Top 10 Most Followed Accounts on X to Keep an Eye on in 2024

Geri Mileva
Last Updated:
13 min read
Social Media

X (formerly Twitter) remains one of the top 10 social media platforms worldwide and a significant force in building brand awareness, even after its major and sudden rebrand last year. It’s a space where netizens can find real-time updates and engage in conversations about business, entertainment, and politics.

That is why it’s important to know which profiles are currently the most popular and have been able to maintain consistent follower engagement. Here’s a rundown of the top 10 accounts with the most followers on X.

Top 10 Most Followed Accounts on X to Keep an Eye on in 2024:

Top 10 Most Followed Accounts on X (as of February 2024)

10. Lady Gaga (@ladygaga): 83.6 million

Actress and musician Lady Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) posts about her music, merchandise, and advocacy—specifically mental health and wellness, the focus of her Born This Way Foundation.

9. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump): 87.4 million

The account of this controversial former POTUS and businessman was suspended in 2021 after the United States Capitol riot. It was reactivated when Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022, but Trump remained quiet—that is, until August 2023, when he shared his first post in more than two years. The post features his mug shot and the words “Never Surrender.” Trump is known for his strong views and contentious posts. His followers have increased since he announced that he is running for president again in 2024.

8. Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13): 95.3 million

Taylor Swift is one of the most beloved and influential pop stars in the world. She frequently shares posts related to her music, such as photos from her concerts, music video clips, trivia about collaborations and people she’s collaborated with, and the albums she is working on. She also has posts and videos that directly address her fans. On February 5, Swift revealed the track list of her upcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” sending Swifties on X into a frenzy.

7. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi): 95.6 million

The only non-American politician on this list is Narendra Modi, the longest-serving Prime Minister in India. Modi posts in English and Hindi, and occasionally in other languages, such as the national language of the head of state visiting India at the time. Most of his posts are about political and current issues affecting India.

6. Katy Perry (@katyperry): 106.7 million

Perry has been called the “Queen of Camp” due to her over-the-top fashion and personality. Like most pop stars, Perry posts about her music and concert information, but what makes her stand out are her real-time posts sharing personal thoughts and reactions. She also shares posts about her arts-based NGO, Firework Foundation, and her merchandise, particularly her shoe line.

5. Rihanna (@rihanna): 108.1 million

Rihanna rose to fame as a singer-songwriter and actress, then quickly made her mark as an astute businesswoman in the beauty and fashion industries. Her most recent posts are about her cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, and the brand’s collaboration with Puma. She also posts about current endorsements, fashion, and motherhood.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano): 110.6 million

The only sports personality on this list is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, known more commonly as Cristiano Ronaldo. He is considered one of the greatest football players of all time. Ronaldo posts in both English and Portuguese. His posts range from his and his team’s victories, his endorsements, and the occasional peek into his personal life.

3. Justin Bieber (@justinbieber): 111.2 million

Justin Bieber is widely regarded as a pop icon and one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has a strong following on X, where he posts about his music, music-related news, social impact initiatives, and philanthropy. He also posts photos of himself and his wife, model and influencer Hailey Bieber.

2. Barack Obama (@BarackObama): 131.9 million

Barack Obama was the first African-American president and remains active in U.S. politics. He has proven to be a popular figure, often posting about domestic and international policy while mostly focusing on issues of race and healthcare. He also posts about the activities of the Obama Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded by Obama and his wife, Michelle. Every December, his followers look forward to his year-end “favorite” lists, where he shares his favorite books, movies, and music of the year.

1. Elon Musk (@elonmusk): 173.4 million

The most followed person on X is also its owner, billionaire businessman and Tesla co-founder Elon Musk. Even before Musk acquired the social media platform in 2022, his account boasted over a hundred million followers due to his activity and frequent engagement with other users. While Musk posts about business, politics, and culture, he is most known for consistently sharing controversial personal views and memes.

Related Content:

Successful Strategies Used by Top X Accounts

Growing on and managing any social media platform is a challenge in itself, but brands can learn from accounts that do it best. Now that we’ve covered the most followed—and, by extension, the biggest—accounts on X, what can we learn from their practices? 

Common engagement tactics used by the most followed X accounts

Although these practices won’t necessarily apply to every brand, there’s still plenty to learn from how these accounts foster engagement.

1. Interacting with followers

Taylor Swift is known for having a strong and loyal fanbase, and she maintains her relationship with her fans by connecting with them over social media. She creates posts and shares videos that directly address her fans. She also occasionally likes and replies to the posts she is tagged on by her followers. On the other hand, Katy Perry connects with her fans by posting in real-time during events and sharing her personal thoughts, which many find relatable and funny.

2. Sharing visual content

Despite being a microblogging platform, recent data from X reveals that 97% of people on the platform focus on visuals. Almost all the most followed X accounts frequently share videos and images (photos, GIFs, and memes). Musicians such as Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga regularly share video clips of their recent performances and music videos. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo shares photos of himself and his team in action during and after football games. These kinds of content provide followers a look into what happens behind the scenes, which can be especially interesting as this wouldn’t be accessible by simply attending shows or games.

