TikTok’s 10 biggest stars – and the millions they could lose

5. Addison Rae - 88.8M followers

Addison Rae, synonymous with TikTok fame, has diversified her ventures with acting, entrepreneurship, and brand collaborations. In August 2020, the social media sensation topped Forbes' list of TikTok's seven highest-earning stars after raking in a whopping $5 million in one year thanks to her new makeup line, sponsored content, and endorsement deals, and, of course, her 54.2 million followers. The 23-year-old was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and as the oldest of three children, she has always enjoyed the spotlight. She started dancing at the age of six and traveled across the country for competitions. The high school cheerleader joined TikTok in July 2019, the summer after she graduated, and built up a following as she entered her freshman year at Louisiana State University, where she studied broadcast journalism. Addison remembers the exact date she reached one million followers, telling Forbes it was October 27, 2019. By that point, people were starting to recognize her on campus thanks to her videos, which mostly show her dancing and lip-syncing. 'My name would be called out when I was walking to class, which was pretty mind-blowing,' she recounted. A month later, she dropped out of school. Around the same time, she shared her first sponsored content post for the online retailer Fashion Nova. By December, she had moved to Los Angeles to turn her budding fame into a lucrative career. She befriended other TikTokers and helped form Hype House, a content creator collective that calls an LA mansion of the same name home base. As her star continued to rise, she scored branded merchandise and sponsored content deals. The two revenue streams count for two-thirds of her estimated earnings, Forbes reported. She then signed with the WME talent agency, which also represents her parents, Sheri Easterling and Monty Lopez. The agency is looking to get the star more 'modeling, fashion, music, dance, TV, film, digital, podcasting, touring, books, licensing and endorsements,' according to The Hollywood Reporter, and the plan seems to be working. Addison was named a global spokesperson for American Eagle last month and has been featured in the brand's digital and print campaigns as well as TV spots. She has also launched a Spotify podcast with her mother, Sheri Nicole, called 'Mama Knows Best,' which focuses on their mother-daughter relationship. She became friends with Kourtney Kardashian and debut a clean makeup brand, ITEM Beauty, which is a joint venture with the startup Madeby. The influencer has been teasing on social media since mid-July and is set to release six products on August 11, including her $14 Lash Snack mascara.

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