‘Forbes’ Reveals Top 10 Highest-Earning Celebrities Of 2016
Forbes has released their annual “Highest-Paid Celebrity” list for 2016, and the numbers for the top 100 are absolutely mind-blowing. Just note that numbers 99 and 100 on the list, Gisele Bundchen and Britney Spears, each made $30.5 million and you can see where this list is heading. In total, the top 100 celebrities on the Forbes list, which calculated income from June 2015 to June 2016, made a combined $5.1 billion. Yes, that’s billion with a “b.”
Here’s a quick look at the top 10.
10. Rush Limbaugh: $79 million
Coming in at No. 10 is radio talk show host, writer, and political commentator Rush Limbaugh. His eight-year, $400 million contract for The Rush Limbaugh Show that he signed in 2008 is up for renewal this month, and due to declining ratings, it’s wondered if he’ll take a pay cut.
9. Adele: $80.5 million
At ninth on the list is English singer, songwriter, and top-selling recording artist Adele, who Forbes says is the only singer on their Top 100 list that made more than half of her money from music. Her third studio album, 25, was a huge success, and its lead single, “Hello,” was the first song in the United States to ever sell one million digital copies in its first week.
8. Lionel Messi: $81.5 million
One of two footballers in the top 10, Argentina’s Lionel Messi comes in at number eight with $81.5 million. Along with his high salary for FC Barcelona, the reigning and multiple-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner also rakes in the cash with a huge endorsement deal with Adidas. Messi recently ran into some legal trouble and was found guilty of tax fraud, resulting in a 21-month prison sentence. However, he won’t serve any jail time as any sentence under two years for first-time offenders in Spain offers a suspended sentence.
7. Howard Stern: $85 million
After all these years, the self-proclaimed “King of All Media,” Howard Stern, is still piling up the cash. Thanks to a new five-year deal with Sirius XM Radio, which will extend to a new app and video streaming of his program, the shock jock will likely continue to make this list for a long time to come.
6. Kevin Hart: $87.5 million
Comedian and actor Kevin Hart comes in at number six to the tune of $87.5 million dollars. Not only did his stand-up comedy shows sell out more than 100 stadiums across the United States, but his movie career has exploded. Hits like Ride Along 2, Central Intelligence and the animated smash The Secret Life of Pets will surely keep the money coming in for quite a while.
Tied at 4. Dr. Phil McGraw: $88 million
Dr. Phil just keeps on rolling. Not only does he get a sizable portion of the profits from his daytime show, he’s also an executive producer on The Doctors and also adds to his empire with endorsement deals with the AARP and AstraZeneca.
Tied at 4. Cristiano Ronaldo: $88 million
It took a while, but Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has finally overtaken Lionel Messi as the highest-paid player in the world. His contract with Real Madrid and numerous endorsement deals certainly keep arguably the most popular player in the world living quite comfortably.
3. James Patterson: $95 million
Best-selling author James Patterson, the writer of the wildly popular Alex Cross series, comes in at number three with $95 million. He puts out about a dozen books every year with various co-authors, and the adaptation of his sci-fi thriller, Zoo, is currently on CBS.
2. One Direction: $110 million
Despite losing Zayn Malik last year, One Direction kept on rolling with their extremely profitable “On the Road Again” tour, making them the most profitable active band in the entire world.
1. Taylor Swift: $170 million
Is anybody really surprised at who No. 1 on this list is? At $170 million, Taylor Swift is easily the highest-paid celebrity in the world. Her “1989 World Tour” broke the Rolling Stones’ North American touring record, grossing more than $200 million. She continues to be a pop culture icon, a trend that surely won’t slow down anytime soon.
[Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Images]
