Top 20 LinkedIn Creators in the US (2026)

What changed in the US top 20 LinkedIn creators since our last ranking

The pool is larger this time: 2,637 active US creators, against 1,871 in our previous edition.

Three names are new in this top 20: Aswath Damodaran enters at #12, Susan Chen at #16 and Jalonni Weaver at #20.

The biggest climbers are Reese Witherspoon, up from #12 to #7, Justin Welsh, from #14 to #9, and Justin Wright, from #10 to #6. The first two places have not changed.

Three creators from our previous top 20 are no longer in it.

#20 · Jalonni Weaver, 1,671 median likes

Jalonni Weaver is a LinkedIn personal brand educator and talent consultant, new in this edition. Her Mental Health posts earn a 2,082 median, ahead of Career Development (1,794), while her Recruiting posts trail at 862.

Her yearly median rose from 1,351 in 2025 to 1,709 so far in 2026, on the second-highest posting volume in the top 20.

"I had a candidate get an offer 72 hours after applying. They applied. They interviewed with me. They spoke with the hiring manager the very next day." Her most liked post of the year: 14,505 likes, almost 9 times her median. Read it

#19 · Tim Tebow, 1,726 median likes

Tim Tebow, a Heisman Trophy winner, ESPN analyst and the founder and chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation, is up from #20 in our previous edition. His Philanthropy posts earn a 3,969 median, well ahead of his Leadership posts (1,465). Our yearly data on him covers 2026 only.

His most liked post of the year, on the death of his father: 70,752 likes and 4,076 comments, 41 times his median, the widest gap in the top 20.

#18 · Mel Robbins, 1,742 median likes

Mel Robbins is the author of The Let Them Theory and the host of The Mel Robbins Podcast, up from #19 in our previous edition. Psychology is her main theme (1,987 median likes), but her Leadership posts do far better (3,039).

Her yearly median has fallen from 3,244 in 2024 to 2,671 in 2025, then 1,655 so far in 2026.

"Let this be your permission slip today." Her most liked post of the year: 18,749 likes, almost 11 times her median. Read it

#17 · Matt Garman, 1,904 median likes

Matt Garman is the CEO of Amazon Web Services and holds the same rank as in our previous edition. His Cloud Computing posts (2,265 median likes) and AI posts (2,221) both run above his overall figure. His 58 median comments are the second-lowest count here.

"As NASA's Artemis II crew returns to Earth after a historic journey around the Moon, I'm proud of the role that AWS played in supporting that mission." His most liked post of the year: 11,808 likes, about 6 times his median. Read it

#16 · Susan Chen, 2,043 median likes

Susan Chen, a former Wall Street executive turned meditation and high-performance expert, is new in this edition. With 24k followers she is the smallest account in the top 20.

That gives her an 8.66% engagement rate, the highest in our US pool among accounts of 20k followers and over. Her Mental Health (1,737), Psychology (1,710) and Wellness (1,399) posts all sit under her overall median.

Her most liked post of the year: 13,000 likes, more than 6 times her median. See it

#15 · Alex Hormozi, 2,360 median likes

Alex Hormozi, founder of Acquisition.com and co-founder of Skool, holds #15 again. He is the most prolific account in the top 20, and his Communication posts earn a 4,493 median, more than twice his Leadership posts (2,019).

His yearly median climbed from 501 in 2022 to 2,880 in 2025, then eased to 2,304 so far in 2026. We traced that climb in our Alex Hormozi data biography.

"I’ve lost money on over 9,000 ads I personally wrote. I’ve had over 2,000 one-on-one sales consults reject my offer." His most liked post of the year: 13,613 likes and 1,126 comments, almost 6 times his median. Read it

#14 · John C. Maxwell, 2,423 median likes

John C. Maxwell is a leadership expert and trainer, up from #16 in our previous edition. Leadership is his main theme (2,376 median likes), and his rarer Psychology posts do slightly better (2,600).

