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12th Jun 2017

Forbes release 2017’s Celebrity 100 Rich-List, and Beyonce ISN’T the biggest earner

Rory Cashin

Mo’ money, mo’ problems…

While Beyonce does manage to get in at a close second, the actual top earning celebrity for the last twelve months is someone we weren’t expecting at all.

The definition of “celebrity” is covering all of the bases, with sports stars, authors, singers and DJs all getting mentioned, but some of the names mentioned here seem to have amassed their fortune from outlets other than, y’know, entertaining.

So, according to Forbes, and in reverse order, here are the Top Ten Celebrity Earners for the last last year (before tax, obvs):

10. LeBron James, $86 million

Basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who then promptly got their first NBA title in 2016. He has since signed a three-year deal which will net him (sports joke!) over $100 million.

9. James Patterson, $87 million

Author of about a bajillion novels, he currently is working on a thriller co-written by none other than former President Bill Clinton.

8. Coldplay, $88 million

Feels like a bit of a cheat, since there’s four of them, but whatever. They apparently made around $5 million per city for their Head Full Of Dreams tour, which is still on going right this moment.

7. Howard Stern, $90 million

Not hugely well known on this side of the Atlantic, Stern is a mainstay in the U.S. radio scene, and is widely loved/hated for his controversial approach to several taboo topics. So kinda like George Hook, but with more swearing.

6. The Weeknd, $92 million

One of the most streamed artists in the game at the moment (over 5.5 billion plays and counting), plus he had a massive tour which seen him make over $1 million per night.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo, $93 million

FIFA’s Player Of The Year for the fourth time, a $50 million deal with Real Madrid, and a lifetime contract with Nike which is rumoured to be worth in excess of ONE BILLION DOLLARS once all is said and done.

4. Drake, $94 million

Deals with Apple, Sprite, Nike. A world tour. The single most streamed artist of the last twelve months. One or two albums in there, too. Keeps busy, does our man Drake.

3. J.K. Rowling, $95 million

The theatrical version of Harry Potter & The Cursed Child is sold out until well into 2018, the novelised version was the most sold book of 2016, and she wrote the script for Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them.

2. Beyoncé, $105 million

Lemonade was released in 2016, followed promptly by the world tour, which by itself made over a quarter of a billion dollars, from which Queen B got a nice slice.

1. Diddy, $130 million

He made a deal with Diageo for their Ciroc vodka, he had a massive tour in the States with the Bad Boy Family Reunion, and he sold off a third of his Sean Combs clothing line which is valued at over $200 million.

So, in celebration of Diddy / Sean Combs / P. Diddy / Puff Daddy’s win:

Clip via The Notorious B.I.G.