Kim Kardashian, Kanye West & J.K. Rowling on Time's List of 30 Most Influential People on the Internet

Find out who else made the cut

By Corinne Heller Mar 16, 2016 5:07 PMTags
Kim Kardashian, JK Rowling, Kanye WestGetty Images

Kim Kardashian and Harry Potter creator and author J.K. Rowling have made Time magazine's list of 30 Most Influential People on the Internet for the second year in a row.

The two are joined by newcomers such as the reality star's husband, Kanye West, Caitlyn JennerDrake and The Late Late Show host James Corden, whose celebrity segment Carpool Karaoke has turned into a viral sensation.

Time launched its first list of 30 Most Influential People on the Internet last year. Kim made the list twice due to her massive social media presence. She currently has more than 130 million followers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and joined Snapchat earlier this month. This year, Time also mentioned how Kim "made headlines for posting, and then ardently defending, a series of nude selfies," and also touted her mobile apps, including her new series of Kimojis.

Rowling was also praised for her social interaction with fans both times she made Time's list.

"More than any other author, J.K. Rowling has cast a spell over the Internet, using Twitter and her website Pottermore to expand the Harry Potter universe," Time writer Ashley Ross states. "Rowling has also made headlines for fighting with a member of Scottish Parliament, comparing Donald Trump to Voldemort and offering support to fans with depression."

Kanye, Time reporter Nolan Feeney writes, is an "artist and entrepreneur" who "has perfected the art of the Twitter spree, sharing candid thoughts that are often just as provocative—if not more so—than his music."

"His tweets can be controversial (see: his comments on Amber Rose and Bill Cosby) and confusing (like his revelation that he's $53 million in debt), but many do offer constructive criticism of the fashion and music industries," he adds. "West also used the Internet to shake up the idea of an album as we know it, treating his latest LP, The Life of Pablo, like a work in progress by refusing to sell it (it's only available on the streaming service Tidal) and promising alterations to its "final" version."

People outside of the entertainment industry who made Time's list of 30 Most Influential People on the Internet include Trump, the frontrunner among the Republican candidates for the 2016 presidential election and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Those who made the cut last year but did not this time include Taylor SwiftBeyoncéGwyneth Paltrow, Shakira and Jimmy Fallon.