His median edged up from 2,439 in 2025 to 2,536 so far in 2026. Not one of his hooks in our data contains a number. For more names in his field, see our ranking of the top LinkedIn leadership creators.

"Great leaders know that there is no finish line. If you’re growing everyday, you’ll be amazed at how far you go!" His most liked post of the year: 7,361 likes, only 3 times his median, one of the smallest gaps on this list. Read it

#13 · Bill Gates, 2,478 median likes

Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation and founder of Breakthrough Energy, has the biggest audience in the ranking, 40.7 million followers, and holds #13, the same rank as in our previous edition. His 0.01% engagement rate is the lowest of the top 20.

Healthcare is his main theme (83 posts, 2,367 median likes), next to Renewable Energy (2,450) and AI Ethics (2,339). His yearly median fell from 4,230 in 2025 to 2,520 so far in 2026.

"Happy birthday, Warren Buffett! Warren turns 96 this month and I’ve been thinking about how to sum up almost 35 years of our friendship." His most liked post of the year: 43,164 likes and 2,239 comments, 17 times his median. Read it

#12 · Aswath Damodaran, 2,569 median likes

Aswath Damodaran, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, is new in this edition and its highest new entry. He writes on Finance (2,590 median likes) and puts a number in 48% of his hooks, the joint-highest rate we measured in the top 20, with Bill Gates.

His 57 median comments are the fewest in the top 20. For more names in his field, see our ranking of the top LinkedIn finance creators.

"Anthropic filed its prospectus on October 26, 2026, and as promised (or threatened), I have valued the company and its equity (at roughly $1.475 trillion)..." His most liked post of the year: 7,352 likes, under 3 times his median, the smallest gap in the top 20. Read it

#11 · Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, 2,791 median likes

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey is a National Geographic Explorer and a strategic advisor to CEOs, at #11 as in our previous edition. Her 1.08% engagement rate is the third-highest in the top 20, and so are her 555 median comments.

Leadership is her main theme (3,355 median likes), just ahead of Psychology (3,197).

"Character isn't built in big moments. It's built in small ones. When no one's watching." Her most liked post of the year: 10,262 likes, under 4 times her median. Read it

#10 · Lex Fridman, 3,020 median likes

Lex Fridman, whose headline reads 'Interested in humans and robots', is down from #7 in our previous edition. His yearly median went from 4,160 in 2025 to 3,078 so far in 2026, while his AI posts earn 4,405, well above his overall figure.

"I got to spend all day today with Jensen in Taiwan: talking with thousands of engineers and eating street food at a night market." His most liked post of the year: 39,464 likes, 13 times his median. Read it

#9 · Justin Welsh, 3,214 median likes

Justin Welsh, a writer and entrepreneur who publishes The Saturday Essay, is up from #14 in our previous edition. His 993 median comments are the highest count in the top 20, ahead of Sundar Pichai's 743.

Entrepreneurship is his main theme (3,646 median likes). His yearly median rose in every year of our data: 2,092 in 2023, 2,106 in 2024, 2,985 in 2025 and 3,277 so far in 2026. More in our Justin Welsh data biography.

"At least failing means you tried. Many people don't. I'd bet on the person taking messy action for a year than the one 'researching' for five." His most liked post of the year: 12,700 likes and 1,638 comments, about 4 times his median. Read it

#8 · Simon Sinek, 3,343 median likes

Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why and The Infinite Game and founder of The Optimism Company, is down from #6 in our previous edition. His median has held near 3,500 for three years: 3,458 in 2024, 3,696 in 2025, 3,459 so far in 2026.

Leadership is his strongest theme (3,736 median likes); Public Speaking trails at 1,107.

His most liked post of the year: 118,711 likes, 35 times his median and the single biggest post on this page. See it

#7 · Reese Witherspoon, 3,526 median likes

Reese Witherspoon, the actress, producer and bestselling author, is up from #12 in our previous edition. With 99k followers she is the second-smallest account in the top 20.

