Cristiano Ronaldo (image via Instagram) It sure pays to be popular. And hot. I came across this article about how much Instagram celebrities make from their huge followings. I find the subject fascinating. According to Business Insider, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo earns more from his Instagram account than he does from playing for his Italian soccer club Juventus. The 34-year-old hottie is the most followed person on Instagram with over 187 million followers. And he puts that fame and celebrity to work. Social media firm Hopper HQ reports that Ronaldo has earned $47.8 million from his 49 sponsored posts on the photo-centric social media platform. That’s more than the reported $34 million a year he earns from his day job. One marketing executive told Hopper HQ, “Companies are paying almost $1 million for posts to access his insane reach.” It also puts him way ahead of other Insta-celebs. Rugby star Leo Messi came in second with $23.3 million in Insta-earnings, followed by reality star Kendall Jenner with $15.9 million. Click over to BuzzBingo to see what famous ‘influencers’ make broken down by category (sports, fashion, travel, entertainment…) and more. Here are some of the more recent sponsored posts by Ronaldo:
