Figure skater Alysa Liu added 6.6 million Instagram followers in February 2026, powered by a gold medal run at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics that ended a 24-year U.S. drought in women’s singles. Two fellow skaters rounded out a dominant month for winter sports on social, while emerging digital creators Justin Flom and Nico Grigg demonstrated that organic content growth can compete with Olympic-level celebrity.
Here are the fastest-growing Instagram accounts from last month:
Gained: +6.6M followers February total: 6.9M followers
Won gold in women’s singles and the team event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, with her “fearless” free skate going viral via NBC Sports highlights and fan tributes that amplified her reach globally.
Gained: +1.5M followers February total: 4.8M followers
An independent magician and digital creator whose February growth was organic, driven by viral trick content rather than any single media event, making his +1.5M gain one of the more striking examples of creator-led momentum in the rankings.
Gained: +1.3M followers February total: 1.6M followers
American figure skater famed for the first ratified quadruple Axel in competition, whose Milano Cortina performances pushed him past 1 million followers amid dramatic Olympic skating coverage.
Gained: +796K followers February total: 1.2M followers
An American creator who built his following primarily on TikTok and has been steadily converting that short-form audience to Instagram, with his February growth reflecting organic platform expansion rather than a single viral moment.
Gained: +790K followers February total: 62.4M followers
American singer, songwriter, and actress whose consistent output and global fanbase keep her among the platform’s top-growing mega-accounts.
The Milano Cortina Effect
Three athletes combined for over 9.2 million new followers as the 2026 Winter Olympics (February 6-22) drove a sustained social media surge:
Alysa Liu: +6.6M (gold, women’s singles and team event)
Ilia Malinin: +1.3M (surpassed 1M followers during Games)
Lindsey Vonn: +854K (broader winter sports halo)
Creators Holding Their Own
Two independent creators cracked the top 10 without any Olympics tie-in or major media platform behind them. Justin Flom (+1.5M) and Nico Grigg (+796K) grew solely through content strategy, showing that algorithm-driven organic reach can still compete with global sporting events for follower volume.
Nii A. Ahene is the founder and managing director of Net Influencer, a website dedicated to offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Together with its newsletter, Influencer Weekly, Net Influencer provides news, commentary, and analysis of the events shaping the creator and influencer marketing space. Through interviews with startups, influencers, brands, and platforms, Nii and his team explore how influencer marketing is being effectively used to benefit businesses and personal brands alike.
Figure skater Alysa Liu added 6.6 million Instagram followers in February 2026, powered by a gold medal run at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics that ended a 24-year U.S. drought in women’s singles. Two fellow skaters rounded out a dominant month for winter sports on social, while emerging digital creators Justin Flom and Nico Grigg demonstrated that organic content growth can compete with Olympic-level celebrity.
Here are the fastest-growing Instagram accounts from last month:
#1. Alysa Liu | @alysaxliu
Gained: +6.6M followers
February total: 6.9M followers
Won gold in women’s singles and the team event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, with her “fearless” free skate going viral via NBC Sports highlights and fan tributes that amplified her reach globally.
#2. Jason Derulo | @jasonderulo
Gained: +1.6M followers
February total: 41.9M followers
American pop and R&B singer whose consistent content output drove steady audience growth throughout the month.
#3. Justin Flom | @justinflom
Gained: +1.5M followers
February total: 4.8M followers
An independent magician and digital creator whose February growth was organic, driven by viral trick content rather than any single media event, making his +1.5M gain one of the more striking examples of creator-led momentum in the rankings.
#4. Instagram | @instagram
Gained: +1.4M followers
February total: 700.3M followers
The platform’s own account continues its steady climb, closing in on three-quarters of a billion followers.
#5. Ilia Malinin | @ilia_quadg0d_malinin
Gained: +1.3M followers
February total: 1.6M followers
American figure skater famed for the first ratified quadruple Axel in competition, whose Milano Cortina performances pushed him past 1 million followers amid dramatic Olympic skating coverage.
#6. Savannah Guthrie | @savannahguthrie
Gained: +877K followers
February total: 2.0M followers
Co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show, whose audience grew sharply through consistent news presence during a busy February news cycle.
#7. Barack Obama | @barackobama
Gained: +857K followers
February total: 42.1M followers
44th President of the United States, who remains one of the most-followed political figures on Instagram through steady engagement.
#8. Lindsey Vonn | @lindseyvonn
Gained: +854K followers
February total: 3.6M followers
Former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist, whose profile benefited from the broader winter sports spotlight during the 2026 Games.
#9. Nico Grigg | @nicogrigg
Gained: +796K followers
February total: 1.2M followers
An American creator who built his following primarily on TikTok and has been steadily converting that short-form audience to Instagram, with his February growth reflecting organic platform expansion rather than a single viral moment.
#10. Lady Gaga | @ladygaga
Gained: +790K followers
February total: 62.4M followers
American singer, songwriter, and actress whose consistent output and global fanbase keep her among the platform’s top-growing mega-accounts.
The Milano Cortina Effect
Three athletes combined for over 9.2 million new followers as the 2026 Winter Olympics (February 6-22) drove a sustained social media surge:
Creators Holding Their Own
Two independent creators cracked the top 10 without any Olympics tie-in or major media platform behind them. Justin Flom (+1.5M) and Nico Grigg (+796K) grew solely through content strategy, showing that algorithm-driven organic reach can still compete with global sporting events for follower volume.
Data from HypeAuditor, February 2026