As Bluesky continues to gain traction as an alternative to X (formerly Twitter), its most-followed accounts offer a glimpse into the emerging trends and voices shaping this digital frontier.
From actors and politicians to satire and news, Bluesky’s leaderboard reflects the eclectic mix of users who have embraced the platform to date. Not counting Bluesky’s own official account, these are the top ten most followed accounts right now. Follower numbers are correct as of press time.
1. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Follower count: 691.7K
The U.S. representative for New York’s 14th district is an early Bluesky adopter, having joined in April 2023. Her bio reads, “Waitress turned Congresswoman for the Bronx and Queens. Grassroots elected, small-dollar supported. A better world is possible.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s first post reflected how small the platform audience was in the early days of 2023, “Hi there! Is this thing on?” she said, adding an emoji of a microphone.
She posted about why she left X for Bluesky, saying, “It honestly feels euphoric to experience a platform without a swarm of hate groups constantly hunting every post. I forgot what it was like.”
2. The New York Times
Follower count: 586K
With more than 6,000 posts, The New York Times has firmly established its presence on the fledgling social media site. The publication’s active engagement highlights Bluesky’s potential as a viable platform for reputable news organizations.
3. George Takei
Follower count: 583.1K
George Takei, an actor, activist, and social media personality with a cult following, is best known for his iconic role as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek series.
Beyond his acting career, Takei has become a prominent voice on social media, using platforms like Bluesky to engage with fans and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, and progressive causes.
Takei already has almost 5,000 posts under his belt, the most highly engaged of which are on politics.
With more than 19 million users to date, here are the top ten most followed accounts on Bluesky.
Photo Illustration by Newsweek/Getty Images
4. The Onion
Follower count: 579.5K
The Onion, a satirical news organization founded in 1988, has built a reputation in parody journalism, skewering politics, culture, and society with biting wit. It is known for its absurdly serious headlines and knack for mirroring real-world absurdities.
Another early Bluesky adopter, The Onion, joined in May 2023 and has produced more than 1,000 posts to date.
5. Mark Hamill
Follower count: 506.4K
The Star Wars actor, known for his love of social media and active online engagement with fans, has only four posts on Bluesky so far but has already amassed over half a million followers.
“Now that I’ve fled Leon’s site for bluer skies, I’m sure I’ll be called an #Ex-X, but personally, I’ll always consider myself a #TwitterQuitter,” he posted on Monday (or “skeeted” as some Bluesky users say).
His bio reads, “Believe in yourself! Work hard, never give up & anything’s possible! OR: Kick back, relax & aim low: You’ll never be disappointed… I IGNORE ALL DMs!”
File image of the Bluesky logo displayed on a cell phone and computer monitor. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and The New York Times currently have the most followers on the social media site.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
6. The Washington Post
Follower count: 475.1K
With a bio that reads as a humorous twist on its slogan—”Democracy Skies in Blueness”—The Washington Post has almost 5,000 posts. It also provides what is known as a Bluesky “StarterPack,” a curated list of its writers, editors, and other contributors with a presence on the platform.
Like several other media outlets such as NPR and Le Monde, The Washington Post joined Bluesky in 2023 when it was still invite-only.
7. Mark Cuban
Follower count: 436.6K
Entrepreneur, investor, and media personality Mark Cuban is best known as the owner of the NBA‘s Dallas Mavericks and former “shark” on the popular reality television series Shark Tank.
His Bluesky timeline is an eclectic mix of news, pop culture, and politics, including a “reskeet” of singer Lizzo, who said, “Being on this app has severely reduced the ‘everybody hates you’ voice in my head.”
8. Aaron Rupar
Follower count: 407.6K
Independent journalist Aaron Rupar is known for covering U.S. politics and media. Rupar’s career includes roles at Fox9, the Center for American Progress, and Vox Media.
In September 2021, Rupar transitioned to independent journalism, launching his Public Notice newsletter on Substack and then broadening his audience on Bluesky. His current posts offer insights into President-elect Donald Trump‘s new administration.
9. Molly Jong-Fast
Follower count: 389.2K
Molly Jong-Fast is a writer, journalist, and political commentator. She currently serves as a special correspondent for Vanity Fair and hosts the Fast Politics podcast. In January 2024, she joined MSNBC as a political analyst.
Jong-Fast gained a following for her incisive coverage of the U.S. presidential election, including a debrief on the Democrat’s loss, sharing on Bluesky, “The goal is to not swing at every pitch that Trump throws out. As Steve Bannon once explained to Michael Lewis, ‘The Democrats don’t matter. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.'”
10. MeidasTouch
Follower count: 385.6K
Independent news outlet MeidasTouch describes itself in its Bluesky bio as “The fastest growing independent news network in the world. We cover breaking news, politics, law and more. We are unapologetically pro-democracy.”
It also provides a Bluesky Starter Pack for its followers, which consists of contributors to the publication and other like-minded accounts.
“Wow. Just noticed we’ve crossed 300,000 followers on Bluesky,” it posted on Monday, adding, “Thank you for joining us here and for this incredible new pro-democracy community you are creating. Let’s keep building!”
While not in the top ten, an honorary mention goes to legendary horror writer Stephen King, who comes in at number 13 with over 373,000 followers. The Shining author joined Bluesky five months ago but only left X on November 15, posting, “I’m leaving Twitter. Tried to stay, but the atmosphere has just become too toxic.”
