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2 Jul, 2021 16:55

Cristiano Ronaldo topples The Rock on Instagram rich list – as figures show Portugal star & Lionel Messi rake in over $1MN a post

Cristiano Ronaldo topples The Rock on Instagram rich list – as figures show Portugal star & Lionel Messi rake in over $1MN a post

Cristiano Ronaldo has topped an Instagram rich list by dethroning Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, leaving pop star Ariana Grande and Ballon d'Or rival Lionel Messi in his wake as figures suggest his staggering social media value.

Juventus superstar Ronaldo has knocked wrestler-turned-Hollywood-sensation Johnson from the top spot of the list which began in 2017, finishing in pole position for the first time after becoming the first account to top 300 million followers.

The Portugal captain can take home an eye-watering windfall of around $1.6 million per post on his hugely popular account, according to ocial media marketing company Hopper HQ.

Johnson, one of the lead stars in the box office smash 'Fast and Furious' film series, boasts fewer followers at around 250 million, but can still demand more than $1.52 million per post, according to the financial assessors.

Finishing third, pop star Ariana Grande is said to receive around $1.51 million, and Lionel Messi, Ronaldo's generational football rival, is the only other athlete in the top 10.

With his 224 million followers, the Argentine, who is currently out of contract at FC Barcelona, can charge up to $1.1 million per post, which finds him in seventh.

In 16th, PSG and Brazil star Neymar is the next highest-placed professional sports player, potentially drawing around $824,000 per post.

The striker and dedicated social media user recently broke a long-standing partnership with Nike to enter a sponsorship deal with Puma. 

Analysts examined internal and public data, which considers factors such as average engagement, the frequency of posts, number of followers and industry variables to conduct its list – which featured six women in its top 10.

"As Covid-19 continues to impact all our lives, it appears that Instagram is the one of the few places not negatively impacted by the pandemic, and with people using the app more than ever before, some could say it was inevitable earnings would peak this year," said Hooper HQ's co-founder Mike Bandar.

"It was great to see Cristiano Ronaldo take the number one spot this year after steadily ranking within the top five throughout the list's history.

"With the Euro this year and a few controversial marketing moves over the last couple of weeks, the football royalty's presence has skyrocketed."

Since the last list in 2020, an Instagram post from Ronaldo has increased in value by 54 percent. Yet after he famously removed two bottles of the soft drink at a Euro 2020 pre-match press conference, Coca-Cola probably won't be in the queue of the many companies lining up to acquire his services. 

The 10 celebrities who can charge the most per Instagram post

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, 308m followers - just over $1.6m per post

2. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, 250m followers, $1.52m per post

3. Ariana Grande, 247 million followers, $1.51m per post

4. Kylie Jenner, 244 million followers, $1.49m per post

5. Selena Gomez, 241 million followers - $1.46m per post

6. Kim Kardashian, 232 million followers - $1.41m per post

7. Lionel Messi, 224 million followers - $1.16m per post

8. Beyonce Knowles, 189 million followers - $1.14m per post

9. Justin Bieber, 180 million followers - $1.11m per post

10. Kendall Jenner, 172 million followers -$1.05m per post

Source: Hopper HQ

Also on rt.com ‘Maria needs a raise’: Ex-NBA star lobbies for gender equality campaigner on live TV as female host ‘pushes for $8MN ESPN salary’
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