Do you have a guess? Was it an actor? A musician? A pro football star? Well if you guessed Taylor Swift then you’re right on the money! Yep, Forbes just named Taylor the highest-earning celebrity of 2015. But who did she beat to clinch the top of the list?
Taylor is officially the highest earning global celebrity in the past year after earning $170 million from June 2015 to June 2016. The vast majority of her earnings came from her VERY successful “1989 World Tour” which grossed $250 million. She can also give thanks to her endorsement deals with Diet Coke, Keds and Apple, who helped increase her cash value into the stratosphere.
Close behind is the British pop group One Direction who earned $110 million last year. But despite the success, the band decided to take a one-year hiatus from boy-bandom…
Taylor also beat power couple Beyonce and Jay Z, both of which earned a collective $107.5 million. Although they didn’t win the highest-earning celebrity award, they still got the highest-earning celebrity couple nod! $54 million came from Beyonce thanks to her new album “Lemonade,” while Jay-Z pulled in his money from Tidal, Roc Nation and other business ventures.
The top 10 celebrity earners who made the list are:
1. Taylor Swift—$170 million
2. One Direction—$110 million
3. James Patterson—$95 million
4. Dr. Phil McGraw—$88 million
5. Cristiano Ronaldo—$88 million
6. Kevin Hart—$87.5 million
7. Howard Stern—$85 million
8. Lionel Messi—$81.5 million
9. Adele—$80.5 million
10. Rush Limbaugh—$79 million.
Floyd Mayweather took the top spot last year when he earned $300 million.
Noteworthy names such as Rihanna, The Rolling Stones and Madonna also made it to the Top 20 this year.
