As we all know, celebrities tend to receive a considerable paycheck. May it be on movies, concerts or tours, these stars are paid millions because of their talents and influence. Thus, this article will show you the list of celebrities who earned a massive amount of wealth in their own chosen art.
1. Scarlett Johansson- Earned: $40.5 million
One of the largest movies today is Marvel’s Avengers franchise film. As expected, the stars received large paychecks. With it, their very own Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, became one of the top-earning actresses in Hollywood. However, many did not know that Johansson did not feel entirely excited about wearing the black leather bodysuit. In an interview, she shared that. “You just think, ‘Oh god? Couldn’t it have, like I don’t know, some sort of a peplum skirt or something?” Johansson’s earnings in Avengers alone is reportedly $40.5 million.
2. Steve Harvey- Earned: $44 million
Steve Harvey is one of the outstanding hosts today. The six-time Daytime Emmy Award Winner is not only known for hosting Family Feud but also other prestigious events. Harvey can be seen hosting Showtime at the Apollo, Little Big Shots and Miss Universe. However, Harvey became famous worldwide for an unfortunate incident. In 2015, he announces the wrong country in the Miss Universe. Nonetheless, Harvey earns $44 million in his hosting career. Harvey’s mistake might have been forgiven, but it is quite hard to take down all the memes scattered on the internet.
3. Jackie Chan- Earned: $45.5 million
Many did not realize that Jackie Chan starred in six different movies in the year 2017. It shows how great of an artist he is. Chan played a starring role in films such as Bleeding Steel, and The Foreigner gave him a huge paycheck of $45.5 million, not counting the others. Chan also released his new memoir titled “Never Grow Up,” and it shows his love for luxurious vehicles. He shared that “In the morning, I’d crash my Porsche. Then in the evening, I’d total a Mercedes-Benz.” Chan is still quite a funny guy at his age today.
4. Elton John- Earned: $46 million
Sir Elton John is considered to be one of the most influential artist in the music industry. In 2018, John spent more of his time on stage compared to off stage. He played around 243 shows in his Las Vegas residency and then quickly jumping into his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. John’s tour is quite an exhaustive road trip that took him across five continents and involve at least 300 shows. John earned around $46 million in his concerts.
5. Jennifer Lopez- Earned: $100 million
Jennifer Lopez is one of the celebrities that never slow down. Just this 2020, Lopez performed in one of the biggest events in the sports industry, which is the Super Bowl. She hit her Las Vegas residency to a new hit single “Dinero” which she teamed up with DJ Khaled and Card B. Jenny From the Block has no signs of slowing down. In 2018, she earned $100 million from her shows. Lopez also has multiple endorsements. Amazingly, the now 50 years old still manages to maintain her hot physique.
6. Drake- Earned: $40 million
Drake is another influential artist in this generation. He is considered to be one of the most famous artists in Spotify, having a record-setting 8.2 billion streams globally. According to Forbes, Drake is the fourth-richest rapper in the world. Drake also dominates the hit charts and has a massive country-wide tour. Drake earns $40 million annually, and he loves to give some of his money away. In the earlier months of 2018, he reportedly spent $200,000 to college students, housekeepers, and homeless kids in Miami.
7. Paul McCartney- Earned: $54 million
No doubt, Paul McCartney is one of the legendary artists in the music industry. Coming from the iconic Beatles, McCartney is successful up to now as a solo artist. Recently, He released another successful album called the Egypt Station, which peaked on the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart. McCartney was also featured on James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke.” Also, he does a lot of tours and concerts in 2018, and have sold out stadiums and arenas across the country. Reports surfaced that McCartney earns around $54 million every year.
8. Calvin Harris- Earned: $48 million
Calvin Harris is one of the sought-after DJs today. It took merely ten years for Harris to be where he is today, from being a grocery store clerk living with his parents, to be one of the highest-paid DJ in the world. Harris is praise for being humble with his success, and shared in an interview that “I happened to be in the right place at the right time.” Harris has an estimated yearly income of $48 million. Currently, Harris has a net worth of $190 million.
