The Highest Paid Artists In the World [Forbes List]

The total sum of the best paid artists in the world will make you think twice about your career options. According to the findings of the renowned Forbes magazine, the 100 highest-earning artists in the world pocketed a total of $ 5.15 billion, before taxes, in 2017.

People on the highest-paid list Among the world’s artists include actors, actresses, musicians, television personalities, athletes and authors. About a third of these artists come from the United States. Twenty people on the list are from Europe, twelve from the UK, five from Asia and four from Canada. Artists from South America, Africa and Australia failed to make the cut.

Forbes explained that it came up with these figures by calculating tour ticket sales and/or salaries, sponsorship deals, marketing, and interviewing industry experts and sometimes the stars themselves.

So who is the highest paid artist in the world? He is none other than a musician-turned-businessman, Sean “Diddy” Combs.

FORBES LIST OF THE HIGHEST PAID ARTISTS IN THE WORLD

1. Diddy – $ 130 million

First on the Forbes list of the highest-paid artist in the world is Diddy. Diddy earned a whopping $ 130 million thanks to his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, the sale of a third of his Sean John clothing line and his partnership agreement with Diageo’s Ciroc vodka.

2. Beyonce – $ 105 million

Beyonce raised a fortune from her World Tour Training. The tour is estimated to have made a quarter of a billion dollars. Add that to her album sales “Lemonade” and you will see why Beyonce is number 2 on the list of the highest-paid artists in the world.

3. JK Rowling – $ 95 million

British novelist JK Rowling is the third highest-paid artist in the world, who was once on the billionaire’s list but retired due to her charity work, appears at number three, making her the highest-earning artist outside of the United States. She made the list thanks to her best-selling book of 2016 titled; “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. She also took advantage of Hollywood film adaptations of her books, the most recent being “Fantastic Animals and Where to Find Them.”

4. Drake – $ 94 million

Canadian musician Drake appears at number four on the list of highest-paid artists in the world. The hip-hop star made the list thanks to his successful Boy Meets World Tour. It also helped that he was the most-streamed artist on the planet in the past 12 months. That led to lucrative endorsement deals with Apple, Sprite, and Nike.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo – $ 93 million

The athlete with the highest income in the world, and fifth in this list, is the Portuguese and star of Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo. The best player in FIFA 2017 and winner of the Golden Ball achieved this status thanks to his contract with Real Madrid. His lifetime sponsorship deal with Nike, worth more than $ 1 billion, also helped. Another thing worth mentioning is the growing line of CR7-branded products that include clothing items and a line of hotels, which have been added to his pockets.

6. The Weeknd – $ 92 million

The second Canadian to make the list is R&B Sensation, The Weeknd. Although relatively new to the industry, the 26-year-old singer had very good album sales and a sold-out world tour. His “Starboy: Legend of the Fall World Tour” is estimated to have earned more than $ 1.1 million per show.

7. Howard Stern – $ 90 million

The somewhat controversial radio presenter and television personality, Howard Stern, is among the top 10 highest paid artists in the world, thanks to his eight-figure deal with SiriusXM.

8. Coldplay – $ 88 million

British rock band Coldplay is on the list thanks to their earnings from the Head Full of Dreams Tour that took them around the world, playing stadiums. The tour is estimated to have raised more than $ 5 million per city.

9. James Patterson – $ 87 million

James Patterson is the second author to make it in the top 10. He is said to be the richest author in the United States, having sold more than 9.5 million copies of his books in one year. In addition to that, the New York-born writer agreed to co-write a thriller with former President Bill Clinton that will guarantee him an estimated seven-figure payment.

10. LeBron James – $ 86 million

Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James is the second athlete on the list. His earnings come from his contracts, as well as sponsorship deals with Intel, Verizon, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre, Kia Motor, and, like Ronaldo, a lifetime deal with Nike worth more than $ 1. billion

James has other commercial companies that include a production company, SpringHill Entertainment, and the fast-food chain, Blaze Pizza.

