Singer Selena Gomez is, quite literally, the most popular person on the planet. That is, if you use social media followers as the popularity metric: Selena has 103 million followers on Instagram alone, where her signature includes the statement: “By grace through faith.” Despite her unrivaled popularity the singer has struggled with anxiety, panic attacks and depression after being diagnosed with Lupus. She stepped away from performing recently, returning Sunday to accept her AMA for favorite female pop/rock artist. In a speech many found moving and courageous, Selena explained her absence: “I had to stop. I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside.” She encouraged her fans to understand that “if you are broken you don’t have to stay broken.”
For those who believe money overcomes misery, Selena is a case study in the opposite. Take her ability to earn income solely as a social media influencer, regardless of her artistic income. At an estimated rate of $3,000/per million followers, a single post or tweet from Selena Gomez is worth approximately $300,000. Staggeringly, she can earn a figure like that almost any morning.