9. Lady Gaga- Earned: $50 million
Lady Gaga successfully earned her spot in the movie industry after appearing in the A Star Is Born. Her success in both the music and movie industry gained her more respect from other artists. Among her awards are an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, won 11 Grammy Awards and thirteen MTV Video Music Awards. According to sources, she earned $90 million from the film and its soundtrack. The estimated yearly income of Lady Gaga is $50 million.
10. Lewis Hamilton- Earned: $51 million
Lewis Hamilton is a British race car driver, a champion in Formula 1, and also the best and wealthiest in his generation. Hamilton signed another three-year deal with Mercedes. He is also known to have a smooth style with women, and has been linked with the biggest names in the industry, such as Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Nicole Scherzinger. Hamilton also has a lot of endorsement deals such as Tommy Hilfiger, Monster Energy, Bombardier, MV Agusta Motorcycles, Bell Helmets, Sony, and Puma. His estimated yearly earnings is $51 million.
11. Pink- Earned: $57 million
This year, Pink confirmed that she would take a break to have more time with her family. But in 2019, it seems that she is all fired up. On February 5, 2019, Pink received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Pink then announced the release of her eighth album called the Hurts 2B Human. The album was released on April 26, 2019, but lead single “Walk Me Home,” was released on February 20, 2019. On the release date, Pink performed alongside Bastille lead singer Dan Smith, a medley of her biggest hits at the BRIT Awards. During the ceremony, Pink was also awarded with the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the ceremony. Pink’s annual earnings are said to be $57 million.
12. Luke Bryan- Earned: $52 million
Aside from being an American Idol Judge, Luke Bryan is also busy with tours around the world. In 2019, Bryan’s 2013 album Crash My Party received the first AlbumAlbum of the Decade award given by the Academy of Country Music. The now 43 years old country singer has sold seven million albums and 27 million singles across the globe. Bryan was also identified as the artist with the 7th most album sales in the year 2010-2019. According to reports, the annual earnings of Bryan is about $52 million. in an interview, Bryan revealed that “when I was making about $10,000 a year, Caroline (his wife) was the one bringing in the dough.” Clearly, the table has been turned for the star.
13. Kevin Durant- Earned: $53.7 million
As reports surfaced, Kevin Durant subtracted $10 million pay cut to play with the Golden State Warriors. It is his sacrifice to bring some key players back in his team. Durant surely gets millions though and aside from his salary, he still has huge endorsements such as Nike, Alaska Airlines, Panini, Beats and American Family Insurance. Durant’s yearly earnings are reportedly $53.7 million, and it is safe to say that his luxurious lifestyle is pretty much well maintained.
14. J.K. Rowling- Earned: $54 million
J.K. Rowling is the mind behind the Harry Potter series. Up to date, the movie franchise and the book still gather a lot of fans. As we all know, there is a Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Florida, wherein Rowling gets a share from every merchandise, tickets, and food sale. There is also a stage play for the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, where she also gets a cut. Thus, according to sources, J.K. Rowling makes $54 million annually. Fans could not wait what Rowling would release next.
15. The Weeknd- Earned: $57 million
Throughout his career, The Weekend was able to win multiple accolades such as two American Music Awards, three Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, nine Juno Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award. His song “The Hills” has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association or the RIAA. As a Canadian artist, The Weekend was awarded by the Allan Slaight Award by Canada’s Walk of Fame for making a positive impact as an artist. The Weekend was able to sell 70 million records across the United States alone. His estimated yearly income is $57 million.
16. Kevin Hart- Earned: $50 million
Kevin Hart is one of the funniest artists in the industry. Being a stand-up comedian, actor, and producer, he was able to have millions of fans. Hart was able to sell millions of tickets in his Irresponsible Tour, which earned him around $30 million. With regards to his acting career, the Jumanji remake where Hart played a starring role, hits the global office in the billion-dollar range. Hart also launched his own comedy streaming service that has around three million subscribers. According to reports, Kevin Hart has an annual income of $50 million.
