By Jake Zhang · 7 min read

Last Updated on September 19, 2022

With 330 million active users a month, Twitter is a leading social media platform in today's digital media landscape. Celebrities, pop stars, and politicians are all fighting to stay relevant on the influential bird app, but who has stolen the crown for the top spot as the most followed Twitter account?

The Top 15 Most Followed Twitter Accounts

Who has made it to the top 15? Let's take a look at our contenders!

15. Justin Timberlake (63 M)

Coming in at number 15 is American singer/songwriter and actor, Justin Timberlake. Music and film fans alike are flocking to Timberlake's Twitter account to keep up to date on his latest music releases and television appearances.

Selling over 88 million records and receiving 4 Emmy awards during his career, it's easy to see why Justin Timberlake has such a large following!

14. CNN Breaking News (63.9 M)

CNN is taking Twitter by storm as the news network's Twitter account is slowly reaching 70 million followers worldwide!

People are now getting their daily dose of news content from official news accounts online and on Twitter. With over 400 average likes per Tweet, CNN Breaking News seems to be the clear favorite!

13. Selena Gomez (66.3 M)

Teen idol Selena Gomez takes the 13th spot on our list with over 66 million Twitter followers. Selena Gomez has advanced her career in acting into pop music and has sold over 7 million albums worldwide!

As one of the largest Twitter accounts on the platform, Selena Gomez mainly uses her Twitter account to post music releases and television appearance updates.

12. Kim Kardashian (73.6 M)

Socialite and media personality Kim Kardashian sits at number 12 with a massive 73.6 million Twitter followers. Promoting her clothing brand SKIMS, Kim posts glamourous photoshoots to her Twitter followers and snapshots of her lavish lifestyle.

With one of the most followed accounts on both Twitter and Instagram, Kim Kardashian is one of the world's leading ladies.

11. YouTube (76.2 M)

Holding the title of the world's leading video-sharing website, YouTube has now overtaken Twitter... on its own platform!

YouTube mainly promotes various YouTubers and events to their Twitter feed through YouTube short videos and often posts tweets engaging with their audience through relatable messages.

10 . Ellen Degeneres (77.3 M)

Ellen DeGeneres' popularity can be reflected in the outstanding number of followers on her Twitter account. Ellen DeGeneres is most well known for her talk show, 'The Ellen Show', where she interviews countless high-profile celebrities.

Ellen is averaging 1.9k likes on her Twitter posts and mainly posts promotional Tweets for her show, highlights, funny moments, and general life updates to her Twitter account.

9. Narendra Modi (82.4 M)

We have the first political figure to make our list. Narendra Modi is the 14th Indian prime minister, and with over 80 million followers, has one of the most followed accounts on Twitter!

The Indian prime minister uses his Twitter account to post political updates and speech highlights, keeping those that follow him in the loop.

8. Lady Gaga (84.9 M)

With enormous success in singing, acting, and directing, Lady Gaga is a force to be reckoned with, taking 8th place on our list!

The 11-time Grammy awards winner has been on the pop scene since 2008 with her debut album 'The Fame' and has since dominated music charts with hits like 'Poker Face' and 'Love Game'.

Like many of the pop stars on our list so far, Gaga uses her Twitter account to post promotional images and messages, with the odd retweet from her many adoring fans.

7. Taylor Swift (91.1 M)

Singer/songwriter Taylor Swift is now one of the most famous artists in the world, gaining her one of the most followed Twitter accounts with an impressive 91.1 million followers!

Taylor Swift is not an avid Tweeter, but her posts mainly outline her achievements and music updates. She sometimes posts personal tweets sharing her thoughts on the world, or simply what she's been up to.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo (103.5 M)

Famous Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo makes the first sports appearance on our list. Starting his career playing for Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has gone on to win 5 Ballon d'Or awards, proving his talent as one of the best footballers of our generation.

Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo has one of the most followed accounts on Twitter, mostly sharing his football achievements and images of him playing for his fans.

5. Elon Musk (105.8 M)

Elon Musk is a massively influential person and a household name that many people follow to see what he does next (around 106 million, to be exact).

It takes an eccentric character to put rockets into space and make cars that drive themselves, and Elon Musk's Twitter account certainly reflects this. Musk posts a strange mix of promotional posts and memes, clearly the golden combination.

4. Rihanna (106.7 M)

Getting towards the end of our list at number 4, we have the pop sensation Rihanna. She is one of many pop stars to make it into the top 15 and she is certainly not the last!

After releasing massive music numbers over the years, Rihanna has also developed her widely popular Fenty beauty collection, which she promotes on her Twitter account.

Rihanna hasn't tweeted since the birth of her baby boy in May, and fans are eagerly awaiting her return!

3. Katy Perry (108.9 M)

Here we are in the top 3! Katy Perry has soared to the top with the third most popular account on Twitter. The influential artist has had a shining career, releasing music that shaped the face of pop music in the 2010s.

Despite being so high profile, Katy Perry takes a much more casual approach to Twitter and doesn't lay as heavy on promotional content compared to other celebrities.

Katy Perry often shares random thoughts and funny anecdotes, which is perhaps the reason Twitter users love her.

2. Justin Bieber (114 M)

We have reached the penultimate spot in our list with Justin Bieber having the second most followed account on Twitter! The Canadian singer is talent personified, being on the music scene and stealing the hearts of many since the age of 15 with the release of 'Baby'.

Justin Bieber shares music updates, collaborations, upcoming albums, and life updates on his Twitter feed for his fans to enjoy.

1. Barack Obama (133.2 M)

Barack Obama takes the top spot with the most Twitter followers at a massive 133 million! Being perhaps the most influential person in the world, Barack Obama has racked up an enormous following on Twitter as the former leader of the United States.

Pursuing his political efforts with his Obama Foundation, Barack Obama continues to share his wisdom and knowledge with the world through his Twitter feed. Gaining 47.6 k average likes per tweet, Barack Obama is the most followed person on Twitter!