales made him millions. In 2022, he completed a deal to take over social platform X (formerly Twitter) and became one of the wealthiest people in the world.
Musk owns the top spot on X with his 199.1 million followers. Today, his influence spreads far and wide. The Wall Street Journal notes that Musk’s control over critical technologies makes him a player world leaders constantly watch on the global stage (14).
Image credits: Jean Catuffe / Getty Images
#8 Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook, which has grown exponentially since its global launch in 2012. With a fortune driven by the success of Facebook’s rebrand to Meta, Zuckerberg continues to improve the tech scene by focusing on immersive experiences and augmented reality.
Alongside his wife, Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) to solve global challenges in health and education.
From being a self-made tech entrepreneur, the tech mogul is now the world’s third richest person and has pledged to give away 99% of his Meta shares during his lifetime (Forbes, 2024) (15).
Though he was quoted as bragging about being the “most well-known person of my generation,” we’ll have to admit that there may be some truth to that — on Facebook, Zuckerberg is followed by nearly 119 million followers, and his Instagram shows he has a reach of 15 million (The Byte, 2024) (16).
Image credits: Bloomberg / Getty Images
#9 Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon, a giant platform in e-commerce, cloud computing, and entertainment. In 1999, Time Magazine labeled him the “king of cybercommerce”, which still rings true today (17).
Following Amazon’s successful global reach and customer demand, Bezos started focusing on his “passion projects,” such as his aerospace company, Blue Origin, and The Washington Post (BBC,2024) (18).
Despite criticism of Amazon’s labor practices and Bezos’ unclear plans to donate his wealth to charities, he announced in a 2022 interview with Brian Fung on CNN that he and his partner are working towards the ability to give away this money. They intend to use most of their wealth to address climate change and inequality issues. (19).
Image credits: Jeff Bottari / Getty Images
#10 Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson, known as “The Rock,” is one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. And while his acting career provides proof of his prominence, his influence far extends to other aspects as well.
The Rock has become a formidable force as a box-office superstar, budding Hollywood mogul, entrepreneur, WWE wrestler, athlete, and an all-around beacon of positivity.
In an Instagram video on his feed with 395 million followers, the wrestler-turned-actor addressed whether there are drawbacks to fame; he said: “There are no drawbacks” — aside from the inability to make random grocery or mall trips. He adds in the caption that ”the greatest benefit of fame is impacting people’s lives in a positive way” (20).
Image credits: David Becker / Getty Images
#11 Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner knows her way to the top: reality star, beauty mogul, businesswoman, and social media icon. From launching her career on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” to building her lucrative beauty empire, Kylie Cosmetics, her influence in this generation is undeniable with her vast social media following of 396 million on Instagram and 56.3 million on TikTok.
According to L’Officiel, Kylie made a mark by “making her professional brand a natural extension of her personal brand” (21). However, the famous will never be without controversies.
One such controversy occurred when Chase Peterson-Withorn exposed her self-made billionaire status as a product of lies, revealing that “she has been inflating the size and success of her business...For years” (Forbes, 2022) (22).
Image credits: River Callaway / Getty Images
#12 Jennifer Lopez
Recently, on the Season Four premiere episode of Kevin Hart’s show ”Hart to Heart,” Jennifer Lopez’s ex-husband Ben Affleck was quoted as saying that J.Lo’s fame “was bananas,” adding, “People love her, and she really represents something important to people — it’s amazing” (Today, 2024) (23).
According to Britannica, J.Lo’s skill and talent have made her one of the highest-paid Latina actresses in Hollywood’s history. She has also found crossover success in music and movies (24).
She has certainly come a long way from her roots as Jenny from the Bronx, with her multiple awards from Billboard and MTV, Latin Music Awards, and even Kid’s Choice Awards.
Meanwhile, her 250 million Instagram followers, 61 million Facebook followers, 17.5 million TikTok followers, and the rest of the world can’t wait to see what mountains J.Lo will scale next.
Image credits: Emma Mclntyre / Getty Images
#13 Beyonce
The Guinness Book of World Records dubbed Beyonce “the First Lady of Music” in 2024 due to her unparalleled legacy of besting most female artists of her time (25). Her work and music promote female empowerment, focus on feminine issues, and tell stories from a woman’s perspective.
The powerful singer holds a multitude of impressive titles, including the Most BET awards for an individual with 32, the most wins at the coveted MTV Video Music Awards with 30, and the most Grammies won by a female artist with 21, among many other citations and recognitions.
But fame can sometimes be stifling. In a 2024 interview 2024 with GQ, The Queen was quoted as saying that as famous as she’s become, she feels “fame can at times feel like a prison” (26).
Image credits: Michael Buckner / Getty Images
#14 Barack Obama
Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, was the country’s first African-American president and served for two terms. Even years after his presidency, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning political figure remains on the list of influential personalities.
Britannica said the former president even began undertaking high-paid speaking engagements, which raked in as much as $400,000 per visit (27).
Obama continues to influence as a philanthropist through the Obama Foundation, through efforts like job-training programs for low-income residents or finding opportunities for boys and young men of color.
While the former president has since taken a backseat to politics, his ideas and insights are still widely recognized, and his endorsements are respected, especially by the 36.3 million followers on his Instagram and 55 million followers on Facebook.
Image credits: Jeff Swensen / Getty Images
#15 Jeon Jungkook
Jungkook rose to fame as a member and vocalist for the K-pop sensation BTS. The multifaceted billionaire boasts a long list of talents as a gifted singer, rapper, songwriter, director, record producer, and art enthusiast.
Aside from the millions of fans of BTS, Jungkook also amassed a following of 9.4 million on his official Instagram page. While that count is not as big as the Hollywood numbers, Jungkook has been able to break many firsts for K-pop.
As a breakthrough solo artist, he collaborated with Western artists and made hits that landed on the top charts. This included hits like “Left and Right” with Charlie Puth and “Seven” in partnership with Latto. The latter debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard, Global 200, and US charts and became the first song on Spotify to surpass the 1 billion mark.
Later, his song “Dreamers” became the official song of FIFA 2022. By January 2023, he became the first Asian act to have a live performance surpassing 100M views on YouTube.
Although part of the global sensation BTS, Jungkook recently admitted that he still gets nervous, especially as a solo artist (Rolling Stone, 2024) (28).
Image credits: Billboard / Getty Images
References
- Emma Rosenblum. ”Fixated on Fame? You’re Not Alone. A Look at the Growing Obsession with Being a Star.” Teen Vogue, November 19, 2013. | https://www.teenvogue.com/story/celebrity-fame-obsession
- Alfie Kohn. ”Fame Is the Name of the Game.” Psychology Today, October 16, 2020. | https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-homework-myth/202010/fame-is-the-name-of-the-game?amp
- Mark D. Griffiths. ”Why We Seek the High of Stardom.” Psychology Today, March 24, 2014. | https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201403/why-we-seek-the-high-stardom?amp
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