17. Jerry Seinfeld- Earned: $60 million
Just by his generated revenue from the legendary 90s sitcom Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld can retire luxuriously. But he does not want to stop yet. Seinfeld signed a deal with Netflix that has an estimated amount of $100 million for the exclusive rights to his series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Aside from those, Seinfeld is still doing some road tours, and in 2017, he did 70 shows. Thus, sources claim that Seinfeld earned $60 million in June 2016- June 2017.
18. Kendrick Lamar- Earned: $58 million
Another award-winning musician is Kendrick Lamar. In 2017, his single “Humble” topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the album itself became the first non-classical and non-jazz album to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. With his achievements it would be easy for him to generate more wealth. Lamar is also doing world-wide tours and has multiple endorsements. He is one of the musicians that also made a massive impact on the music scene. Thus, Lamar rakes an annual income of $58 million.
19. Beyoncé Knowles Earned: $60 million
Beyoncé is one of the celebrities that can be described as a diva. People that went into her concerts will never be disappointed as she genuinely gave her heart in music and with her performances. Beyoncé’s first co-headlining tour alongside her husband Jay Z, called On The Run II, grossed over 254 million, and it is said to be around $6.5 million a night. We will not be surprised that her annual income is $60 million. Also, Beyoncé shared in an interview that “I truly believe that women should be financially independent of their men.” Hence, the diva is still working hard to gain more wealth.
20. Gordon Ramsay Earned: $62 million
Gordon Ramsey is one of the famous and wealthiest celebrity chefs today. Appearing in multiple hit shows such as MasterChef Jr., MasterChef, and Hell’s Kitchen, there is no doubt that he has millions of dollars in his bank account and a high credit score. Aside from being on television Ramsay also owns 25 restaurants in New York, London, Tuscany, and Singapore. So it is not a surprise that he earns $62 million every year. Ramsay mentioned in an interview that “I’ve never been turned on about the money. Well, sure, it’s easy to be blasé when you have so much of it!
21. David Copperfield- Earned: $62 million
Up to date, David Copperfield is the wealthiest magician in the world. His television specials have earned him 21 Emmy Awards and a total of 38 nominations. Copperfield also has a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So far, Copperfield has sold 33 million tickets and grossed over $4 billion with his tours. Aside from being a magician and illusionist, Copperfield also manages a chain of eleven resort islands in the Bahamas. His $62 million income every year just speaks so much with his success.
22. Sean Combs- Earned: $64 million
Sean Combs or Puff Daddy is also one of the respected musicians in the industry. Given that he gained a huge amount as a musician, many did not now that Combs is also one of the most successful businessmen. One of his prominent business is his beverage empire. It sells almost everything, from tequila to vodka all the way to alkaline water. The company of Combs ships around 2 million cases of Cîroc vodka a year, which makes it the second-largest high-class vodka in the US market. Combs annually earns $64 million.
23. Chris Hemsworth- Earned: $76.4 million
Another humble celebrity is Chris Hemsworth. Playing the character of MCU’s Thor, Hemsworth has skyrocketed not only his career but also his wealth. However, Hemsworth may have mixed feelings about getting rich. He mentioned in an interview that “I feel gross about it, I remember saving up for a surfboard when I was younger. The surfboard was 600 bucks, and I saved up for a whole year with Dad’s help.” Just for Endgame along, Hemsworth earned a whopping $76.4 million.
24. Roger Waters Earned: $68 million
Roger Waters is the frontman and co-founder of the iconic rock band Pink Floyd. The now 76 years old rockstar has no signs of slowing down. Since 2017, Waters has been touring around playing the hit songs of the iconic rock band. Despite the controversy, especially when it comes to his political views, Waters raked in a huge amount of cash. Waters annual earnings as of 2018, is $68 million that ranked him in the Celebrity 100 top-paid entertainers by Forbes.
