Celebrities and Influencers Who Own NFTs

Few things signal mainstream adoption like public figures flocking to new tech. 2021’s explosive NFT growth was no exception. From pro football players to a-list musicians, seemingly everyone was buying up expensive NFTs.

As pfp (profile picture) NFTs cemented their status as veblen goods, celebrities have entered the market with force. Their interests have been multifaceted – from amassing impressive collections to creating their own NFTs to connect with fans.

While the list of celebrities that own NFTs is too long for one article, here are some of the most famous people that own non-fungible tokens. 

Famous Celebrities With NFTs

Celebrities adopting NFTs run the gambit of stardom, from musicians and socialites to world class athletes. 

Eminem

Controversial hip hop artist Eminem has been a mainstay of the music industry since his 1999 debut. Eminem claims the title of the most successful US artist of the 21st Century, boasting impressive wordplay and horrorcore ballads. The rap idol has claimed over 71m unit sales since entering the limelight.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Eminem released his debut NFT collection, ShadyCon, in April 2021.

However, Eminem’s web3 presence is synonymous with his purchase of a Bored Ape.  The piece bears an uncanny resemblance to the artist, rocking an army hat, white fur, and “hip hop” clothing. Ape #9055 was a fitting acquisition by the self-proclaimed rap god.

Bored Ape Yacht Club #9055, purchased for $460k

Cristiano Ronaldo 

Cristiano Ronaldo has cemented his place as one of the greatest footballers of all time. The Manchester United striker is renowned for his pace, control, and rampant goalscoring. Fittingly, Ronaldo has earned five Ballon d’Or awards throughout his illustrious career. 

The Portuguese footballer recently penned a multi-year deal with Binance to launch exclusive NFTs under his name and legacy. With the World Cup around the corner, it’s going to be interesting to see what CR7 brings to the industry.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber broke headlines during the NFT bull market with his purchase of a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT for 500 ETH. While there have been larger sales, Justin's ape didn't appear to be worth a premium, as its traits were not notably rare. However, the Ape's number matches Justin's home address, and its aesthetics fit well with the artists' brand. 

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton is widely regarded as the “original influencer”, and deservedly so. The trendsetting heiress has shaped the fashion landscape for decades, and immediately recognized the vast, disruptive power of NFTs.  

Her collection, Past Lives, New Beginnings, launched in Feb 2022. The collection’s bespoke marketplace was built by Origin Protocol’s NFT arm, Origin Story. Featuring collaborations with NFT artists Superplastic and Dayzee, the dynamic pieces minted out rapidly.

Recognizing the power of Story’s value proposition, Paris has joined Origin as both an investor and advisor.

Snoop Dogg

Since breaking onto the scene in the ‘90s, Snoop has become one of the most universally beloved public figures around. A serial hitmaker and patron saint of stoners everywhere, Snoop entered the NFT space under an esteemed alias, Cozomo de’ Medici. His collection of NFTs is rumored to be valued at up to $10m, including Fidenzas, Cryptopunks, and his own BAYC. 

Snoop released his own collection of 3D voxel avatars in Feb 2022. The Doggies is a collection of playable avatars for use in the Sandbox metaverse. Snoop’s project grants holders access to future metaverse events.

Eminem and Snoop Dogg used their apes in a collaborative music video earlier in 2022. The high quality production represents potentially the most impactful use of BAYC IP to date. Both hip hop legends also graced the stage at Apefest 2022, underpinning their entrenchment in the NFT arena

Steve Aoki

If anyone knows how to throw a party, it's world renowned DJ Steve Aoki. The eclectic artist’s concerts regularly feature inflatables and cake galore. More recently, NFTs have become a primary component of his performances. 

While Aoki has dabbled with many collections, he holds a soft spot for the Chubbiverse. As one of the project’s most notable holders, he regularly parades Chubbi posters through the crowd during his sets.

Influencers That Own NFTs

Aside from the public-facing heavyweights mentioned above, many crypto native influencers support premier NFT projects. From builders to veteran investors, influencer support for a particular collection is often a key driver of wider confidence. 

Origin protocol’s NFT arm Origin Story has developed white label marketplaces for an array of leading collections.

The native marketplaces include bespoke community analytics dashboards designed to offer key insights into holder metrics. 

Importantly, Origin’s dashboards highlight notable holders in a collection. These are displayed to provide insights into a collection’s popularity. 

Notable holders listed on the Pudgy Penguins dashboard  

Pudgy Penguins’ notable holder list includes a range of the industry’s heavyweights. The collection’s relative strength and unique aesthetics have made it a favorite among collectors everywhere.

Nansen chief Alex Svanevik is potentially the most well-recognized Pudgy holder in the space. Svanevik’s analytics platform provides in-depth insights into crypto markets via tiered subscriptions. 

Jebus stands out as one of crypto’s most respected veterans. Jebus has been a proponent of pudgies since the project launched in mid-2021. The OG has become popular for his controversial takes and commitment to blockchain’s core principles.

Record-breaking poker player Fedor Holz has also entrenched himself as a pudgy maximalist over the past year. The strategic kingpin boasts over 70k followers on Twitter, and has developed his own online poker academy – Pokercode.

NFT Analytics Tools on Origin Story

Origin Story’s white label marketplaces include comprehensive community analytics dashboards. These serve as compact resources for collectors to glean insights into the collections they’re browsing.

Story’s dashboards currently support the following metrics:

• Holders

A summary of total holders, total listings, and high conviction holders (10+ items) within a collection.

• Notable Holders

Public figures including builders and celebrities who own items from a collection.

• Distribution of Holders

Total holders segmented by number of items held.

• Top Holders

A leaderboard of addresses holding the most items in a collection.

The Pudgy Penguins analytics dashboard, powered by Origin Story

NFT Marketplaces Built by Origin Story

Origin is proud to serve a growing list of top NFT collections by building official marketplaces for safe and rapid transacting. 

Origin’s marketplaces aggregate listings from major generic marketplaces to provide users with an overview of all official listings on offer. As a result, users are able to browse the best NFT prices without worrying about a piece’s authenticity.

Further, NFT marketplaces powered by Story include bespoke branding and official rarity rankings. While many third party tools offer rarity scoring for collections, Story’s native rankings are developed by collections themselves. These consider the unique tastes of each collection’s community, which can sometimes trump pure scarcity. 

Story aims to cater to the growing need for bespoke NFT marketplaces as further innovations gain traction. Beyond pfp NFTs, Origin has partnered with real estate investment firm Roofstock to develop the first NFT marketplace for physical property exchange. 

The marketplace’s first home sale incurred a total of 3% in fees, less than half of traditional industry norms. This evidences the untapped potential of NFT technology to disrupt large-scale industries plagued by redundant intermediaries. Real estate is one of many verticals that Origin views as ripe for disruption as this budding technology evolves.

If you’re a creator interested in working with Origin Story to launch a branded marketplace or a primary NFT sale, please get in touch with our team via [email protected].