Dwayne Johnson Dethroned As Highest-Paid Influencer, Still Makes Shocking Amount

Dwayne Johnson is no longer the highest-paid influencer, having been usurped by someone who isn't even on the big screen at all

By Doug Norrie | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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These days, it seems that whatever Dwayne Johnson gets involved with becomes nearly an instant hit. He’s been releasing blockbuster after blockbuster and that doesn’t appear like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Heck, he might have one of his biggest movies ever coming out this summer. But when it comes to paid influencers, Johnson is no longer at the top of the mountain in terms of compensation. In this sense, he’s been dethroned on the earnings scale when it comes to getting paid per Instagram post, and the dude in the top spot doesn’t even make his bones on the big screen. 

According to HopperHQ (via LAD Bible), Dwayne Johnson is earning an absolute truckload for sponsored Instagram posts, but not as much as Cristiano Rinaldo. The Manchester United footballer is reportedly earning right around $1.6 million per post on the social media platform. Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson is behind him getting just a paltry $1.523 million per post. Embarrassing. Rounding out the celebrity influencer top-5 is Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner, and Selena Gomez. 

Considering Dwayne Johnson seems like he is at the peak of his fame right now, this spot on the list isn’t all that surprising. He’s coming off a big 2021 that saw him start a couple of new franchises that will be getting more movies in the future. One of them was Jungle Cruise, the Disney property that saw him starring alongside Emily Blunt. The movie hit over the summer when theaters were still not operating at full capacity. It turned in over $200 million at the box office (in line with its budget) and a sequel was quickly announced. 

dwayne johnson

And then there was the Netflix exclusive movie Red Notice. This saw Dwayne Johnson team up with Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot for a caper flick that was heavy on the action and the comedy. In this way, the streamer knew what it was doing piling together these stars. The movie wasted no time breaking records for the platform, becoming the most-watched movie on Netflix within the first 28-day release window. There is already word that the movie will get at least two more sequels with all three stars already signing on board. 

And of course, who could forget what’s happening this coming summer. That’s when Dwayne Johnson enters the DC Extended Universe in Black Adam. This is already one of the most anticipated movies ever for the studio and could really become a blockbuster’s blockbuster. In addition to introducing this character to the mix, it will also establish the Justice Society of America and a whole host of new characters to the ongoing franchise. There is almost no doubt that this movie is just the start of major things for Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam. It wouldn’t be shocking if we saw him in the role for years and years to come. 

With all of this work, it would seem like the Instagram coin is only icing on the superstar cake. He’s got more than enough work to keep him busy on the big screen for the next decade or so at the very least.