25. Ryan Seacrest Earned: $71.5 million
The American Idol would not be complete without seeing the face of Ryan Seacrest. He also is known for the syndicated countdown program called the American Top 40 and being the face of morning radio show iHeartMedia’s KIIS-FM On Air with Ryan Seacrest. According to sources, in 2018, Seacrest made a vast earning of $71.5 million from his career and other investments. His efforts were rewarded not just by wealth but also by the nominations from prestigious bodies in the industry. Seacrest has been nominated for an Emmy Award for American Idol in 2004, 2013 and 2016, and in 2010 he took home the award for producing Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.
26. Jay Z Earned: $76.5 million
Jay Z may have problems, but we are pretty sure money is not one of them. His albums and songs are still giving him a steady income, and Jay Z also has different investments and businesses. He has a deal with Live Nation Entertainment that guaranteed him with around $1.5 million per show. Jay Z also founded a sports management company called the Roc Nation Sports that represent Dex Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Leonard Fournetter. Jay Z also co-owns a streaming service called the Tidal alongside his wife, Beyoncé. Thus, in 2018 alone, Jay Z earned $76.5 million from all of his endeavors.
27. Dr. Phil McGraw- Earned: $95 million
In case you did not know, Dr. Phil has a lot going on in the entertainment industry, aside from being one of the most successful TV show hosts. No doubt his syndicated TV show titled Dr. Phil is making a lot of profit. He also authors books. Dr. Phil is also responsible for producing the hit show The Bull, The Doctors, and the Daily Mail TV. In 2019, he had an annual income of $95 million, no wonder he has a net worth of $440 million.
28. Taylor Swift- Earned: $185 million
Our list would not be complete without Taylor Swift. The Success of the 30-year-old artist took the music industry by storm. In 2017, when her album Reputation was released, it sold 2 million copies in its opening week. In 2018, Swift earned around $5 million in record sales, $2.4 million in streaming, and another $2 million for the publishing royalties. Swift is also spending her time on the road for her multiple successful tours. In 2019, she landed on the Forbes Tope-Earning Musicians in 2019, as she raked a $185 million worth of income in the said year.
29. Robert Downey Jr. Earned: $75 million
Arguably, Robert Downey Jr. is born to play the character of Iron Man. As we all know, Downey ha a rough past in the 90s, thankfully he was able to land back on his feet and became one of the most loved superheroes. In case you did not now, Downey earned $10 million just by doing a cameo in Spider-Man Homecoming. As for Avengers: End Game, Downey earned at least $75 million. Fans are waiting what’s next for Iron Man since he passed away in Endgame to save the world.
30. Katy Perry Earned: $83 million
For being one of the judges in American Idol, Katy Perry earns a $25 million paycheck. Aside from that, she is on the road touring several continents in support of her Witness album. In 2018, she raked an annual income of $83 million and had a current net worth of $330 million. With Perry’s colossal wealth, she can buy anything, including her boyfriend. In case you forgot, Perry once outbid a fan in a charity auction, and the prize would be spending time with the actor Orlando Bloom.
31. LeBron James- Earned: $35.65 million
LeBron James is another successful athlete at a very young age. He was able to achieve two Olympic gold medals, three NBA championships, three NBA Finals MVP, and four NBA MVP Awards. Together with LeBron’s team, they appeared in eight consecutive NBA Finals from 2011-2018. He leads with the record for all-time NBA playoff points scored, third in all-time NBA points scored, and eight in all-time NBA assists. LeBron was selected twelve times to the All-NBA First Team, five times in the All-Defensive First Team, and played sixteen NBA All-Star Games and took home the All-Star MVP three times. It will not shock you if his annual salary is $35.65 million, aside from receiving million worth of endorsements.
32. James Patterson- Earned: 95 million
James Patterson is the author of the 2016 bestseller, Filthy Rich. Living up to his masterpiece, he is indeed filthy rich himself. Patterson has been one of the world’s best-selling authors for almost two decades, as he sold more than 350 million copies across the globe. In 2016 alone, he was able to earn a huge income of $95 million. Thus, in 2018, Patterson co-wrote a novel with the former president Bill Clinton, titled The President Is Missing, which sole more than 1 million copies in North America alone.
