X chart
Top X (Twitter) Accounts by Followers
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) has the most followers on X: 241.5 million in the source's table dated September 14, 2026. Barack Obama (@BarackObama) is second with 118.8 million and Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) third with 114.5 million. 5 accounts have passed 100 million followers.
Data as of September 14, 2026. Source: Wikipedia: List of most-followed X accounts (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Accounts ranked
- 50
- Followers at #1
- 241.5M
- Accounts above 100M followers
- 5
September 2026
The top 10
Includes people, heads of state, brands and news desks. Ranked by followers, not posts or views.
Followers
The top 50 most-followed X accounts
Ranked by followers on Wikipedia’s list (table dated September 14, 2026). Posts, join dates, marks and the averages were read from X on October 28, 2026; pictures are the accounts’ own.
| RankRank by followers on Wikipedia’s list. The small figure is the move since the table of June 2026. | Account | Category | Followers | Posts | Likes (avg.) | Reposts (avg.) | Joined | Share or preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  @elonmuskElon Musk | BusinessmanOwner of X/Twitter | 241.5M | 111,074 | 1.1M | 91.6K | ||
| 2 |  @BarackObamaBarack Obama | President of the United States (2009–2017) | 118.8M | 17,573 | 850.2K | 49.5K | ||
| 3 |  @CristianoCristiano Ronaldo | Football player | 114.5M | 4,533 | 790.6K | 50.9K | ||
| 4 |  @realDonaldTrumpDonald Trump | President of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present) | 111.8M | 59,898 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 5 |  @narendramodiNarendra Modi | Prime Minister of India (2014–present) | 107.1M | 52,870 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 6 |  @rihannaRihanna | MusicianBusinesswoman | 98.6M | 10,909 | 634.4K | 48.1K | ||
| 7 |  @NASANASA | BrandSpace agency | 92.3M | 74,461 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 8 |  @justinbieberJustin Bieber | Musician | 91.8M | 31,320 | 446.5K | 19.8K | ||
| 9 |  @katyperryKaty Perry | Musician | 89.9M | 12,355 | 191.5K | 12.2K | ||
| 10 |  @taylorswift13Taylor Swift | Musician | 83.8M | 892 | 534.1K | 118.8K | ||
| 11 |  @ladygagaLady Gaga | MusicianActress | 75.3M | 10,092 | 188.5K | 28.3K | ||
| 12Up 2 since June 2026 |  @imVkohliVirat Kohli | Cricket player | 73.2M | 2,950 | 283.2K | 25.9K | ||
| 13Down 1 since June 2026 |  @KimKardashianKim Kardashian | Television personalityBusinesswoman | 70.8M | 36,797 | 278.3K | 17.5K | ||
| 14Down 1 since June 2026 |  @YouTubeYouTube | BrandOnline video sharing platform | 68.8M | 61,622 | 407 | 51 | ||
| 15Up 5 since June 2026 |  @neymarjrNeymar | Football player | 66.4M | 42,673 | 357.4K | 29.9K | ||
| 16Down 1 since June 2026 |  @BillGatesBill Gates | BusinessmanPhilanthropist | 65.0M | 4,530 | 30.6K | 3.2K | ||
| 17Down 1 since June 2026 |  @TheEllenShowEllen DeGeneres | Comedian and former television host | 62.2M | 24,618 | 195.6K | 19.6K | ||
| 18Up 3 since June 2026 |  @selenagomezSelena Gomez | MusicianActress | 62.9M | 5,622 | 164K | 22.6K | ||
| 19Down 2 since June 2026 |  @CNNCNN | BrandNews channel | 61.7M | 429,739 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 20Down 2 since June 2026 |  @XX (formerly Twitter) | BrandOperator of platform | 60.7M | 15,736 | 15.6K | 1.4K | ||
| 21Down 2 since June 2026 |  @cnnbrkCNN Breaking News | BrandNews channel | 60.0M | 86,177 | 21.1K | 3.6K | ||
| 22 |  @espnESPN | BrandSports channel | 58.7M | 164,166 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 23 |  @PMOIndiaPMO India | BrandOffice of the Prime Minister of India | 58.3M | 42,507 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 24Up 4 since June 2026 |  @KingJamesLeBron James | Basketball player | 55.0M | 9,768 | 299.9K | 26.7K | ||
| 25Down 1 since June 2026 |  @nytimesThe New York Times | BrandNewspaper | 53.8M | 566,606 | 46.2K | 8.1K | ||
| 26Down 1 since June 2026 |  @ChampionsLeagueUEFA Champions League | BrandFootball league | 53.1M | 103,443 | 125.1K | 8.4K | ||
| 27Down 1 since June 2026 |  @BBCBreakingBBC Breaking News | BrandNews channel | 50.2M | 44,328 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 28Down 1 since June 2026 |  @realmadridReal Madrid CF | BrandFootball club | 49.5M | 112,241 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 29 |  @jtimberlakeJustin Timberlake | MusicianActor | 47.7M | 4,490 | 52.7K | 5.3K | ||
| 30 |  @BTS_twtBTS | Musicians | 47.4M | 12,939 | 2.5M | 654.9K | ||
