There are plenty of powerful things in the world -- big governments, the threat of nuclear war, fear of the unknown, love, drug cartels and so much more. But nothing is more powerful than social media.
Social media can transform any unknown and make them a celebrity. It doesn't even require a ton of talent, but rather the confidence to post the videos. Making coffee, traveling the world, life hacks, singing or even just showing off your pets can make you a star. Once the follower count starts climbing then status and influence follow too. It opens the door to opportunity, changing lives and sometimes harming them as well.
The power of social media has given us an insight into the behind the scenes aspect of certain worlds. It's allowed people to make careers out of playing video games, helped them win elections, get a start in the music industry or even lead to some cool opportunities that were otherwise unimaginable.
Olivia Dunne, known as "Livvy" to her fans, is one of those people who rose to fame thanks to the power of social media. Just another Olivia from New Jersey quickly became Livvy, the TikTok star from New Jersey. Millions of people now follow the LSU gymnast as she helps put the sport on the map for the many viewers she has tuning in.
Previously it wasn't uncommon for most sports fans to only pay attention to gymnastics during the Olympics. Thanks to people like Dunne, fans flock to her events aiming to get a glimpse of the person that dominates their phone screens on TikTok. And that has led us here.
MORE: Olivia Dunne gymnastics schedule: How to watch LSU star's events live at 2023 NCAA championships
Ahead of the 2023 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, Sporting News is examining why Olivia Dunne is so popular and her claim to TikTok fame.
Why is Olivia Dunne so popular?
Dunne began posting TikTok videos back around 2020, beginning with gymnastics related videos before shifting gears to include elements of her life outside the gym. From there, she began creating videos of her dancing, lip-syncing and other skit-style clips.
TikTok has helped turn Dunne into a recognizable face both inside and outside the gymnastics world. She began participating in the sport at the age of three, but has since become a household name amongst Gen-Z and other social media users.
The social media empire Dunne has built helped her land name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with many brands, allowing her to cash in on the many people that can't wait for the next video to be uploaded.
How did Olivia Dunne get famous?
While Dunne is certainly an accomplished gymnast -- earning academic and athletic All-American honors -- it would be unfair to not point out that most of Dunne's fans are more interested in her looks.
One quick look at her TikTok page would make it quite obvious that she leans into this sort of style video, causing her crazed fans to react. Many of the videos she posts are not related to the sport, but rather playing to the many online fans that fall "in love" with the creator.
In some ways, that has created some uncomfortable situations for the LSU team. In at least one instance, LSU was met with a mob of crazed fans, which forced them to increase their security presence at the events.
Despite all of that, the 20-year-old New Jersey native has parlayed her social media success into monetary gains as well, helping her create a life after gymnastics.
MORE: NCAA gymnastics schedule: How to watch LSU, others at 2023 women's college championships
How many TikTok followers does Olivia Dunne have?
Dunne's TikTok popularity only continues to grow with each passing moment. Her meteoric rise on the social media app has translated into over 7.4 million followers on TikTok as of Tuesday, April 11.
Across all of her social media accounts, Dunne checks in with over 11.2 million followers.
Olivia Dunne net worth
There are a few different numbers related to Dunne's net worth -- but make no mistake -- it's a big number either way. Some outlets have estimated her net worth to be around $2.3 million while On3 NIL puts Dunne around the $3.3 million mark.
It is no surprise that the number comes with that many zeros on the end since Dunne holds the No. 1 spot in the college gymnastics NIL rankings. She is also listed at No. 3 amongst both men's and women's college sports, behind only Bronny James and Arch Manning.
An On3 NIL report in 2022 also revealed that a single post from Dunne is worth around $31,000.
According to the site, Dunne has NIL deals with companies like Body Armor, ESPN, Leaf Trading Cards, Forever 21 and Grubhub.
Regardless, expect to see plenty of Dunne in the future as her stardom is only pointed in one direction. Up.