Material Girl Madonna tops Forbes celebrity rich list
Pop diva Madonna is the world's top-earning celebrity, according to a Forbes magazine list, raking in US$125 million in the past year. The Material Girl's money came mainly from her US$305 million-grossing MDNA tour, but was helped by sales of her clothing and fragrance brands and various investments.
Pop diva Madonna is the world's top-earning celebrity, according to a Forbes magazine list, raking in US$125 million in the past year.
Director Steven Spielberg, who had a big hit last year with Lincoln, was a distant second with earnings of US$100 million in the year ending in June, most of which came from his catalogue of past hits such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park.
Forbes reporter Dorothy Pomerantz said: "Madonna's success, at the age of 55, goes to show the incredible power of a successful music career."
Madonna's top spot compares with her previous peak of US$110 million in 2009, but falls short of the US$165 million raked in by Oprah Winfrey in the previous year. Talk show queen and media mogul Winfrey took a big pay cut last year, falling to No13 on US$77 million, Forbes said.
At No 3, with earnings of US$95 million, there was a three-way tie between 50 Shades of Grey author E.L. James, radio shock jock Howard Stern and music and television producer Simon Cowell.