| 31Up 1 since June 2026 |  @NBANBA | BrandBasketball league | 47.0M | 422,816 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 32Down 1 since June 2026 |  @FCBarcelonaFC Barcelona | BrandFootball club | 46.8M | 163,948 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 33Up 1 since June 2026 |  @premierleaguePremier League | BrandFootball league | 46.2M | 178,542 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 34Up 4 since June 2026 |  @ddlovatoDemi Lovato | MusicianActress | 46.0M | 17,762 | 102.7K | 12.2K | ||
| 35Down 2 since June 2026 |  @shakiraShakira | Musician | 45.4M | 8,816 | 82.1K | 6.4K | ||
| 36Down 1 since June 2026 |  @bts_bighitBTS | Musicians | 45.3M | 14,326 | 1.1M | 331.5K | ||
| 37Down 1 since June 2026 |  @SrBachchanAmitabh Bachchan | Actor | 44.7M | 72,734 | 73.9K | 5.4K | ||
| 38Up 1 since June 2026 |  @PlayStationPlayStation | BrandVideo gaming brand | 44.6M | 49,808 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 39Down 2 since June 2026 |  @akshaykumarAkshay Kumar | Actor | 44.2M | 42,288 | 87.4K | 8.9K | ||
| 40Up 6 since June 2026 |  @mileyMiley Cyrus | MusicianActress | 43.8M | 12,613 | 308.9K | 35K | ||
| 41 |  @britneyspearsBritney Spears | Musician | 43.0M | 5,369 | 37.1K | 4.1K | ||
| 42Down 2 since June 2026 |  @jimmyfallonJimmy Fallon | Comedian and television host | 42.9M | 15,340 | 77.2K | 13.5K | ||
| 43 |  @BBCWorldBBC World News | BrandNews channel | 42.3M | 412,545 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | ||
| 44Down 2 since June 2026 |  @BeingSalmanKhanSalman Khan | Actor | 42.1M | 43,574 | 128K | 10.6K | ||
| 45Down 1 since June 2026 |  @SportsCenterSportsCenter | BrandSports channel | 42.2M | 159,077 | 146.6K | 14.8K | ||
| 46Down 1 since June 2026 |  @SpaceXSpaceX | BrandSpace agency | 41.9M | 11,911 | 10.1K | 1K | ||
| 47 |  @iamsrkShah Rukh Khan | Actor | 40.1M | 60,562 | 110.3K | 9.8K | ||
| 48 |  @KylieJennerKylie Jenner | Social media personalityBusinesswoman | 39.7M | 14,549 | 224.9K | 13.1K | ||
| 49Down 1 since June 2026 |  @sachin_rtSachin Tendulkar | Former cricket player | 39.0M | 5,814 | 132K | 11.3K | ||
| 50Down 1 since June 2026 |  @ManUtdManchester United F.C. | BrandFootball club | 38.2M | 103,121 | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average | Our read held too few week-old original posts from this account to average |
The top 50 by the numbers
- accounts above 50 million followers
- 27
- 5 of them above 100 million: Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Cristiano Ronaldo, Donald Trump, and Narendra Modi.
- heads of state, government and their offices
- 4
- Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Narendra Modi, and PMO India; three of them inside the top five.
- brand accounts
- 19
- The highest is NASA at #7; the highest person is Elon Musk at #1.
- most common description
- Musician
- 5 of the 50 accounts, then Musician / Actress with 4.
- most likes per post
- BTS (@BTS_twt)
- 2.5M on average, then BTS (@bts_bighit) (1.1M), in our read of October 28, 2026.
- most posts
- The New York Times
- 566,606 posts on October 28, 2026; CNN has 429,739.
- longest on X in the top 50
- CNN Breaking News
- Joined in January 2007 and ranks #21; the newest account, BTS (@bts_bighit), joined in May 2013.
What stands out
The clearest signal in this ranking is how political it is: three of the five accounts above 100 million followers belong to current or former heads of state or government, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, and the Office of the Prime Minister of India sits at #23, a density of public officials the Instagram chart does not share. Elon Musk leads the list while also owning the platform, having moved ahead of Obama after the 2022 acquisition. The other distinctive pattern is the news desks: CNN, CNN Breaking News, ESPN, The New York Times, BBC Breaking News, BBC World News and SportsCenter are all in the top 50, which fits X’s long history as a real-time news and commentary platform rather than a visual one. Nineteen of the 50 rows are brand accounts, NASA the highest at #7. Musicians remain the largest group of people, 13 rows led by Rihanna, the most-followed woman at #6, and football contributes seven rows, from Cristiano Ronaldo at #3 to Manchester United at #50, with Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, the Premier League and the Champions League in between. Four actors of Hindi cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, sit alongside Narendra Modi, his office, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar: eight owners from India in the top 50.
