Celebrity rich list

Money equals power in the world of celebrity and there were a few surprises when business and finance magazine Forbes released their annual Celebrity rich list this week. After pouring over business dealings, net worth, sales, press attention and all sorts of other bits and bobs they’ve calculated who the 100 most powerful celebrities in the world today are. If you’re looking for someone to borrow a fiver from, this lot are a good place to start…

Oprah Winfrey

Taking the top spot was Oprah Winfrey, one of celebrity’s only self-made billionaires. There was gossip last year that things were on the slide for the one time Oscar nominee when ratings for The Oprah Winfrey Show dropped but it doesn’t seem to have harmed her earning power. Her own TV station, the Oprah Winfrey Network, is set to launch next year, she signed £27.5m radio deal with and her production company, that created the Dr. Phil and The Rachael Ray Shows, continues to rake it in.

Angelina Jolie

While Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears’ meltdowns have gained mountains of press over the last year they pale when compared to Angelina Jolie. While her films have all done big box office business her relationship with Brad Pitt, adoptions, pregnancy and charity work have ensured she’s never out of the papers. One of the highest earners and charity givers, expect the pictures of her soon-to-born twins to break records for celebrity baby snaps.

Beyonce Knowles

Leaving Destiny’s Child on the shelf back in 2003 turned out to be a good move for Beyonce Knowles. These days she’s still singing (she’s had two multi-platinum albums and made £25m in ticket sales for her tour last year) but has added film star and fashion designer to her CV. Her bank account, as if it needed any help, was boosted to the tune of £5m last year when she lent her face to big brands L\'Oréal, American Express, Hilfiger and others.

David Beckham

Becks got a tonne of bad press when he decided to sign for LA Galaxy. One person not complaining though was his bank manager. He’s earning a base salary of £3m for playing for the team but more than doubles that with his cut of merchandise, ticket revenue and sponsorship. On top of that he also has his own big bucks deals with Armani, Sharpie, GO3, Adidas, Motorola and Pepsi.

Johnny Depp

Thanks to the success of the Pirates Of The Caribbean films Johnny Depp’s been catapulted back up the A list and into the mainstream. His star turn in Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Oscar nomination have meant his career is enjoying a welcome renaissance while his charity donations and award wins have kept his profile sky high.

Brad Pitt

Despite being beaten in the rich list by his girlfriend Angelina, Brad Pitt remains one of Hollywood\'s most bankable actors. His charity work and the continued public fascination with his relationship guarantee his place on the list.

Cameron Diaz

Now one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actress Forbes calculates that Cameron can make or break a movie. While her films never bother the Oscar judges her lead roles The Holiday, What Happens In Vegas and the up-coming Shrek Goes Fourth pack them in at cinemas the world over.

Jennifer Aniston

Of all the former Friends Jennifer has fared the best in the big wide world. Her marriage and subsequent split with Brad Pitt have made sure she’s still in the headlines and though patchy her film career has enjoyed some success with Bruce Almighty, The Break Up and anticipated new movie Marley and Me. And to keep the wolf from the door she still collects a sizable paycheck for the syndication Friends.

Madonna

What kind of rich list would this be without Madonna in it? The Material Girl continues to lead the way. In October she signed a first of it’s kind deal with Live Nation, netting her a £9m singing bonus, that already looks set to change the way artists make money from music for the future. On top of that she’s also got high earning endorsements with Sunsilk and H&M.

Simon Cowell

Not many jobs pay you £22.5m for four months work but that’s what Simon Cowell is said to have been given for his work on the recent series of American Idol. TV aside Simon’s record label Syco is doing very nicely thank you very much thanks to X Factor winner Leona Lewis’ incredible world wide success. With a new season of X Factor kicking off in the UK and Simon threatening to take the format on to American screens soon we’d imagine the arrival of his monthly bank statement will be a reason to party for a long time to come.

50 Cent

Did you know 50 Cent made nearly £50m last year? No, neither did we but that\'s what the In Da Club star pocketed when he sold his stake in VitaminWater to Coca-Cola last year as part of a £2billion deal. Add to that his stakes in the G-Unit clothing line, record label, films and video games. Oh yeah, and he\'s a multi platinum rapper too.

Tom Cruise

It\'s been a tough year, by his standards, for Tom Cruise. Though still a major player, he topped the Forbes list back in 2006, this year he\'s seen his new film Valkyrie\'s release repeateadly delayed and had to contend with his most recent movie, political thriller Lions for Lambs, receive luke warm reviews and gross only a titchy, again by his standards, £30m at the box office.

Keira Knightley

The former Bend It Like Beckham star has had an awesome last twelve months and it\'s earnt Keira her first spot on the big list. She raked in big bucks for her role in the Pirates Of The Caribbean triology and got her first nod from the Oscar Academy when she was nominated for her part in Atonement. Extra cash came her way thanks to a series of ads she made for Coco Chanel Mademoiselle perfume.

Spice Girls

Hats off to the Spice Girls, no one would have predicted their place among the big guns on the list when they announced they were to reform a year ago. But their world tour banked more than £30m in gross ticket sales and set a record for selling out 17 nights at the 02 Arena in less than one minute. Girl power indeed.

Gwen Stefani

The No Doubt star played over 100 solo concerts last which made Gwen Stefani a whopping £28.5 in gross ticket sales. She also found time to design her own high-end fashion line, L.A.M.B. and appear in series of adverts in the US for computer giant Hewlett-Packard.

Gisele Bundchen

Undisputed heavy weight champion of the mega bucks earning supermodels Gisele appeared in ad campaigns for Pantene, Disney, Nivea, Vogue eyewear and Aquascutum. As if that\'s not enough Ipanema by Gisele, her range of sandals earns her £3m a year.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Without Sex And The City SJP wasn\'t troubling any celebrity rich list but thanks to this year\'s feature length version, in which she cannily also has a producer\'s credit, she\'s never been out of the headlines. Extra readies have been made from her clothing line Bitten, which is available in the US.

Heidi Klum

A new Victoria\'s Secret contract and deals with Diet Coke, McDonalds, Volkswagen and Bella Fontanis Water have made it a bumper year for Heidi Klum. The mother of three has also found the time to host another series of Project Runway, Germany\'s Next Top Model, design lines for Mouawad jewelery and Jordache jeans and launch In an Instant, her new skin care range. And we\'re tired by just typing that!

Kate Moss

The demise of Kate Moss has long been trumpeted but as yet, she doesn\'t appear to have listened to the chitter chatter. In the last year she\'s appeared in campaigns for Burberry, Stella McCartney, Dior and Versace. Her range for Topshop sold like hotcakes and she continues to work with Donna Karan, Agent Provocateur and Rimmel London.

Lauren Conrad

Pretty good going for a reality TV star. The Hills\' Lauren Conrad has garnered acres of press in the US thanks to her feud with fellow cast member Heidi Montag. The attention has also won her contracts with Avon\'s "mark" brand and Linea Pelle, for which she\'s designed a Lauren Conrad Collection of handbags.

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