Brad Pitt, Tyler Perry Are Among The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers
Forbes unveiled their list of highest-earning celebrities over the last year. Between new albums and tours, selling their music catalogs, streaming deals, and more, these entertainers secured big checks that…
Brad Pitt attends the UK Premiere of “BABYLON” at BFI IMAX Waterloo on January 12, 2023 in London, England. Tyler Perry attends the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever World Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on October 26, 2022.Sting attends the 67th Annual BMI Pop Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 14, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.
Joe Maher/Getty Images/Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney/ Rich Fury/Getty ImagesForbes unveiled their list of highest-earning celebrities over the last year. Between new albums and tours, selling their music catalogs, streaming deals, and more, these entertainers secured big checks that would last most of us regular folk several lifetimes to burn through.
Per the publication, this year’s biggest earners hauled in $1.35 billion, which is half as much as last year’s top 10, which included Jay-Z, Kanye “Ye” West and Bruce Springsteen. Only two people from last year's list appear again this year: Tyler Perry and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Take a look below at which top-earning celebrities made the top 10 for 2022:
10. Bad Bunny -- $88 Million
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyThe Puerto Rican rapper sold over sold over $400 million worth of tickets from his two tours, El Último Tour del Mundo and the World’s Hottest Tour. Not only did his music career get even bigger last year, but he appeared alongside Brad Pitt in 'Bullet Train.' He also secured endorsement deals with Corona, Cheetos and Adidas.
9. Taylor Swift -- $92 Million
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyBesides her successful 'Midnights' album, Swift earned most of her earnings through her back catalog of songs released in past years. Add in crashing Ticketmaster with insane demand for her 'Midnights' tour in November, the singer-songwriter has been on the highest-earners list six times in the past and remains the only woman on the list.
8. James Cameron -- $95 Million
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesThe success of Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water' made the director of three of the highest-grossing movies of all time (the others are 2009's 'Avatar,' 2009 and 1997's 'Titanic.'
7. Rolling Stones -- $98 Million
Rich Fury/Getty ImagesMick Jagger and Keith Richards made over $8.5 million per night on their European tour last year, called Sixty - named for their 60th anniversary - where the band played 15 cities around the continent.
6. Brad Pitt -- $100 Million
Lia Toby/Getty Images for Paramount PicturesPitt’s majority sale of his Plan B production company in December plus his roles in three films earned him a cool nine figures last year.
5. James L. Brooks & Matt Groening -- $105 Million
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty ImagesCreators of America’s favorite yellow cartoon family, 'The Simpsons,' earned over $100 million last year. migrated all 30 seasons to Disney+ from FX in an April 2019 streaming deal made after Disney’s previous acquisition of Fox for some $52 billion. Series co-creators Brooks and Groening aren’t having a cow, man, having earned a previously unreported $105 million annually after fees, according to sources familiar with the deal.
4. Trey Parker & Matt Stone -- $160 Million
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesThe 'South Park' creators earnings came from a contract they signed with Paramount+ in 2021, guaranteeing them $935 million over a six-year period. The collaboration also allowed the duo to create 14 original 'South Park' films for the streaming service.
3. Tyler Perry• $175 Million--
Jamie McCarthy/Getty ImagesThe actor/director/writer/studio mogul had another lucrative year thanks to simultaneous income streams from film, his BET TV shows and backlot sets he owns in Atlanta. Perry is the list’s sole billionaire with an estimated $1 billion fortune.
2. Sting -- $210 Million
Jason Davis/Getty Images for CMTThe former Police frontman and 17-time Grammy winner earned $300 million before fees by selling his solo discography to Universal Music Group.
1. Genesis -- $230 Million
Darryl James/Getty ImagesFrontman Phil Collins and and bandmates Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford sold the rights to a piece of their song catalog to Concord Music Group in September for $300 million. The contract also included several of Collins’ solo works, including his hit song “In the Air Tonight.” In addition, touring and recorded music royalties rounded out their income.
