36. Jay Z: $53.5 million
Shawn Corey Carter, better known as Jay Z, is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists in the United States. Aside from being a rapper, Jay Z is also a successful businessman and investor. He has received over 20 Grammy Awards for his work, and is married to singer and entertainer, Beyoncé Knowles. The couple has one daughter together, Blue Ivy.
Image Source: Earn The Necklace
35. Gordon Ramsay: $54 million
Gordon Ramsay is a British chef, restaurateur and television personality. He is known for his fiery temper, and fierce personality on the Fox television show, Hell’s Kitchen. Many consider him controversial for his explicit language and blunt comments.
Image Source: Pinterest
34. Beyoncé: $54 million
Beyoncé Knowles is an American singer, songwriter, entertainer and actress. Before becoming a solo artist, she was in the famous R&B girl group, Destiny’s Child. In 2003, she released her solo debut album, Dangerously In Love. As a solo artist, she has sold over 100 million records and is married to Rapper Jay Z.
Image Source: Billboard
33. Matt Damon: $55 million
Matt Damon is an A-list actor, film producer and screenwriter. He grew up near fellow actor, Ben Affleck, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Damon is best known for Good Will Hunting, a screen play he wrote for an English class at Harvard University.
Image Source: Christian Post
32. The Weeknd: $55 million
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter and producer. The “Hills Have Eyes” singer was the first artist in history to have three singles simultaneously hold the top three spots on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. His third album, Starboy, was recently released in September 2016. The Weeknd dated model, Bella Hadid, for nearly two years before calling it quits in November 2016.
Image Source: Brand New Hip Hop
31. U2: $55 million
U2 formed in 1976 at Mount Temple Comprehensive School as teenagers. The group has released 13 studio albums, and have more Grammy Awards than any other band in history. In 2005, their first year of eligibility, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Image Source: Mojo
30. Ryan Seacrest: $55 million
Ryan Seacrest has come a long way since hosting American Idol. He originally shared the gig with comedian Brian Dunkleman for one year before becoming the sole host. In 2005, he began his career as the executive producer and co-host of ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Today, he is the most recognized radio host.
Image Source: OC Register
29. Kenny Chesney: $56 million
Kenny Chesney is a country music star who has won numerous awards including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist, and the Triple Crown Award. Kenny Chesney was set to release his newest album, Some Town Somewhere in July 2016. He ended up pushing the release date back to October, and ended up changing the title of the album to Cosmic Hallelujah. The delayed album included a new song featuring Chesney with pop singer-songwriter, P!nk.
Image Source: Boomsbeat
28. Justin Bieber: $56 million
Justin Bieber, who was accidentally discovered by Scooter Braun via YouTube in 2007, is now one of the most popular male pop stars in the world. Justin recently released his latest album, Purpose, in 2015. The “Sorry” singer recently released a single, “Cold Water” with Major Lazer and MØ.
Image Source: InStyle
27. Novak Djokovic: $56 million
Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player. He started playing tennis when he was only 4 years old. Novak won his first Grand Slam title in 2008, and won a bronze medal for his country in the Beijing Olympics in the same year. In 2016, he wrapped up the season as runner-up to Andy Murray at the ATP World Tour Finals in London (3-6, 4-6) and finished the year ranked #2 in the world for the second time in his career.
Image Source: Emaze
26. Kevin Durant: $56 million
Kevin Durant is an American professional basketball player. He has played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors. He was awarded Rookie of the Year in his debut season and has led the league in scoring four times in his career, and won the regular season MVP award in 2014.
Image Source: The Source
25. Paul McCartney: $56.5 million
Paul McCartney is famously known for being one of the four Beatles, a Rock Band from the UK. When the popular band split up, he pursued a solo career. In 2015, McCartney collaborated with Kanye West and Rihanna on the single, “FourFiveSeconds.”
Image Source: Star Tribune
24. Bruce Springsteen: $60.5 million
The “Born In The U.S.A” singer announced a book tour for his autobiography, “Born to Run,” in September 2016. Springsteen, a rock and roll legend, was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama on November 22, 2016.
Image Source: Billboard
23. Jackie Chan: $61 million
It took Jackie Chan many years to achieve international popularity. He started out as Hong Kong’s most adored film star in the 1970’s. Thanks to his dangerous stunts, he has suffered many injuries during his career, but is an extremely successful actor, producer and director.
Image Source: Pinterest
22. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: $62 million
Sean Combs, also known as “Puff Daddy,” “P. Diddy,” or “Diddy,” is known for his work in the music and fashion industries. He has six studio albums, and the seventh will most likely be released in the upcoming year.
Image Source: Rap Basement
21. Calvin Harris: $63 million
Adam Wiles, better known as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, singer and songwriter. Calvin was extremely successful in the UK, but wasn’t internationally known until his “We Found Love” collaboration with Rihanna. The two have collaborated on two other singles, “Where Have You Been” and “This Is What You Came For.”
Image Source: MGM
20. David Copperfield: $64 million
Copperfield is the most commercially successful magician in history. He has sold 33 million tickets and has grossed more than $4 billion, which is the most any solo performer has made.
Image Source: Hollywood Reporter
19. Dwayne Johnson: $64.5 million
Dwayne Johnson, also known as “The Rock,” was a professional wrestler. He is considered to be one of the greatest, and most successful pro-wrestlers of all time. After his career in wrestling ended, he began focusing on acting and producing. Look for him in Fast 8, Baywatch and Jumanji in 2017.
