Data from HypeAuditor revealed Donald Trump gained 3.5 million Instagram followers in January 2026, topping the monthly rankings as inauguration-anniversary coverage kept him at the center of global news. iShowSpeed, Sadie Sink, and a pair of breakout micro-creators rounded out a diverse top 10 that spanned politics, entertainment, and education.
Here are the fastest-growing Instagram accounts from January 2026.
#1. Donald Trump | @realdonaldtrump
Gained: +3.5M followers January total: 43.2M followers
Inauguration-anniversary coverage, approval-rating discourse, and heavy resharing of his speeches and policy clips across political pages drove sustained follower inflows into early 2026.
Gained: +3.4M followers January total: 46.9M followers
One of YouTube’s most-watched streamers, Speed’s Africa Tour generated a wave of viral moments that traveled from live streams to Reels, compounding his cross-platform audience growth heading into 2026.
Gained: +3.0M followers January total: 31.8M followers
A heavy marketing push for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, including late-night TV and morning-show appearances, drove fan accounts to amplify her content and push spillover follows to her main profile.
Gained: +1.9M followers January total: 7.9M followers
The educational explainer account’s high-volume cadence of bite-sized carousels and Reels continues to surface on Explore weeks after posting, compounding organic reach and follower conversion.
Gained: +1.8M followers January total: 3.3M followers
A micro-to-macro breakout driven by shareable transformation and lifestyle content, likely amplified by reposts on larger motivational and fitness pages that over-index on shares.
Gained: +1.7M followers January total: 3.3M followers
Another emerging creator whose viral clips in the lifestyle or motivation niche translated into seven-figure follower gains in a single month, consistent with the “micro-creator goes mainstream via Reels” pattern.
Gained: +1.7M followers January total: 40.7M followers
Launched his “The Last Dance (Part 1) EP” in late January and kicked off “The Last Dance World Tour,” generating a wave of concert content, fan clips, and press coverage that pushed new users to his profile.
Gained: +1.4M followers January total: 84.7M followers
“Beast Games Season 2” premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 7, triggering a month-long wave of cast posts, premiere-event photos, and fan edits that sustained discovery on Reels and Explore.
Gained: +1.1M followers January total: 3.5M followers
The SNL cast member saw a concentrated spike tied to the release and meme-ification of his stand-up special “American Boy,” driving users searching for the movie and SNL clips directly to his profile.
Gained: +1.1M followers January total: 4.0M followers
Viral high-exposure climbing content circulated widely on Reels and outdoors pages in January, with media coverage of his conservation and climbing initiatives converting outdoor-sports viewers into followers.
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.
Data from HypeAuditor revealed Donald Trump gained 3.5 million Instagram followers in January 2026, topping the monthly rankings as inauguration-anniversary coverage kept him at the center of global news. iShowSpeed, Sadie Sink, and a pair of breakout micro-creators rounded out a diverse top 10 that spanned politics, entertainment, and education.
Here are the fastest-growing Instagram accounts from January 2026.
#1. Donald Trump | @realdonaldtrump
Gained: +3.5M followers
January total: 43.2M followers
Inauguration-anniversary coverage, approval-rating discourse, and heavy resharing of his speeches and policy clips across political pages drove sustained follower inflows into early 2026.
#2. iShowSpeed | @ishowspeed
Gained: +3.4M followers
January total: 46.9M followers
One of YouTube’s most-watched streamers, Speed’s Africa Tour generated a wave of viral moments that traveled from live streams to Reels, compounding his cross-platform audience growth heading into 2026.
#3. Sadie Sink | @sadiesink
Gained: +3.0M followers
January total: 31.8M followers
A heavy marketing push for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, including late-night TV and morning-show appearances, drove fan accounts to amplify her content and push spillover follows to her main profile.
#4. Explaining | @explaining
Gained: +1.9M followers
January total: 7.9M followers
The educational explainer account’s high-volume cadence of bite-sized carousels and Reels continues to surface on Explore weeks after posting, compounding organic reach and follower conversion.
#5. Hudson Williams | @hudsonwilliamsofficial
Gained: +1.8M followers
January total: 3.3M followers
A micro-to-macro breakout driven by shareable transformation and lifestyle content, likely amplified by reposts on larger motivational and fitness pages that over-index on shares.
#6. Connor Storrie | @connorstorrieofficial
Gained: +1.7M followers
January total: 3.3M followers
Another emerging creator whose viral clips in the lifestyle or motivation niche translated into seven-figure follower gains in a single month, consistent with the “micro-creator goes mainstream via Reels” pattern.
#7. Jason Derulo | @jasonderulo
Gained: +1.7M followers
January total: 40.7M followers
Launched his “The Last Dance (Part 1) EP” in late January and kicked off “The Last Dance World Tour,” generating a wave of concert content, fan clips, and press coverage that pushed new users to his profile.
#8. MrBeast | @mrbeast
Gained: +1.4M followers
January total: 84.7M followers
“Beast Games Season 2” premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 7, triggering a month-long wave of cast posts, premiere-event photos, and fan edits that sustained discovery on Reels and Explore.
#9. Marcello Hernández | @marcellohdz
Gained: +1.1M followers
January total: 3.5M followers
The SNL cast member saw a concentrated spike tied to the release and meme-ification of his stand-up special “American Boy,” driving users searching for the movie and SNL clips directly to his profile.
#10. Alex Honnold | @alexhonnold
Gained: +1.1M followers
January total: 4.0M followers
Viral high-exposure climbing content circulated widely on Reels and outdoors pages in January, with media coverage of his conservation and climbing initiatives converting outdoor-sports viewers into followers.
Data from HypeAuditor, January 2026
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