Forbes is back again with their list of highest paid celebrities – and here it is! We were pretty surprised!
20. Britney Spears – $58 Million
Sure, she has been knocked out for awhile, but Britney is back on the top 20 list! She has done over 75 shows in the past month – not to forget her edorsement deals that she earns millions with. Her latest album, Femme Fatal earned platinum certification in the US and ever since her egagment to Jason Trawick the tabloids have been loving Ms.Spears.
19. Ryan Seacreat – $59 million
He’s well known for being the host of American Idol – but that’s not the only thing that’s raking in the big bucks. He has inked his deals with Comcast which is within the company of E! and is extending further into NBC where he’ll be covering news, sports and entertainment. He is also the producer of the hit TV show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and newly released Shah of Sunset, which is about Iranian-Americans in Beverly Hills. Ryan also endorses brands like Big and Coco-Cola… There’s no wonder he’s on this list.
18. Donald Trump $63 million
Well, it’s Donald Trump… do we really need to explain why he’s on this list. This man practically owns America..
17. Dr. Phil $64 million
He may have started as a psychologist but Dr. Phil is now a big TV personality. Having his own show since 2002.
16. Manny Pacquiao – 67 million
This filipino boxing genius has made history. Just from endorsement deals, he is earning more than enough.
15. Rush Limbaugh – $69 million
He is a radio host and political commentator and has been for the past 40 years. And there is no stopping him.
14. Dick Wolf – $70million
He is the creator of Law & Order and he isn’t going to suffer in the earning department. This show is still going on until today.
13. Tom Cruise – $75 million
We know him as the man in Mission Impossible or even as the guy who never ages. But, despite how long Tom Cruise has been in Hollywood – he is still earning the big bucks. And this year, it’s all thanks to Mission Impossible 3: Ghost Protocol that got him to this place on the Forbes list. Despite the sad divorce – Tom Cruise isn’t stopping for no one, he has a new movie in the works right now. We’re waiting to see how this turns out.
12. Elton John – $80 million
This 65-year-old singer is still going strong. In the past 12 months, he has played over 100 shows. He also has his 34th album on the way. When he isn’t in the studio, his attention turns to new son, Zachary who was born in 2010. There’s no stopping this singing sensation.
11. Glenn Bleck – $80 million
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host.
10. Simon Cowell $90 million
Everyone loves to hate this man – but hey, it makes him a millionaire. After his cycle on American Idol, Simon moved on to bigger and better things. Bring in The X Factor, first in U.K and now to the US. Not only that, Simon has a recording label, Syco Records – and well, his biggest client right now is One Direction… and we all know how popular those boys are.
9. George Lucas $90 million
This was the man who made Star Wars happen – and it became the biggest franchise ever. Because of Star Wars, George Lucas is set for a lifetime. Though, that doesn’t mean he stops doing what he loves. This year, he has helped with Battleship and The Avengers – pretty big movies that raked in a lot too!
8. James Patterson $94 million
This writer is on a role when it comes to writing books. In 2011, he released 14 titles that were thrillers and fantasy/sci-fi novels. And, every year, his amount of titles increase.
7. Howard Stern $95 million
Known for being the one on the radio – Howard Stern has moved up his game and is now a judge of America’s Got Talent. Though his radio shifts get a little unsteady, it looks like things are starting to go in the right track for him.
6. Tyler Perry $105 million
This man is your typical hard working man. He is a well-paid director/producer/writer/actor… add that all together, you definitely get on the Forbes list.
5. Dr. Dre $110 million
This super-producer is all about his music but what is really earning him all this gold is his unique line of headphones. ‘Beats’ is loved and wanted by the world. All kinds of companies want to buy into it – and well, Beats by Dr.Dre aren’t that cheap – but quality wise, it is close to the best.
4. Jerry Bruckheimer $115 million
This director has put together some of the greatest movies that hit of roof of the box office. Movies like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strengers Tides to the Prince of Persia. There’s no wonder why he’s earning millions.
3. Steve Spielberg $130 million
He is the genius behind E.T and some of other favorite movies – Steve Spielberg is a legend in the movie making industry. His most recent movies were The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse, both of which were nominated for an Oscar. But what really brings in the big bucks is that fact that Steven Spielberg is the co-founder of DreamWorks, which is one of biggest production companies today.
2. Michael Bay $160 million
He has nabbed director of the year thanks to his blockbusters Transformers: Dark of the Moon. This 3D film brought in $1.1 billion at the box office. Not to forget, Bay earns from the Transformer toys which brings in a lot. But, Transformers isn’t the only thing racking in the big bucks – he does small movie projects along with Victoria Secret commercials too. Pretty interesting huh?
1. Oprah Winfrey $165 million
Despite ending her run on the Oprah Winfrey show, it didn’t mean it was the end of Oprah in gerneal. She still continues to do what she loves and that is anything within the television networking area. Soon after, she started a new show, ‘Oprah Next Chapter’ where she interviews well known celebrities in their homes. Oprah has also joint ventures with several different networks. She also includes O: The Oprah Magazine, spin-off shows like Dr.Oz and a radio deal with Sirius on her portfolio. She is the top earning celebrity, and she deserves it – after all, she worked hard to get where she is now.
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