- Forbes just released the 2020 edition of its Celebrity 100 list, ranking the highest-paid celebrities in the world.
- Topping the list is Kylie Jenner, who earned $590 million from June 2019 through May 2020.
- Most of Jenner's 2019 earnings came from selling a majority stake in her cosmetics company to Coty for $600 million. Forbes reports she earned $540 million (pretax) from that deal.
- Following Jenner is her brother-in-law, recently inducted three comma club member Kanye West, who earned $170 million during that period.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Though Forbes revoked Kylie Jenner's billionaire status less than a week ago, she still topped the publication's new list of the highest-paid celebrities in the world.
To determine which celebrities were paid the most, Forbes looked at what each earned, pretax, between June 2019 and May 2020, before deducting fees for agents, lawyers, and managers. The publication's figures are sourced from Nielsen Music/MRC Data, Pollstar, IMDB, NPD BookScan, and ComScore, in addition to information gathered from interviews with industry experts as well as from the stars themselves.
Jenner's brother-in-law Kanye West is in a fairly distant second place on the list, with $170 million in earnings. Tennis legend Roger Federer, who was recently ranked as the world's highest-paid athlete, follows in the third spot.
Keep reading to see the top 15 highest-paid celebrities on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, ranked in ascending order of earnings.
15. James Patterson
Source of wealth: Books
Earnings: $80 million
Patterson co-wrote the book"Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein," which has now been turned into a Netflix docuseries.
14. Elton John
Source of wealth: Music
Earnings: $81 million
In 2019, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour earned $212 million, according to Forbes. "Rocketman," the musical fantasy biopic based on the singer's life, also grossed over $195 million worldwide last year, per Box Office Mojo.
13. Bill Simmons
Source of wealth: Media
Earnings: $82.5 million
Simmons is the first podcaster to appear on the Celebrity 100. He did so after selling his media company, The Ringer, to Spotify in March in a nearly $200 million deal.
Source: Business Insider
12. Ellen DeGeneres
Source of wealth: Entertainment
Earnings: $84 million
Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most popular talk-show hosts in America and has a net worth of $330 million.
11. Rush Limbaugh
Source of wealth: Radio
Earnings: $85 million
Rush Limbaugh is one of the most popular names in conservative radio. He was recently (and controversially) awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump.
10. Dwayne Johnson
Source of wealth: Entertainment
Earnings: $87.5 million
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has become one of Hollywood's most desirable leading men. He's also the highest-paid actor in the world.
9. Lebron James
Source of wealth: Sports
Earnings: $88.2 million
Lebron James signed a 4-year contract with the LA Lakers in 2018 that's reportedly worth $154 million, according to NBC Sports.
8. Howard Stern
Source of wealth: Radio
Earnings: $90 million
Howard Stern is the highest-paid radio personality. In 2015, the New York Times' Ben Sisario reported that Stern extended his contract with SiriusXM for five more years. At the time, his current contract was reportedly worth $80 million.
7. Neymar
Source of wealth: Sports
Earnings: $95.5 million
Neymar is currently signed under a five-year contract with the Paris Saint-Germain soccer team. The sought-after soccer star was bought out from his previous contract with Barcelona in 2017 for $263 million, CNN reported.
6. Tyler Perry
Source of wealth: Entertainment
Earnings: $97 million
Tyler Perry is best known for his Madea movie franchise. But he made headlines for another reason recently, when it was reported that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been staying at his $18 million mega-mansion in Los Angeles, California, while they house-hunt for a more permanent residence.
5. Lionel Messi
Source of wealth: Sports
Earnings: $104 million
Lionel Messi is one of the most famous athletes in the world. Per Forbes, his current contract with Barcelona is worth over $80 million a year.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Source of wealth: Sports
Earnings: $105 million
Cristiano Ronaldo signed a deal with Juventus that CNBC's Abigail Hess reported was worth over $100 million. He's also had numerous endorsement deals with companies including Tag Heuer, Clear Haircare, and Nike, Business Insider previously reported.
3. Roger Federer
Source of wealth: Sports
Earnings: $106.3 million
Roger Federer is one of the most iconic tennis players of all time and is currently the world's highest-paid athlete.
2. Kanye West
Source of wealth: Retail
Earnings: $170 million
While Kanye West first became famous as a rapper, the bulk of his fortune is actually from his clothing brand, Yeezy. In 2019, Bank of America valued Yeezy at $3 billion, Business Insider previously reported.
1. Kylie Jenner
Source of wealth: Cosmetics
Earnings: $590 million
Though Forbes recently revoked her billionaire status, the youngest of the Kar-Jenner clan pocketed $540 million between June 2019 and May 2020, largely from selling 51% of her eponymous makeup brand to Coty for $600 million.