3. Weighing in on hot-button topics

Hot-button topics, like abortion or same-sex marriage, are controversial and polarizing. Since these are issues that people have strong opinions about and elicit a lot of emotions, posting about them often guarantees a lot of engagement. However, this tactic isn’t for everyone as it is quite risky; you can either gain more followers or lose the ones you already have. Approach these topics with care since it’s best to avoid them unless your brand has a good reason to weigh in. Both Donald Trump and Elon Musk are known for frequently sharing their personal opinions about sensitive issues on X, as they’re known for being especially vocal.

4. Giving followers a sneak peek into their personal lives

Aside from being an entrepreneur, pop star, and fashion icon, Rihanna is also a mother to two young boys. She has shared her pregnancy photo shoots as well as the occasional photos and videos of her sons on X, catering to people who follow known personalities on social media to learn more about who they are outside of their professional persona. Knowing about a person’s family life or hobbies can help followers relate to that person more; that’s why sharing some details or a “peek” into a public figure’s private life can help increase engagement.

5. Posting about current events and issues

X has been the go-to social media platform for anyone who wants to know the latest news and opinions when it comes to national and global happenings. Most of the posts from politicians Barack Obama and Narendra Modi are about political issues and current events. Obama posts about upcoming elections, health care, and issues concerning race, while Modi posts about national policies as well as meetings with local and international leaders.

What are some collaborations and partnerships of successful X accounts (4 case studies)?

1. Cristiano Ronaldo x Binance

In 2023, Ronaldo became a brand ambassador for Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Despite some recent controversy surrounding this partnership, Ronaldo’s post promoting his ForeverCR7 NFT collection has 11.8 million views and over 52,700 likes from his followers, most of whom are football and sports enthusiasts.

2. Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma

The collaboration between Rihanna’s fashion brand, Fenty, and well-known sportswear brand, Puma, started in 2015 and went on hiatus in 2017. The collaboration’s comeback last year made major fashion news, and one of Rihanna’s posts about the relaunch gained 17.8 million views and 143,000 likes.

3. Barack Obama x Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

While not exactly a collaboration or partnership, Obama’s endorsement of Biden and Harris for the upcoming 2024 national elections is in line with his efforts concerning voter mobilization for the Democratic Party.

4. Elon Musk’s Tesla x Apple

Musk’s criticism of Apple seems to be a thing of the past, as Tesla announced a partnership with Apple in 2023. Musk has been sharing positive posts about Apple-related products and services on his account, such as the iPhone 15 series. A recent post by Musk about watching a video from X on your TV using Airplay garnered 17.6 million views and 148,000 likes within 8 hours of posting.

What are some best practices for enhancing your X account and maintaining a loyal following?

  • Know your audience. Who are your followers? What do they frequently search for? As of February 2024, there are around 336 million active profiles on X. According to estimates, about 56% of X users identify as male and almost 30% are between the ages of 35 and 44. If this hits a good part of your target demographic, consider investing in growing your presence on X. Try to find accounts similar to your brand to gain a better understanding of how to engage people and entice them to follow your account and reshare your posts.
  • Connect with followers. You can connect with others over X by liking and replying to posts and reposting. You can also tag people in posts that you think they might be interested in. However, the key to connecting with others effectively is authenticity. Rather than just engaging with followers or other accounts for the sake of engagement, be intentional. Why are you liking or sharing these posts? Is the content relevant to your interests or industry? Do you genuinely like the content? 
  • Post frequently and regularly. This advice is often given and applies to all social media platforms. This is particularly true for X, as it is a fast-paced platform, and posts have a shorter life span compared to Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Many social media experts recommend regularly posting around three times a day, depending on the number of followers you have—the more followers you gain, the more frequently you should post. Having a social media planner will help you schedule posts so that you can continue to build and maintain steady engagement with your followers.

Final Thoughts

The top ten most followed accounts on X belong to a mix of personalities, ranging from politicians to musicians and multi-hyphenates who have managed to keep up with the changes in different areas and industries. Current owner slash global technopreneur Elon Musk has dubbed X “the digital town square,” and just like physical town squares of old, users often flock to X to find out the latest news, as well as engage in cultural and political debates. 

In order to grow on this platform, you might want to invest in a marketing agency for your brand. Even with the changes the platform has gone through, it continues to be important in understanding what the current trends are, and it still provides value as a space for influencers and personalities to lead conversations in different areas, particularly in entertainment and politics.

About the Author
Geri Mileva
Geri Mileva
Writer
Geri Mileva, an experienced IP network engineer and distinguished writer at Influencer Marketing Hub, specializes in the realms of the Creator Economy, AI, blockchain, and the Metaverse. Her articles, featured in The Huffington Post, Ravishly, and various other respected newspapers and magazines, offer in-depth analysis and insights into these cutting-edge technology domains. Geri's technological background enriches her writing, providing a unique perspective that bridges complex technical concepts with accessible, engaging content for diverse audiences.

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