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Complete list of Forbes highest-paid artists

11. Guns N ‘Roses – $ 84 million

12. Rush Limbaugh – $ 84 million

13. Justin Bieber – $ 83.5 million

14. Lionel Messi – $ 80 million

15. Dr. Phil McGraw – $ 79 million

16. Ellen DeGeneres – $ 77 million

17. Bruce Springsteen – $ 75 million

18. Adele – $ 69 million

19. Jerry Seinfeld – $ 69 million

20. Mark Wahlberg – $ 68 million

21. Metallica – $ 66.5 million

22. Dwayne Johnson – $ 65 million

23. Roger Federer – $ 64 million

24. David Copperfield – $ 61.5 million

25. Kevin Durant – $ 60.6 million

26. Garth Brooks – $ 60 million

27. Elton John – $ 60 million

28. Gordon Ramsay – $ 60 million

29. Ryan Seacrest – $ 58 million

30. Chris Rock – $ 57 million

31. Vin Diesel – $ 54.5 million

32. Paul McCartney – $ 54 million

33. Red Hot Chili Peppers – $ 54 million

34. Louis CK – $ 52 million

35. Jimmy Buffett – $ 50.5 million

36. Adam Sandler – $ 50.5 million

37. Andrew Luck – $ 50 million

38. Rory McIlroy – $ 50 million

39. Jackie Chan – $ 49 million

40. Calvin Harris – $ 48.5 million

41. Robert Downey Jr – $ 48 million

42. Stephen Curry – $ 47.3 million

43. Dave Chappelle – $ 47 million

44. Judy Sheindlin – $ 47 million

45. James Harden – $ 46.6 million

46. ​​Lewis Hamilton – $ 46 million

47. Kim Kardashian West – $ 45.5 million

48. Drew Brees – $ 45.3 million

49. Taylor Swift – $ 44 million

50. Simon Cowell – $ 43.5 million

51. Phil Mickelson – $ 43.5 million

52. Tom Cruise – $ 43 million

53. Kenny Chesney – $ 42.5 million

54. Steve Harvey – $ 42.5 million

55. Luke Bryan – $ 42 million

56. Celine Dion – $ 42 million

57. Jay-Z – $ 42 million

58. Sofía Vergara – $ 41.5 million

59. Kylie Jenner – $ 41 million

60. Bruno Mars – $ 39 million

61. Tiesto – $ 39 million

62. Russell Westbrook – $ 38.6 million

63. Sebastian Vettel – $ 38.5 million

64. Damian Lillard – $ 38.4 million

65. Shah Rukh Khan – $ 38 million

66. Jennifer Lopez – $ 38 million

67. The Chainsmokers – $ 38 million

68. Novak Djokovic – $ 37.6 million

69. Amy Schumer – $ 37.5 million

70. Tiger Woods – $ 37.1 million

71. Salman Khan – $ 37 million

72. Neymar – $ 37 million

73. Bill O’Reilly – $ 37 million

74. Dolly Parton – $ 37 million

75. Ed Sheeran – $ 37 million

76. Dwayne Wade – $ 36.2 million

77. Fernando Alonso – $ 36 million

78. Sean Hannity – $ 36 million

79. Rihanna – $ 36 million

80. Bon Jovi – $ 35.5 million

81. Akshay Kumar – $ 35.5 million

82. Billy Joel – $ 35 million

83. Dr Dre – $ 34.5 million

84. Florida Georgia Line – $ 34.5 million

85. Toby Keith – $ 34.5 million

86. Jordan Spieth – $ 34.5 million

87. Derrick Rose – $ 34.3 million

88. Usain Bolt – $ 34.2 million

89. Gareth Bale – $ 34 million

90. Conor McGregor – $ 34 million

91. Britney Spears – $ 34 million

92. Kei Nishikori – $ 33.9 million

93. Fletcher Cox – $ 33.4 million

94. Clayton Kershaw – $ 33.3 million

95. Chance the Rapper – $ 33 million

96. Katy Perry – $ 33 million

97. Carmelo Anthony – $ 32.6 million

98. Jason Aldean – $ 32.5 million

99. Kevin Hary – $ 32.5 million

100. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – $ 32 million