Madonna tops Forbes celebrity earnings list
You’d think with all that money she could afford to buy some trousers. Madonna onstage during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 19, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Madonna was the top-earning celebrity in the past year, according to a Forbes list released this week.
The 55-year-old material girl raked in $125 million between June 2012 and June 2013, trumping film director Steven Spielberg who came second with earnings of $100 million.
There was a three-way tie for third place between “50 Shades of Grey” author E.L. James, television personality Simon Cowell and radio shock jock Howard Stern, with a not-too-shabby $95 million each.
Forbes reckons it is the most money Madonna has made since the magazine began its Celebrity 100 list way back in 1999.
The pop star made a big chunk of the dough from her MDNA tour, which grossed $305 million after fans forked out upwards of $100 a ticket to hear her old hits “Vogue,” “Like a Virgin,” and “Lucky Star.”
Her earnings were also boosted by sales of clothing, fragrance and investments.
Of course, these figures are all just guess-timates.
Forbes compiles the earnings based on interviews with agents, managers, producers and other “in-the-know” people. They don’t include taxes, agent fees or other expenses of being a celebrity such as bodyguards, personal trainers, nutritionists, hair stylists …
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.