Image Source: Pinterest
18. Rolling Stones: $66.5 million
The Rolling Stones, formed in 1962, took the United States by storm in 1964-1965. The Rolling Stones’ latest album, Blue & Lonesome, was ranked as the seventh best album of 2016 by Rolling Stone the magazine.
Image Source: Consequence of Sound
17. AC/DC: $67.5 million
The Australian Rock and Roll band brought in $67.5 million this year, and is widely considered one of the greatest rock bands of all-time. In April 2016, Axl Rose rejoined the group, singing lead vocals throughout AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” world tour.
Image Source: Billboard
16. Roger Federer: $68 million
Arguably the greatest tennis player in the sport’s history, Roger Federer was unfortunately unable to play in the 2016 Summer Olympics due to a knee injury. His 17 Grand Slam titles are a men’s tennis record, and he seems ready to add to that total in 2017. Currently ranked #16 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals, Federer will aim to prove skeptics wrong this year.
Image Source: Sporting News
15. Garth Brooks: $70 million
Brooks is the only artist in music history to have seven albums reach diamond status. Though he is only #15 on this list, Garth Brooks is the top earner in 2016 for the country music industry.
Image Source: D Magazine
14. Rihanna: $75 Million
Robyn Fenty, better known as Rihanna, is a Barbados-born pop/R&B singer who has sold more than 200 million records. In addition to dominating the music industry, Rihanna dedicates much of her time to social causes. She recently made headlines for joining Prince Harry on World AIDS Day to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS. The two celebrated the 50th anniversary at the Kensington Palace, and also had a finger prick test to show “how easy it is to be tested for HIV.”
Image Source: E!
13. Ellen DeGeneres $75 million
Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most loved talk show hosts in the United States. She and actress/model Portia de Rossi have been married since 2008. In November 2016, Ellen was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
Image Source: Pinterest
12. Madonna: $76.5 million
Madonna, “The Queen of Pop,” was named Billboard’s 2016 Woman of the Year. The “Like A Virgin” singer is known for pushing the boundaries of mainstream music with risqué song lyrics and music videos. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.
Image Source: indiewire
11. LeBron James: $77 million
LeBron James is a professional basketball player and is currently a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron led his team to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, winning his third NBA title.
Image Source: LA Times
10. Rush Limbaugh: $79 million
Rush Limbaugh is the host of the Rush Limbaugh Show, which is the most listened to radio talk show in America. He is known for his conservative political commentary. In July, he signed a contract to extend his talk show to 2020.
Image Source: Politico
9. Adele: $80.5 million
Adele is a British singer and songwriter. She burst onto the scene with the release of her second studio album, 21, which is the longest-running #1 album by a female solo artist of all-time. After a three-year break, Adele released 25 in 2015 with her single, “Hello,” selling 1 million copies within the first week of its debut. Only 28 years old but having already sold over 100 million records worldwide, Adele will find herself on this list for years to come.
Image Source: The Atlantic
8. Lionel Messi: $81.5 million
Messi is an Argentine footballer for FC Barcelona and one of the biggest soccer stars on the planet. In February 2016, he recorded his 300th career goal. The speedster is known for his fancy footwork and explosive left foot. The 4-time Ballon d’Or winner has a strong case as the best player on the planet, and at only 29 years old, won’t be slowing down any time soon.
Image Source: Forbes
7. Howard Stern: $85 million
Howard Stern is best known for hosting the radio show, The Howard Stern Show. In addition to his work as a radio host, Stern is an author, actor and television personality. Stern served as a judge on America’s Got Talent for four seasons, and recently made headlines for voicing his support toward President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for National Right-to-Carry law.
Image Source: Salon
6. Kevin Hart $87.5 million
Kevin Hart used comedic relief to help cope with his troubled childhood. He is a well-known stand up comedian and actor. His first comedy tour was in 2009, which was titled “I’m A Grown Little Man.” Since then, he has starred in films such as Think Like A Man, Grudge Match, Ride Along and Get Hard.
Image Source: Hot Birthdays
5. Cristiano Ronaldo: $88 million
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portugese professional footballer who is a member of Real Madrid. In June 2016, he was named the World’s Most Famous Athlete by ESPN. Despite being the most famous, it was reported that Ronaldo’s son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., is a big fan of one of his dad’s biggest rivals, French superstar Antoine Griezmann.
Image Source: Mirror
4. Dr. Phil McGraw: $88 million
In 1979, Dr. Phil McGraw obtained his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas. Dr. Phil made guest appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the 1990’s, which helped him gain celebrity status. In 2002, his own talk show, Dr. Phil, made its debut.
Image Source: Deadline
3. James Patterson: $95 million
Although he is only #3 on this list, James Patterson is the world’s highest paid author for the third consecutive year. He is most known for his Alex Cross series. Patterson is the first person to sell 1 million e-books, which is a Guinness World Record.
Image Source: LA Times
2. One Direction: $110 million
Even though the boy band went on hiatus, they still managed to make an insane amount of money. Zayn Malik left the band in 2015, and Liam Payne and Harry Styles have scored solo contracts. Fans of the boy band have become fearful that the group will never reconnect, but Styles calmed nerves by tweeting about the group’s six-year anniversary.
Image Source: Play Buzz
1. Taylor Swift: $170 million
Leave it to Taylor Swift to make more money than Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Justin Bieber combined. She has not released a new album in 2 years, but it is reported that she is working hard on a new one. With the most loyal fans in the music industry, we can already guarantee it will be a big hit.
Image Source: Daily Headlines