Ru Paul’s Drag Race is one of the most talked-about TV series of all time and has not just opened doors for other aspiring drag queens, but also for people at home with no connections to the drag world.
Apart from the USA, the show has also had versions in the UK, Canada, Netherlands, Chile and Thailand as well as its many spin-offs like ‘All Stars’. According to Google Trends, the search term ‘drag race’ has increased by a score of 67 since the show’s original release in 2009.
With more international versions in the talks, meaning more catchy songs released and diva lip syncs, OnBuy’s Record Division were keen to find out which original Drag Race winners earn the most on Instagram!
| Rank | Name | Instagram handle | Country | Season | Followers | Instagram earnings per post |
| 1 | Bianca Del Rio | thebiancadelrio | USA | 6 | 2,423,777 | £7,586.42 |
| 2 | Violet Chachki | violetchachki | USA | 7 | 1,908,229 | £5,972.76 |
| 3 | Sasha Velour | sashavelour | USA | 9 | 1,840,902 | £5,762.02 |
| 4 | Aquaria | ageofaquaria | USA | 10 | 1,741,386 | £5,450.54 |
| 5 | Bob the Drag Queen | bobthedragqueen | USA | 8 | 1,461,753 | £4,575.29 |
| 6 | Jinkx Monsoon | thejinkx | USA | 5 | 1,252,723 | £3,921.02 |
| 7 | Sharon Needles | sharonneedlespgh | USA | 4 | 1,116,767 | £3,495.48 |
| 8 | Yvie Oddly | oddlyyvie | USA | 11 | 1,108,376 | £3,469.22 |
| 9 | Raja | sutanamrull | USA | 3 | 988,633 | £3,094.42 |
| 10 | Jaida Essence Hall | jaidaehall | USA | 12 | 808,219 | £2,529.73 |
| 11 | BeBe Zahara Benet | bebezahara | USA | 1 | 523,391 | £1,638.21 |
| 12 | The Vivienne | thevivienne_ | UK | 1 | 401,126 | £1,255.52 |
| 13 | Priyanka | thequeenpriyanka | Canada | 1 | 345,318 | £1,080.85 |
| 14 | Envy Peru | missenvyperu | Holland | 1 | 213,357 | £667.81 |
| 15 | Leona Winter | leonawinterofficiel | Chile | 2 | 124,649 | £390.15 |
| 16 | Luz Violeta | luzvioletadrag | Chile | 1 | 83,658 | £261.85 |
| 17 | Angele Anang | angeleanang | Thailand | 2 | 38,654 | £120.99 |
| 18 | Natalia Pliacam | natalia_nu1rich | Thailand | 1 | 26,204 | £82.02 |
So, who is making some serious coin from Drag Race?
Bianca Del Rio is the highest-earning winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, alongside being one of the most recognised names in drag, boasting 2,423,777 Instagram followers. In addition to the $100,000 winning prize of season six in 2014, Bianca stands to earn an incredible potential £7,586.42 per sponsored Instagram post.
In second place is the winner of USA’s season seven, Violet Chachki – she won $100,000 as her winning prize. Since Drag Race, Violet has amassed a massive 1,908,229 Instagram following which could earn an extra £5,972.76 per sponsored post.
Following closely behind in third place is Sasha Velour. As the winner of season nine, Sasha won $100,000 and currently has 1,840,902 followers on Instagram – this could earn her a further potential £5,762.02 per sponsored post.
Taking the 12th spot is our very own The Vivienne, who could make a potential £1,255.52 per post due to her 401,126 Instagram followers. The Vivienne won the UK’s first season back in 2019, beating the incredible Divina De Campo. However, unlike the USA version, UK winners do not receive a grand cash prize and instead win and star in their own digital TV series.
Lowest Earning Winners of Ru Paul’s Drag Race
In the last place, but still, a winner baby is Thailand’s season one champion Natalia Pliacam. With over 26,000 Instagram followers, Natalia stands to earn a potential £82.02 per sponsored post – that’s nearly 93 times less than the top-earning Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio! In addition to winning Drag Race Thailand, Natalia also received 500,000 Thai Baht which is the equivalent of £12,159.71.
Angele Anang, the winner of Thailand’s season two, is the second-lowest earner with a potential £120.99 per post. Since winning in 2019, Angele’s Instagram followings now stands at 38,654. Angele won a slightly greater prize than Natalia with total winnings (including gift vouchers and jewels) accounting to £21,883.
Luz Violeta in Chile’s version, The Switch Drag Race (Desafío Mundial), earns her the third spot. Luz won season one and with 83,658 Instagram followers could earn an estimated £261.85 per sponsored post.
