We’ve all heard the stories of the world’s richest entrepreneurs and business moguls, but what if we shifted the spotlight to the latest kind of success story? Influencers.
Specifically, Malaysia’s richest influencers.
They’re the people who started out by just creating content online — before turning them into million-dollar empires.
Malaysia’s richest influencers are proving that going viral can be just as powerful as building tech companies.
Their stories are important to know. Today, more students are exploring content creation as a side hustle — or even as a full-fledged dream career.
But the thing is, how do you make it big online? What specific skills do you need? Can you learn them all yourself or do you still need a traditional university degree?
TL;DR In the case of many of Malaysia’s top-earning influencers, it appears that a university degree is still necessary.
Here’s where and what they studied before making their millions.
The education of Malaysia’s 8 richest influencers
Khairul Aming
A decade ago, Malaysians made millions by climbing the corporate ladder and becoming directors and CEOs.
Khairul Aming did it by selling Dendeng Nyet Berapi and Sambal Nyet. He reportedly generated RM42 million (US$10.5 million) in sales from his food products in 2024, making him one of the richest influencers in Malaysia.
But before he made his riches, Aiming moved to the US to pursue medical engineering at Vanderbilt University, ranked #17 in National Universities.
It was then that he fell in love with filmmaking. He even won first place for “International Travel Video Content” and became the president of Vanderbilt’s Malaysian student association.
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Ms Qiwiie (Shi Qi)
Ms Qiwiie, also known as Ting Shi Qi, is one of Malaysia’s richest influencers, earning approximately RM12,300 to RM16,800 (US$3,097 to US$4,244) on YouTube videos per month (excluding brand deals).
And that’s just YouTube.
Multiply that by posts for today’s biggest brands, from UNIQLO to SK-II, Chagee, Kate Spade, and Visit UAE in the last six months alone — and the maths tells us she is already a multi-millionaire even before turning 30 years old.
Before making bank, Shi Qi attended Lodge International School, a secondary school in Kuching, Malaysia, where she scored 8A* and 1A in her Cambridge IGCSE exams.
She then pursued a Bachelor of Science in Education (Elementary) at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Alieff Irfan
Alieff Irfan calls himself “An ordinary Malaysian YouTuber”, but his net worth says the opposite. It is reportedly estimated around US$7.15 million and goes up to US$$10.01 million due to his various income sources.
He was studying for a Diploma in Administrative Science and Public Administration Policy Studies at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Machang, Kelantan, but later dropped out to be a full-time YoTuber.
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Chryseis Tan
Born into one of Malaysia’s biggest conglomerates, Chryseis Tan is one of the richest influencers. While there’s no information on her net worth, her father is worth RM3 billion (US$770 million).
Before joining her father’s company as Executive Director and founding a beauty brand, Tan pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal International Studies from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.
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Neelofa
Neelofa, also known as Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor, is a Malaysian actress, entrepreneur, and one of Malaysia’s richest influencers. She earns approximately RM86,900 to RM119,000K (US$21,777 to US$29,835) a month just on Instagram, according to influencer marketing platform HypeAuditor.
She studied A Levels at KDU University College from 2007 to 2009. Neelofa’s dream was to pursue her undergraduate degree in the US, but her parents were against it.
She ended up earning a Bachelor of International Business and Marketing at Sunway University.
In 2014, she took acting classes at the New York Film Academy.
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Rebekah Yeoh
While she doesn’t exactly work as an influencer, Rebekah Yeoh has about 27,000 followers on Instagram — making her a “micro-influencer.” Either way, she is one of the richest influencers in Malaysia.
Born into the richest family in Malaysia (worth RM8.8 billion, or US$2.1 billion, in 2017), Yeoh sought independence, so she forced herself to move abroad.
She pursued a degree in Pure Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in the UK, ranked #6 on QS World University Rankings for Economics.
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Kim Amal Raymond
Kim Amal Raymond is one of Malaysia’s richest influencers. While her income is undisclosed, she’s the daughter of Malaysian tycoon Dato’ Sri Jeffery Raymond.
Raymond pursued her education locally at Limkokwing University, where she studied fashion design. She later attended Raffles College to pursue marketing and management, adopting a 360-degree approach to upskill herself.
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Christinna Kuan
Christinna Kuan, also known as MsKuan, is a fashion, lifestyle, and beauty blogger. She also founded the fashion brand Christinna.K, the influencer agency UFCO Global, and the jewellery brand rR.byRAFFLESIA.
HypeAuditor estimated that Kuan earns RM85,800 to RM117,500 (US$21,480 to US$29,440) a month.
Before earning her riches, Kuan completed two diplomas, Fashion Design and Creative Multimedia Design, from KDU Penang University (now known as UOW Malaysia).
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Jestinna Kuan
Jestinna Kuan, Christinna Kuan’s sister, is also one of Malaysia’s richest influencers, with earnings estimated at approximately RM120,300 to RM163,100 (US$30,127 to US$40,836) last month.
Before founding a pet supplement brand and co-running UFCO Global, Kuan completed a five-year Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at AIMST University (Asian Institute of Medicine, Science, and Technology University).
