Who Are the Most Influential Creators in 2025?

The creator economy is bigger, louder, and more global than ever. But when TIME published its new TIME100 Creators list this year, many in the industry were left asking: Where’s the rest of the world? That’s where Favikon’s Top 100 Creators 2025 comes in—a ranking built on raw data, not editorial bias. And the differences between both lists say a lot about how influence is shifting.

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1. Methodology: Real-Time Scoring vs. Editorial Curation

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The TIME100 Creators list was curated by editors in partnership with #paid. It highlights creators who are mostly visible in U.S. and English-speaking media. TIME itself says the list is “primarily English-language,” which explains why the vast majority of creators featured are either American or speak English in their content.

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That’s not inherently wrong: media brands are free to build lists however they want. But the problem is in the framing. By calling it the “Top 100 Digital Creators”, TIME positions the list as a global benchmark. And that’s misleading. In 2025, creators are thriving in every region of the world, in dozens of languages, across many different platforms. Entire ecosystems exist in Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish, Hindi, Bahasa, and more, most of which are completely absent from TIME’s selection. A ranking that centers on U.S. media visibility and English fluency doesn’t reflect how influence works globally anymore. It reflects who gets covered by the press in the U.S.

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Favikon takes a different route—no editor picks, no media influence, and no language filter. Just raw performance data across 11 million creators worldwide. That changes everything. There’s no human bias, no language filter, and no U.S. priority. Just numbers.

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Only 6 creators appear in both the Favikon Top 100 and the TIME100 Creators list:

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2. Region Breakdown: Who Really Leads?

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If you only looked at TIME’s list, you’d think the creator economy lives almost entirely in the U.S.—and speaks only English.

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Here’s the reality:

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TIME100 Creators (2025)
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Out of 100 creators:

• 78 are based in the United States
• The remaining 22 come from just a few countries:
  • Canada (2)
  • United Kingdom (2)
  • Italy (1)
  • Vietnamese-American (1)
  • Ireland (1)
  • The rest are U.S.-based but with multicultural heritage

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There is zero representation from:

• Latin America
• Africa
• Southeast Asia (except one Vietnamese-American)
• The Middle East

In short, TIME's list is 78% U.S.-centric, with a few token additions from English-speaking allies. And they openly admit the list is built primarily from English-language media visibility.

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Favikon Top 100 (2025)

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Out of 100 creators:

• 28 are based in the United States
• The remaining 72 come from over 25 countries, with real depth in:

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Creators like:

• Virginia Fonseca (🇧🇷 Brazil)
• Sherin Amara (🇦🇪 UAE)
• Lucas Rangel (🇧🇷 Brazil)
• Niana Guerrero (🇵🇭 Philippines)
• Osama Marwah (🇸🇦/🇱🇧 based in MENA)
• Abhishek Malhan (🇮🇳 India)
• M Adam Al Hidayat (🇮🇩 Indonesia)

All show strong metrics, massive followings, and cross-platform influence—yet none were featured in TIME’s list.

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What does this tell us?

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The Favikon list is 72% non-U.S., and it actually reflects the global scale of the creator economy. Not just where people talk about creators—but where creators are building real businesses, reaching local and global audiences, and monetizing their content.

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TIME’s list isn’t wrong. But it’s limited. It reflects media visibility, not actual digital impact. Influence is no longer centered in Los Angeles and New York. It’s growing in São Paulo, Jakarta, Mumbai, and Dubai.
And Favikon is the only global ranking showing that.

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3. Language Breakdown: Who's Speaking to the World?

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If you want proof that the creator economy is multilingual, look no further than the Favikon Top 100.

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Here’s the full language breakdown of the list:

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Key Insights:

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• Over 50% of creators are not creating in English.
• Spanish and Portuguese combined represent 33% of the list—yet both are completely ignored in TIME’s ranking.
• Creators are building global influence in their own languages, proving that reach and relevance aren't tied to English anymore.

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This shift isn’t subtle—it’s structural.
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Global creators now speak to their own communities first and grow from there. And platforms are rewarding it.

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4. LinkedIn Creators? Not Really—Yet.

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At first glance, seeing 12 creators in the Favikon Top 100 with LinkedIn handles might suggest a rise of LinkedIn-native creators. But a closer look tells a different story.

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Let’s be clear:
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These are not LinkedIn-first creators. In fact, they’re all massive on other platforms—YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram—and have only recently started testing LinkedIn.

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Who are they?

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What’s happening?

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These creators are starting to explore LinkedIn. Not for viral dances, but for visibility—with brands, business execs, speaking gigs, and long-term partnerships in mind.

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They’re testing new formats: repurposing short video clips with captions that sound more corporate, posting about recent partnerships or campaigns, and occasionally sharing content that feels more "professional" than what you'd find on their TikTok or YouTube.

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It's not their home turf yet. But they’re clearly watching what happens when they show up there.

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Why it matters

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• LinkedIn is not (yet) a core growth platform for top global creators.
• But it’s clearly being watched—especially for personal branding and business leverage.
• Favikon’s detection of these profiles shows how LinkedIn is on the radar of major creators.

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Right now, though, none of the 12 have real influence on LinkedIn compared to their main platforms. This is early-stage experimentation—not native adoption.

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In short:
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The LinkedIn creator economy exists. But the global top creators are still just guests—watching, testing, and slowly showing up.

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5. Category Diversity: It’s Not Just Comedy and Lip Syncs Anymore

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The creator economy in 2025 isn't a one-category game. The Favikon Top 100 proves that creators are thriving far beyond dance and lifestyle.