That gives her a 3.56% engagement rate, second only to Susan Chen, and a place in the efficiency cut below. Our yearly data on her covers 2026 only.

"I turn 50 on Sunday, and I can’t help but reflect on the years that shaped me into who I am today. Feeling grateful." Her most liked post of the year: 13,187 likes, under 4 times her median. Read it

#6 · Justin Wright, 3,527 median likes

Justin Wright, CEO of KnownLeaders and Polished Carbon and a former CIO, is up from #10 in our previous edition. Leadership is his main theme (202 of 337 posts, 3,517 median likes), and his 498 median comments are the fourth-highest count here.

In 2024 his yearly median stood at 3,599; it reached 4,000 in 2025 and stands at 3,635 so far in 2026.

His most liked post of the year: 16,765 likes and 636 comments. See it

#5 · Andrew Ng, 4,163 median likes

Andrew Ng, whose headline lists DeepLearning.AI, AI Fund and AI Aspire, is up from #8 in our previous edition. Of the top 20 creators with writing data, he writes the longest posts, and his yearly median keeps rising: 3,994 in 2024, 4,268 in 2025, 4,926 so far in 2026.

AI is his one recurring theme (3,830 median likes); for more voices on it, see our ranking of the top LinkedIn AI creators.

"I recently received an email titled 'An 18-year-old’s dilemma: Too late to contribute to AI?' Its author, who gave me permission to share this, is preparing for college." His most liked post of the year: 21,846 likes, 5 times his median. Read it

#4 · Brené Brown, 4,729 median likes

Brené Brown, a researcher at the University of Houston and the University of Texas at Austin, is up from #5 in our previous edition. Her Psychology posts earn an 8,940 median, about 1.8 times her Leadership posts (4,962).

In 2022 her yearly median was 12,058; it was 5,098 in 2024 and is 4,729 so far in 2026.

Her most liked post of the year, a two-line thank-you addressed to Dolly, with a photograph: 105,591 likes, 22 times her median, the second-biggest post on this page. Read it

#3 · Satya Nadella, 5,354 median likes

Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, is up from #4 in our previous edition. He has the second-biggest audience in the ranking, 12 million followers, on a 0.04% engagement rate.

AI is his main theme (5,479 median likes), and his median has barely moved: 5,342 in 2025, 5,320 so far in 2026.

"Thank you, PM Narendra Modi ji for an inspiring conversation on India’s AI opportunity." His most liked post of the year, which goes on to announce Microsoft's largest investment in Asia: 27,564 likes, 5 times his median. Read it

#2 · Adam Grant, 11,856 median likes

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton, bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast Re:Thinking, holds #2 again. Of the top 20 creators with writing data, he writes the shortest posts, and his few Communication posts earn a 17,031 median, twice his Leadership posts (8,344).

His yearly median went from 13,714 in 2024 to 14,927 in 2025, then 11,856 so far in 2026, half of Sundar Pichai's.

His most liked post of the year, a short post against victim blaming after the reported events at Cornell: 47,541 likes and 1,308 comments, 4 times his median. Read it

#1 · Sundar Pichai, 23,738 median likes

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, tops our US ranking for a second edition with 23,738 median likes per post, 659 times the pool median.

The gap is wide. Adam Grant, at #2, draws half as much, and Satya Nadella, at #3, less than a quarter. Pichai's lead over #2 (11,882 likes) is larger than any other creator's whole median.

Our data holds fewer of his posts than of anyone else in the top 20, and most are about AI (25,526 median likes on those). His 743 median comments rank second here, behind Justin Welsh.

"Returning to India for the India AI Impact Summit 2026 last week, I was struck by the incredible energy in New Delhi." His most liked post of the year: 86,204 likes, the third-biggest post on this page. Read it

Where do these cards come from? We computed every figure on this page from public posts with MagicPost's LinkedIn analytics: median engagement, engagement rates, themes, trajectories and favorite slots, across 2,637 US creators. It works on your profile too, including a side-by-side with anyone on this list.