What changed since the last snapshot
Comparing the source's tables of June 2026 and September 14, 2026: 31 accounts changed rank, 1 entered the top 50, and these are the largest increases in follower counts among accounts in both lists. These are snapshot differences, not daily growth rates.
New to this snapshot: Kylie Jenner (#48). New entries have no comparable follower count in the previous list. Previous source revision
Frequently asked questions
Answers about the ranking, where the figures come from and how often they change.
Who has the most followers on X (Twitter)?
Elon Musk (@elonmusk), with 241.5 million followers in the source's table dated September 14, 2026. He also owns the platform, which he bought in 2022, and moved past Barack Obama (@BarackObama, 118.8 million) into first place after the acquisition; Obama had held the top spot for years before that.
Who are the top 10 most-followed X accounts?
As of September 14, 2026, the top 10 are: Elon Musk (@elonmusk), Barack Obama (@BarackObama), Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano), Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Narendra Modi (@narendramodi), Rihanna (@rihanna), NASA (@NASA), Justin Bieber (@justinbieber), Katy Perry (@katyperry), and Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13). The full table above adds each account's follower count, what the source says the owner is, and our own read of the account's posts, join date and recent engagement.
How many X accounts have more than 100 million followers?
5 as of September 14, 2026: Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Cristiano Ronaldo, Donald Trump, and Narendra Modi. 27 of the 50 ranked accounts have passed 50 million, and the 50th account, Manchester United F.C., has 38.2 million.
Why are politicians so prominent near the top?
X has long been where politicians, journalists and news desks post first, and the accounts that comment on live events gather followers there. That shows here: Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Narendra Modi are all in the top 5, and the source describes PMO India as Office of the Prime Minister of India at #23.
Are all of these accounts individual people?
No. 19 of the 50 are brand or organisation accounts, as the source marks them (NASA, YouTube, CNN, X (formerly Twitter), CNN Breaking News, ESPN, PMO India, The New York Times, UEFA Champions League, BBC Breaking News, Real Madrid CF, NBA, FC Barcelona, Premier League, PlayStation, BBC World News, SportsCenter, SpaceX, and Manchester United F.C.); the highest is NASA at #7. The ranking counts any public account by follower total, whether a person, a company, a club or a news desk runs it.
How is this different from the Instagram or Facebook rankings?
The same global celebrities recur across platforms, but X leans toward politics and news: current or former heads of state or government fill three of the top five, and 7 news and sports desks (CNN, CNN Breaking News, ESPN, The New York Times, BBC Breaking News, BBC World News, and SportsCenter) rank in the top 50, whereas footballers and brands tend to lead the Instagram and Facebook lists. The platform's text-first, news-driven culture is reflected in who reaches the top.
How current are these follower counts?
The source's table is dated September 14, 2026 and lists each follower total to a tenth of a million. This page reads the Wikipedia revision of October 13, 2026, read on October 28, 2026, and compares it with the table of June 2026. Our own read of each account, dated October 28, 2026, shows the exact count the profile displayed that day in the preview.
How this list is measured
Accounts are ranked by their public X follower count as Wikipedia’s list records it in a table dated September 14, 2026, to a tenth of a million, so two accounts can appear tied at the same rounded value even when their exact counts differ. People, brands, clubs and news desks are counted alike, the same way the source treats them, and “Brand” marks the rows the source classes as brand accounts. The source’s order is kept where two neighbouring figures are out of order. Figures are a snapshot from September 2026 and drift as accounts gain and lose followers.
The category chips are the source’s own description of the owner, split at its commas; the source lists no country, so this chart shows no flags and no country filter.
Pictures, marks, the exact follower and following counts, the post counts and the dates the accounts joined X come from each account’s own public X profile, read on October 28, 2026. The mark is the one X shows: the Premium check, the gold check of a verified organisation or the grey check of a government or multilateral account. Average likes, reposts, replies and views are the mean across the account’s 12 most recent original posts that were at least a week old that day (reposts, replies and the pinned post left out), as X displayed them, so new posts still gathering likes do not pull the figures down. A dash means a value is unavailable in the dated snapshot. The small figure beside a rank is the account’s move since the June 2026 table of the same Wikipedia list.
Source
Follower counts and descriptions are compiled from Wikipedia’s “List of most-followed X accounts”, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Data as of September 14, 2026. Read from the revision of October 13, 2026.