Once upon a time, social media platform Vine gave teenagers around the world a space to flex their creative muscles. And from this, many Vine personalities emerged, including Rudy Mancuso and Domirican LeJuan James. Among them was also Lele Pons, a 22-year-old Venezuelan (then, a high school student) who gained popularity rapidly because of her self-deprecating humor.
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In her sketches, fans could see everyday struggles represented through her lens – from women criticizing each other’s appearance to a boyfriend checking someone else out. She had the kind of humor that turned an unfavorable situation into a viral piece of content that made everyone say, “Yo, that’s me!”
Now, Pons’ net worth is reportedly $3 million, and she has created a social media empire that translates to IRL fame. The influencer is also tapping into her love for music, as she recently released her first single “Celoso” and featured on Matt Hunter’s “Dicen.” Pons also had the most viewed Instagram stories of 2017 and has amassed more than 11 million subscribers on her YouTube page.
The 22-year-old also credits her success to her team (she’s managed by Shot Studios) and has used her platform to bring attention to the Venezuelan economic and social crisis. Read on to learn more about Pons and how she built her digital empire.
1
She's uses her platform to raise awareness about the crisis in Venezuela
Lele Pons was born in Venezuela, and though she’s lived in the United States for a while, she constantly references her roots to raise awareness about the difficult situation her home country faces. Last year, she partnered with social media outlet attn: to create a video signaling the main issues of Venezuela’s crisis. She used her comedy style to attract more viewers to the crisis, saying “Photos from grocery stores look like scenes from The Walking Dead.” She continued, “The only difference is that people actually watch The Walking Dead, but not enough people are paying attention to the crisis in Venezuela.”
2
She charges $125,000 for a single Instagram post.
Though most people receive nothing but likes on their Instagram posts, influencers with millions of followers can actually charge thousands for a single post. For someone with a following of millions that figure escalates to $125,000 for an Instagram post. With 27.1 million followers, Lele Pons fits right in the club.
3
She has more than 43 million followers
Though Pons had the most viewed Instagram stories of 2017, the Venezuelan comedian is also a YouTuber. She’s amassed more than 43 million followers across all her social media platforms.
4
She has a record deal with Universal Music Group
Pons recently signed an global record deal with Universal Music Group and released her first single “Celoso.” She also dropped the video for the song, directed by fellow internet comedian-turned-musician-turned-filmmaker Rudy Mancuso.
5
She's walked fashion shows and graced magazine covers
Pons was part of an influencer-filled Dolce & Gabbana show in 2017, which also included Rudy Mancuso and Spanish fashion blogger Alexandra Pereira. This year, she appeared on her first cover thanks to GQ Mexico and had a feature in Vogue Mexico. Pons was also a judge in the 2017 Miss Universe pageant.