A hefty social media presence has earned Olivia Dunne more than just fame over the years. Since stepping into the spotlight with the LSU Tigers, this gymnast has been cashing in on her massive fan base. Those early gymnastics clips she posted during the pandemic? They didn’t just draw a little attention—they kicked off a social media storm! Now, with a staggering 13.6 million followers, Livvy is one of the most-followed NCAA athletes out there. Naturally, that kind of reach has brands swooning, and let’s just say they’re lining up for a piece of the action.

For the past few years, she’s been comfortably perched among the top college athletes in NIL deals, claiming the #2 spot with a hefty $4 million—and, as the only woman in the top 20, she’s making major moves for female athletes everywhere. But Livvy just leveled up again, landing herself a spot on Forbes’ Top Creators 2024. Clocking in at #31, she’s now making waves on a global scale, fueled by her $3.9 million in earnings and that sky-high follower count. Not too shabby for a 22-year-old gymnast taking the world by storm!

She was joined by notable figures like MrBeast, Logan Paul, Jake Paul, and Kai Cenat, thanks to her impressive following of over 8 million on TikTok and 5 million on Instagram. So of course, Livvy had to celebrate the big news, giving Forbes a shout-out on her Instagram story on October 28. She penned in her caption, “SUCH A DREAM.” Meanwhile, Katherine, Livvy’s mother, did not miss her daughter’s achievement. She also shared an Instagram story to congratulate Livvy.

But with that, she also took up Julz’s name for playing an essential role in keeping Olivia Dunne’s social media presence exceptional. Accolades from mother for both daughters at the same time—a fitting celebration in the priceless moment! But what role did Julz play in making her sister a social media sensation? The big sister herself revealed the answer. 

In the Amazon Prime documentary The Money Game, Olivia Dunne shared a few things about her NIL deals and phenomenal popularity, both on and off-court. But this popularity hasn’t come in just one day or by uploading regular posts on her social media. Rather, it has come through teasing the fans by sharing mindful posts on social media. And the credit goes to Julz Dunne. In these years, especially after Julz’s passing out from LSU, she has actively played the brain part behind Olivia Dunne’s social media presence. In the documentary series, she promptly mentioned this fact. However, her pivotal role hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

On several occasions, Olivia praised her big sister for creating such a huge social media footprint for her. In fact, the national champion gymnast once called Julz, “Sometimes the brains behind the operation.” Also, a playful tease between the sisters has always been in sight. On one occasion, Julz termed her little sister as someone having “no character development.” She told those lines, highlighting Livvy’s lack of schooling in her early years. However, in one episode of The Money Game, she let her emotions slip for her sister and narrated her reason for helping Livvy maintain her social media presence. 

Those emotional lines came as “Livvy is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my entire life, but I help her with everything she does.” That explains the camaraderie between the sisters, isn’t it? And the recognition from Forbs stands to be fitting for both sisters. But the title of social media ingenue hasn’t come without its costs for Olivia Dunne. Along her journey, she’s faced her fair share of challenges, with the thorns along the Walk of Fame sometimes leaving their imprint.

Olivia Dunne often feels confused in her multiple presence 

Millions of fans, thousands of comments and likes, and a flurry of brands lined up with lucrative deals—Olivia Dunne’s eyes are suited to see these. But that may not guarantee a foolproof residence at the highest order of mental peace. In fact, from time to time, Olivia has felt the pangs of fame biting her. How? As per her, she once found it hard to segregate her roles—a gymnast and a model. 

In one episode of The Money Game, Dunne explained the matter in length. There she said, “I had a hard time balancing if I should feel my body like a model… or an athlete?” Certainly, the overwhelming popularity away from the gymnastics mat pushed her into that question. But she had to side with one role. On that subject, Livvy laid out, “People like certain content from me. I would consider myself kind of funny. But people don’t wanna see me being funny.” Rather, as she discovered, her fans wanted to see her gymnastics journey and lifestyle.

That’s where Olivia Dunne truly embraced her reality, shedding any pretense and confidently showcasing her true self. Voilà! Success followed, and the saga of Livvy continued. Now, with Forbes shining a spotlight on her as a creator and giving her a spot on their prestigious list, the question is: will this recognition inspire Olivia to ramp up her social media game even further? What do you think?