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Forbes’ new Top Creators list for 2026 lays bare what conservatives already suspected: the free market doesn’t just reward legacy media — it rewards anyone who can hustle, create, and win an audience. The list shows the creator economy hitting a new milestone, with the top 50 creators collectively pulling in roughly $1.02 billion last year, a clear sign that entrepreneurship and talent still beat entitlement.
One creator who made the list is Steven He, who lands at number 49 after parlaying sharp comedy sketches into a massive online following and an estimated $2 million in earnings over the latest measurement period. He’s built nearly 30 million followers across platforms with character-driven spoofs that speak to his experience as someone born in China and raised in Ireland — a background that informs, rather than dilutes, his brand of humor.
Forbes’ profile on He highlights his transition from sketch viral star to creator-entrepreneur: indie film work, ambitious longer-form projects, and partnerships that turn clicks into real revenue streams. That’s the kind of upward mobility and self-reliance conservatives should celebrate, not sneer at — this is people building something of value without asking for government handouts.
Still, while we applaud the money-making muscle, we should not romanticize the culture that springs up around influencer fame. Too much of modern media rewards viral outrage, cheap laughs, and algorithm-friendly antics over restraint, civic virtue, and steady workmanship. Conservatives ought to point out that influence carries responsibility — and that platforms should not be the sole arbiters of cultural standards.
Steven He’s story also underlines an important conservative truth: strong families and cultural roots matter. The public anecdote about a creator “knowing he made it when his mom bragged about him” — whether said in jest or seriousness — speaks to a simpler, healthier yardstick of success than clicks or corporate sponsorships. It’s a reminder that American success still looks best when it’s rooted in family pride and community respect.
At the same time, we should be clear-eyed about where power now sits. Big tech and big media still control distribution; creators who succeed do so by navigating—sometimes bowing to—a system that can be fickle and ideologically biased. Conservatives must engage with this new economy: support creators who promote traditional values, defend free speech, and encourage policies that let small creators scale without being swallowed by gatekeepers.
Steven He’s rise from immigrant kid to a Forbes-recognized creator is worth noting not for envy, but for imitation: work hard, hone a craft, and let the market decide your worth. That’s the American way — patriotism of effort, not victimhood. If conservatives want to win the culture back, we’ll start by recognizing and backing creators who actually make things, entertain families, and restore pride in honest achievement.
