From Gwinnett to Miami, Five Creators Turning Online Fame Into Millions

Druski’s route to a multimillion-dollar career began with a talent familiar to anyone who remembers the funniest kid in class. Raised in Gwinnett County, Drew Desbordes learned to imitate the personalities around him, then took those characters online. Today, the comedian appears in national advertising campaigns and works with Hollywood stars. Forbes estimated his earnings at $20 million in its 2026 Top Creators list.

He belongs to a wealthy tier of internet personalities whose businesses now stretch into television, retail and ownership stakes in the products they promote. From Georgia to North Carolina, Texas and Florida, these five creators have built substantial careers around audiences they first reached through social media. The figures below are Forbes’ 2026 earnings estimates, not estimates of personal net worth.

Druski: $20 million, with Gwinnett roots

Druski’s sketches turn recognizable types into comic characters: the overconfident music executive, the fraternity brother, the preacher whose interests extend well beyond the congregation. His audience has followed him from short videos into longer productions, while advertisers including T-Mobile and Dunkin’ have hired him for national campaigns.

His Georgia connection remains more than a biographical detail. After spending time in California, he returned to an Atlanta home base near the Gwinnett neighborhoods where he grew up. His production company, 4Lifers, includes longtime friends, and his scripted YouTube series “Collect & Praise” gives his fictional megachurch pastor a larger stage. In an August profile, GQ described a performer pursuing Hollywood opportunities while continuing to make work for the audience that established him.

MrBeast: $300 million in North Carolina

In Greenville, North Carolina, Jimmy Donaldson has built a much larger operation around elaborate challenges, enormous prizes and the MrBeast name. Forbes put his earnings at $300 million in its 2026 assessment, far above the other creators featured here. His business now includes the chocolate brand Feastables, the video analytics tool Viewstats, and toy and clothing licensing.

“Beast Games,” his competition series for Amazon Prime Video, brought that high-budget spectacle to subscription television. Meanwhile, Beast Industries has attracted investment at a reported $5 billion valuation. The videos draw the audience, but the company has increasingly given those viewers something to buy, watch or use beyond YouTube.

Codie Sanchez: $31 million selling the appeal of ordinary businesses

Codie Sanchez has found a lucrative subject in businesses that rarely attract celebrity attention: laundromats, landscaping companies and vending machines. The former journalist and financier teaches business ownership through videos and other media, with Forbes estimating her earnings at $31 million in 2026.

Her Austin-based company, Contrarian Thinking, grew from a website into a business offering entrepreneurial programs and hosting events for owners and would-be buyers. Its central pitch is that an established local service business can offer a path to ownership without inventing a product or launching a technology startup. That message has also become a substantial business of its own.

Alix Earle: $12 million in Miami

Alix Earle became famous for talking to viewers while putting on makeup and getting ready to go out. The University of Miami graduate has since moved deeper into the beauty business, launching her skincare brand, Reale Actives, in March. Forbes estimated her earnings at $12 million in its 2026 list.

Earle has also taken stakes in beverage companies, including Poppi, Gorgie and SipMargs. Those investments give her a financial interest beyond the fee for a promotional appearance. With her own skincare line, she faces a different challenge from recommending someone else’s product: persuading followers to become repeat customers.

Dani Austin: $8.1 million and a place on store shelves

Texas creator Dani Austin built her following around fashion, family life and shopping recommendations. Her commercial partners have included Amazon, Abercrombie and Summer Fridays, and Forbes estimated her earnings at $8.1 million in 2026.

Her hair-care company, Divi, has carried the business into physical retail, with products sold through Target and Ulta Beauty as well as directly to customers. For shoppers encountering those bottles in a beauty aisle, the purchase may begin with a familiar face from Instagram. For Austin, it means the business can earn money long after a particular video has disappeared down the feed.