Here’s a snapshot of the top categories, based on actual industry tags from the CSV:

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What makes this list different from TIME’s?

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• Early-childhood education appears (Ms Rachel, a.k.a. Rachel Accurso)
• Fitness and sports creators rank alongside comedians
• Legal, climate, and niche science creators are less visible, but some like Daniel LaBelle and Amaury Guichon bring in specific expertise (standup/culinary craft)
• Latin American creators dominate the lifestyle and food categories, which are completely absent from TIME’s pick

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Why it matters

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TIME’s list still reflects viral trends and cultural commentary.

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But Favikon shows that professional skills, education, fitness, food, and niche entertainment are drawing massive real audiences. These creators may not get press coverage—but they outperform in views, engagement, and fan loyalty.

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The definition of “influencer” has expanded—and so has the business model behind it.

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6. Takeaways: What This Says About the Creator Economy in 2025

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The Favikon Top 100 isn’t just a list. It’s a window into how the creator economy has matured, diversified, and globalized. Below are the six most important lessons we can take from it.

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✅ The U.S. no longer dominates

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For the first time, a global ranking puts U.S.-based creators in the minority (28 out of 100). Latin America alone places 30 creators, led by Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. Asia follows close behind, with strong representation from India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines.

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In TIME’s list, the U.S. still takes up 78% of the table. That might reflect media coverage—but not where real influence is growing.

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Favikon proves that creators from the Global South are no longer local players—they’re international forces.

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✅ Language doesn’t limit growth

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Only 49% of the creators in the Favikon Top 100 post primarily in English. The other 51%? They're building massive audiences in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Indonesian—without adapting their entire strategy to English.

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This challenges the long-standing idea that global growth depends on English fluency. These creators are proof that you can scale across borders by starting with your native community.

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- Take Virginia Fonseca from Brazil, who ranks #3 overall. She creates in Portuguese and is a household name in Brazil, with engagement levels that rival any U.S. creator.
- Or Sherin Amara, a fashion and beauty creator posting in Arabic, based in the UAE. Her content is entirely native to her region, yet she has millions of fans across MENA.
- M Adam Al Hidayat, from Indonesia, produces skit-style content in Bahasa, ranking in the top 20 with almost no presence in Western media.
- And Niana Guerrero, from the Philippines, blends Filipino and English, proving that bilingual formats can scale—especially when creators stay true to local culture and humor.

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Many of these creators do make the effort to include subtitles or repost some content in English, but it’s not their core language. They’re not adapting to an English-first world—they’re building influence on their own terms and letting the global audience come to them.

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For brands, this is a wake-up call. If your entire creator strategy is locked in the English-speaking bubble, you’re missing out on huge markets with higher engagement, deeper loyalty, and fast growth potential.

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✅ Cross-platform is no longer optional

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In 2025, the most influential creators are not tied to a single platform. On average, Favikon Top 100 creators are active on 3.5 platforms, and 75% of them use four or more. YouTube and Instagram are nearly universal, while TikTok still dominates the short-form space. Twitter/X is growing fast in reach-focused niches, and LinkedIn is slowly entering the picture—mostly for creators in business, education, or professional commentary.

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This isn’t just about reach. Being multi-platform means reducing dependency on any one algorithm, reaching different segments of an audience, and experimenting with content formats like long-form, shorts, carousels, and lives. Favikon’s data shows that no single-platform creator made the Top 100, a clear sign that true influence now requires presence across ecosystems.

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Take M Adam Al Hidayat from Indonesia—he’s active on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Willie Salim uses the same trio. Abhishek Malhan mixes YouTube and Instagram but stays off X and LinkedIn. On the other end of the spectrum, creators like MrBeast are on all five major platforms, even if they’re just getting started on LinkedIn. The pattern is clear: the top creators don’t wait for platforms to reward them—they show up everywhere.

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✅ Niches are rising—fast

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Entertainment still dominates, but it’s no longer the only way in. Favikon includes creators from:

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• STEM: Mark Rober, Daniel LaBelle
• Law: Mike Mandell
• Education: Rachel Accurso
• Fitness: Anatoly
• Environment: Big Chungus
• Pets: Beth Cast

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These creators might not go viral every week, but they have consistent, high-value engagement. Many also monetize outside of brand deals—through their own products, courses, or apps.

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The influencer stereotype is dead. Creators today are subject matter experts with business models.

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✅ Trust is everything

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Favikon’s authenticity score penalizes suspicious engagement: fake followers, pods, inflated metrics. Some creators lost ranking positions for high bot activity or paid growth.

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TIME does not show any vetting process related to trust metrics.

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This matters in a world flooded with AI-generated content, fake comments, and short-term growth hacks. Favikon rewards creators who build slowly but honestly.

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In 2025, audience quality > follower count.

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✅ The creator economy is still just getting started

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Favikon’s Top 100 is just the tip of a much larger shift. If creators like Rachel Accurso (early childhood education) or Big Chungus (conservation content) can break into the top, imagine what’s coming next in:

• AI education
• Climate communication
• Financial literacy in emerging markets
• Regional sport coverage
• Public health creators

The fastest-growing parts of the industry are outside the hype cycles—and outside the U.S.

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TL;DR

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The 2025 creator economy is:

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– Global, not U.S.-centric
– Multilingual, not English-only
– Multi-platform by default
– Powered by niche communities
– Filtered by trust, not just reach
– And increasingly business-driven

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Favikon’s Top 100 isn’t just a ranking—it’s the clearest snapshot of where real influence lives today.

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