Who are the most-followed LinkedIn creators in the United States?

Followers are what most lists rank by, so here they are: the ten biggest active accounts in our US dataset (10+ posts in the last 12 months, one in the last 60 days). This is the top of our data, not a census of every US profile.

Accounts with fewer than 10 posts in 12 months, or none in the last 60 days, are left out by design, so public lists of the most-followed profiles can differ.

Four of the ten make our top 20: Bill Gates (#13), Satya Nadella (#3), Simon Sinek (#8) and Adam Grant (#2). Sundar Pichai, our number one, is not in the table: his 4.4 million followers fall short of Adam Grant's 5.6 million.

Of the ranked accounts outside it, Tony Robbins comes closest, at #33 with 1,211 median likes. Arianna Huffington, third by followers with 9.6 million, ranks #211 with 291.

Barack Obama sits under our 30-post floor (27 posts analyzed in the window), on 31,147 median likes, a higher median than anyone in the ranking.

Which LinkedIn creators in the US have the highest engagement rate?

Raw like counts reward whoever has the biggest crowd. Engagement rate corrects for that: median likes per post divided by followers (20k followers and over). The names shuffle almost entirely:

Susan Chen and Reese Witherspoon are the only two creators in both cuts. The other three, Chad Janis (the founder and CEO of Grüns), Deidra Cox and Joshua Freedman (the CEO of Six Seconds), sit between 20k and 41k followers.

The top 20 itself runs from 8.66% (Susan Chen) down to 0.01% (Bill Gates). Set against the national LinkedIn engagement rate, the most engaged US audiences in our data belong to small accounts, all five under 100k followers.

Which LinkedIn creator in the US gets the most comments per post?

One last angle that rarely shows up in these lists: comments relative to likes. The record in our US pool is held by Alfredo Narez, an instructor at the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, at 194 median comments against 131 median likes, about 1.5 comments for every like.

The typical top-20 creator gets one comment per 17 likes. No feed among the 2,637 we measured talks back harder (counting accounts with 100+ median likes).

Where are the US LinkedIn-native creators?

Notice who dominates this top 20: big-tech CEOs (Pichai, Nadella, Garman), authors and professors, a podcaster, an actress, an athlete and an explorer, people whose work is bigger than the platform. To see how they compare abroad, open our worldwide ranking of the top LinkedIn creators.

The US LinkedIn-native creators (the people who teach content, personal branding and growth on the platform itself) are rare at the top by median likes. Two cross over: Justin Welsh at #9 and Jalonni Weaver, a personal brand educator, at #20.

We studied the natives separately, one data biography at a time, in our guide to the top LinkedIn creators to study, with US names such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Matt Gray, Nicolas Cole and Daniel Bilbao.

One timing note. Eleven of these twenty post most often before noon Eastern, in line with what works for ordinary accounts in the United States: weekday mornings, 7 to 8 AM, ahead of the 9 AM rush.

Three go the other way and post most often at 6 PM or later: Bill Gates, Aswath Damodaran and John C. Maxwell.

And if showing up in these creators' comment sections is part of your plan, an engagement feed keeps it to a five-minute daily habit.

How we ranked the top LinkedIn creators in the US

All of this is MagicPost's own research. We went through the last 12 months of posts from 2,637 US creators and ranked them by median likes per post.

Only creators with at least one post in the last 60 days are ranked, a rule new in this edition. The method:

• Floors: at least 5,000 followers and 30 posts in the window; deleted posts excluded.

• Median rather than average: no single viral post can buy a place.

• Posts analyzed: the posts our dataset holds per creator, sometimes fewer than they published.

• Per creator: themes, yearly trajectories, writing fingerprints, engagement rates and conversation ratios.

Rankings refresh as the data does. No placement here was sponsored; every rank comes straight from the median.

Study them, then study yourself. With MagicPost you can analyze any US creator the way we just did (median engagement, engagement rate, themes, trajectory, slots) and benchmark your own profile against the country. The data on this page is the product.