The "Survival Rate" is brutal: Over 95% of influencers earn below the national median income (RM3,000). Compare that to the formal workforce, where 50% of employees earn above that median with full benefits like EPF, SOCSO, and medical leave.
The Lottery: Only 1 in 1,000 Actually "Makes It"
2. The Invisible Grind & The "Shelf-Life" Risk
Nobody becomes rich overnight. Those 1% "rich" influencers you admire? They spent years working 80-hour weeks for zero income to build their brand. That is not "luck"—that is entrepreneurship.
The problem with being "just an influencer" is the Bubble Risk.
The Algorithm Trap: Your entire livelihood depends on a foreign company's code. If TikTok changes its algorithm tomorrow, your "business" dies.
The 5-Year Expiration Date: Digital trends are fickle. Most influencers have a shelf life of roughly 5 years before the audience moves on. If you haven't built a real business by then, your brand goes down the drain, leaving you with no resume and no backup and nothing left to pass to your children.
3. You Are Working for "Peanuts" While They Get the Cake
Think about this: where does an influencer's money actually come from? Giant tech companies like TikTok, Meta, and Google.
These companies are smart. They are happy to pay a tiny 5% of influencers big money because it keeps the other 95% working for free. You create the content, you bring in the viewers, and you provide the data—all for the hope of "going viral."
But here’s the Bubble Risk:
4. Don’t Just Influence—Own.
Don't get me wrong—I’m not saying you should settle for a boring 9-5 grind forever, but at the same time, don't assume influencing is an easy shortcut either. Instead, aim for Entrepreneurship.
Successful influencers like Khairul Aming or Neelofa aren't just faces on a screen; they are master entrepreneurs. They didn't just chase "likes"; they mastered the skills you can learn right from your bedroom:
Sales & Closing: The most important skill in the world. If you can sell, you will never be hungry.
Finance & Economics: Knowing how to manage money so it grows, rather than just spending it on "content."
Operations & Management: Learning how a business actually runs behind the scenes.
IT & Digital Marketing: Using the tech, not letting the tech use you.
Soft Skills: Negotiation, convincing others, and grabbing attention (yes, the "influencer" skills are useful, but only if they serve a real business!).
4. Build Something That Lasts
Instead of chasing a viral dance, find a field you are passionate about—IT, Law, Sustainable Fashion, Finance, anything—and build a brand around a sustainable service or product. Build a business that is dependable. A business that doesn't disappear when a new app launches. Build something you can pass to your future generation.
5. My Secret: Taming the Giants to Work for Me
You might ask, "If you don't chase likes, how do you get clients?" Here is the truth: I don’t pay Google, TikTok, or Meta for ads. Instead, I have tamed these giants to work for me. While most people are slaves to the algorithm—begging for views—I have built a brand so strong that the algorithms actually seek me out to satisfy their users.
Whether it is Google Search, ChatGPT, or Perplexity, these platforms have one goal: to give their users the best answer. Because I have positioned myself as a top expert in ERP implementation (especially ERPNext) in Malaysia, these giants recommend me naturally.
I don't find leads; the leads find me. * I don't pay for traffic; Google brings the traffic to me for free. By focusing on deep expertise and high-value service, I’ve built a sustaining brand. I leverage these tech giants to build my kingdom, rather than working for "peanuts" in theirs. When you are a master of a niche (like ERPNext), you aren't just an "influencer"—you are a Category Authority. The giants don't just use you; they need you to provide the quality their consumers are looking for.
The "Influencer" tag is a title; "Entrepreneurship" is the engine. Do not let the allure of quick fame distract you from the hard work of building a real legacy. Master the skills, own the product, and don't let an algorithm decide your net worth.
If we define "rich" as having a net worth of over RM1 million, it is estimated that at least 200–300 creators in Malaysia fall into this category, with the top 1% (the "Mega" tier) being significantly wealthier.