33. Ellen DeGeneres- Earned: $87.5 million
One of the most influential people in the industry today is Ellen DeGeneres. Her show has inspired many across the globe. In 2018, DeGeneres appeared in a new stand up special called Relatable for Netflix. It has been 15 years since DeGeneres do Stand-up comedy. However, she was the first woman to make $20 million for a Netflix stand-up special. Aside from that, DeGeneres also has a steady income from her regular talk show and produced shows like Splitting Up Together and Little Big Shots. Thus, in the said year, DeGeneres was able to have a combined income of $87.5 million.
34. George Clooney- Earned: $239 million
George Clooney is one of the A-List celebrities in Hollywood, and despite his age, he is still considered as a heartthrob. Up to date, Clooney still makes movies. However, his directional effort titled Suburbicon was considered to be a flop. Even though Clooney has failed movies, wealth will never be a problem for him. One of his investments is the Casamigos, which is a tequila company that he co-founded alongside Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. According to sources, they sold the business to a British liquor company called the Diageo for $700 million. Thus, in 2018 Clooney received an income of $239 million.
35. Kylie Jenner- Earned: $170 million
People were shocked by how Kylie Jenner went from being a cute little girl to be the wealthiest member of the Kardashian family. Many may not have expected her to be the wealthiest member. Kylie outpaced her sisters and parents with her wealth. At 22 years old, Kylie has an estimated net worth of $1 billion. Owning the company Kylie Cosmetics, she was able to have an income of $170 million in 2019. Thankfully, when it comes to investment planning and money management, the 22 years old ha the talent.
36. Dwayne Johnson- Earned: $89.4 million
As we all know, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a former wrestler and currently an actor. Given the switch of his career, he proved to be successful. Johnson is now one of the highest-paid actors as he appeared in multiple successful films. According to reports, Johnson earned $89.4 million from June 1, 2018 to June 1, 2019. In addition, sources claimed that Johnson is paid $1 million per social media promotion. Johnson mentioned in an interview that “Social media has become the most critical element of marketing a movie for me. I have established a social media equity with an audience around the world that there’s a value in what I’m delivering to them.”
37. Ed Sheeran- Earned: $110 million
The English artist took the music industry to whole new level. Sheeran is considered to be one of the world’s best-selling artists. In 2019 Sheeran raked an income of $110 million for his tours, albums and endorsements. However, the now 28 years old, admittedly mentioned that he genuinely cares about his salary. He said in an interview that “All the biggest people in the world know about this and if they deny it they are lying. If they’re massive, at Beyoncé’s level or Jay Z’s or Taylor’ s—someone who’s massive—every one of us cares about sales and figures.” It is safe to say the Sheeran has an impressive money management skills, after all he has a total net worth of $160 million.
38. Bruno Mars- Earned: $237 million
Bruno Mars is no doubt one of the promising artist today. Marking his name in the music industry he sold out multiple concert tickets with his tours. Mars’s 24K Magic World Tour wraps up in the New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, in 2018. He went on 193 cities and raked quarter of a billion dollars in profits. Thus, in 2018 alone, Mar’s was able to have a $237 million worth of income for doing 100 shows.
39. Conor McGregor- Earned: $99 million
Conor McGregor is also one of the famous athletes that came from humble beginnings. To date, he was one of the fear Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the UFC. In 2017, the sports industry was shocked, and everybody looked forward to the match of McGregor and Floyd Mayweather. He went home with $85 million for the fight and, additional millions from his endorsements such as Anheuser-Busch, and Burger King, to name a few.
40. Howard Stern- Earned: $90 million
It has been years since Howard Stern was legitimately tagged as “King of All Media.” Stern, being one of the most successful radio hosts, wealth will never be a problem. In 2018, Stern once again surfaced and became the biggest name in the field of entertainment, after signing a contract with SiriusXM. In that same year, Stern was able to receive an income of $90 million. As of 2020, Stern has an estimated net worth of $650 million.
These celebrities found in our list is definitely wealthy all throughout, given the net worth that they have. But in this specific year, it must be their lucky year as they have raked an enormous profit from all their hard work. Their lives are never comfortable, considering their tours and filming. They just proved that hard work pays off.