Artificial Celebrities Leading the Way: Highest-Followed and Highest-Earning AI Personalities
In the ever-evolving world of social media, a new era has begun: the virtual influencer era. Computer-generated and AI-powered Instagram celebrities are earning millions, as shown by the latest data from May 2025.
Leading the pack is Lu of Magalu, a virtual influencer who has been active since 2009 and gained popularity through unboxing videos and reviews. Despite only delivering one Instagram ad over the past 12 months, Lu commands an estimated $34,320 per sponsored post and has earned over $2.5 million in a year through 74 sponsored posts alone.
The second-highest-earning virtual influencer is a virtual sausage, Nobody Sausage, who boasts 22.1 million followers on TikTok, making them the biggest AI influencer on the platform. Despite having fewer Instagram followers than Lu, Nobody Sausage commands an estimated $33,880 per ad post on Instagram, making them the third-highest earner on the platform.
Other notable virtual influencers include Janky & Guggimon, animated anthropomorphic toys with 2.285 million Instagram followers, and Barbie, the iconic doll with 3.5 million Instagram followers, earning an estimated $15,400 per sponsored post.
These virtual influencers primarily make money through sponsored posts and brand partnerships on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. The key revenue streams and success factors for these AI-driven personalities include affiliate marketing, exclusive content and subscriptions, livestream badges, and direct fan support.
The number of followers directly impacts how much a virtual influencer can charge for sponsored content. For example, Lu’s 7.8 million followers enable her to secure premium deals, making her the highest-paid virtual influencer compared to others like Nobody Sausage with 7.7 million followers.
Successful virtual influencers often have well-crafted narratives and consistent personas that resonate with audiences. Lu started as an online mascot in 2003 and evolved through YouTube unboxing videos before becoming a full-fledged influencer. Collaborations with top PR agencies like Ogilvy have enhanced her credibility and reach.
Leveraging multiple social media channels allows virtual influencers to maximize exposure and reuse content assets efficiently. This cross-channel promotion boosts campaign results and shortens content production cycles compared to human influencers.
Behind every virtual influencer is an artist or team embracing the creative opportunity at the intersection of art and technology. These virtual influencers are supported by teams of 3D artists, programmers, and marketers who continuously evolve the content quality and relevance, making the influencer dynamic and engaging.
Virtual influencers often engage fans through interactive strategies and collaborations with real celebrities, enhancing both engagement and revenue opportunities. Lu, for instance, appeared in a music video that drove sales of her outfits.
Nobody Sausage has partnered with leading brands in the past, including Netflix for the Red Notice trailer recreation. Janky & Guggimon, despite having no Instagram sponsored posts in the last 12 months, have a strong presence on TikTok, with 11.6 million followers, which is 56.8% more than Lu's TikTok following (7.4 million).
The study found that consumer-influencer identification is greater when the influencer is human, making human influencers more effective when selling products connected to pleasure. However, the data for virtual influencer earnings was calculated using the average cost per follower that real-life influencers charge per sponsored post and multiplying this value by each influencer's follower count.
As the virtual influencer market continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how these AI personalities evolve and adapt to the ever-changing social media landscape.
- The virtual influencer community is not limited to human-like figures; animated anthropomorphic toys like Janky & Guggimon and iconic dolls such as Barbie also hold significant positions, raking in estimated figures of $15,400 per sponsored post.
- Beyond sponsored posts and brand partnerships, some virtual influencers are leveraging fashion-and-beauty collaborations to boost their revenue stream, similar to how Lu boosted sales with an outfits line featured in a music video.
- The latest data indicates that virtual influencers like Lu and Nobody Sausage are making substantial inroads into different sectors besides fashion-and-beauty, as depicted by Nobody Sausage's partnership with Netflix for the Red Notice trailer recreation. As AI continues to evolve, the fusion of technology and artistry in the form of artificial-intelligence powered influencers could shape entertainment and pop-culture in unforeseen ways.
