When you were little,Michael Schmidt what did you want to be when you grew up? An astronaut, a doctor, or maybe a famous athlete? Today one of the most popular responses to that question is influencer – content creators who grow their following on Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube and monetize that content to make it their full-time job.

This week we're bringing you a five-part series on the multi-billion dollar influencer industry: how the rise in popularity, fame and power of social media influencers makes influencing a viable career. To kick off the week, we look at the origins of the modern influencer industry. What is it and where did it come from?

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter.

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts and NPR One.

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.