9.28.2007

20 the reachest Celebrities

Oprah Winfrey
Rank: 1
Net Worth (in $ millions): 1,500
Age: 52
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Reared in poor, rural Mississippi, Oprah today is the richest woman in entertainment and the only black female billionaire. In the late 1980s, following the debut of her super-successful syndicated talk show, Oprah earned $2 million a year. Today, she pockets an estimated $225 million annually from TV (including shows starring Dr. Phil McGraw and Rachael Ray, produced by Oprah's Harpo Productions), satellite radio, magazines and other multimedia endeavors.


J.K. Rowling
Rank: 2
Net Worth (in $ millions): 1,000
Age: 40
Marital Status: married
Kids: 3
Source: books
The one-time single mom on welfare is the brains behind Harry Potter, one of the most successful book franchises in history. The sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was the fastest-selling book in history, according to Guiness World Records. The film series--from which Rowling enjoys a cut of royalties and merchandising--has also proven astoundingly successful, with the total gross for the four films already released topping $3.5 billion. Rowling is the only career author on Forbes' Billionaires list.


Martha Stewart
Rank: 3
Net Worth (in $ millions): 638
Age: 64
Marital Status: single
Kids: 1
Source: MSLO
Most of the domestic diva's net worth is in shares of her publicly traded company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. (Her net worth, in effect, fluctuates daily.) The company's merchandising arm, Martha Stewart Everyday, enjoyed sales of $1 billion in 2006. Stewart oversees a media empire that includes a television show, a magazine, books, housewares and a Sirius Satellite Radio channel. A five-month jail stint for insider trading stripped her of the chief executive title. No matter, since she's still one of the richest women in entertainment.


Madonna
Rank: 4
Net Worth (in $ millions): 325
Age: 48
Marital Status: married
Kids: 3
Source: music
She could have easily disappeared into pop obscurity like the other frothy pop tartlets (Cyndi Lauper, Neneh Cherry) who came to fame on nascent MTV in the early 1980s. But Madonna's masterful manipulation of her image and the press, combined with an astute business sense, have crowned her as one of entertainment's wealthiest and most enduring acts. While her albums don't sell like they used to, her concerts still set attendance records all over the world, grossing $1 billion over the course of her 20-year career. The Material Girl's portfolio is also crammed with expensive items like contemporary art, real estate and a wardrobe of no small historical significance.


Celine Dion
Rank: 5
Net Worth (in $ millions): 250
Age: 38
Marital Status: married
Kids: 1
Source: music
The Canadian chanteuse's exclusive five-year gig at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas has vaulted her into fifth place on our list of The 20 Richest Women in Entertainment. Dion's stationary extravaganza is more profitable than one that requires paying roadies in every major city in the world. An estimated 140 million albums sold worldwide hasn't hurt her bottom line either; her single "My Heart Will Go On"--the theme song for the blockbuster Titanic--sold over 15 million copies alone.


Mariah Carey
Rank: 6
Net Worth (in $ millions): 225
Age: 36
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: music
The Long Island songbird's career exploded in 1990 with her debut album released under the guidance of Columbia Records' boss Tommy Mottola. (The two endured a tempestuous five-year marriage before divorcing in 1998.) Her career was seriously derailed with the 2001 release of Glitter, a critically slammed semi-autobiographic soundtrack and movie. A year later, Columbia bought out her contract for a reported $28 million. No one could have anticipated her extraordinary comeback in 2005 with the bestselling The Emancipation of Mimi. To date, the pop diva has sold 160 million albums.


Janet Jackson
Rank: 7
Net Worth (in $ millions): 150
Age: 40
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: music
As the youngest of the famous Jackson clan, Janet has always enjoyed the spotlight. But it wasn't until 1986, with the release of her breakout, platinum-selling album Control, that she came into her own. Since then, Michael's kid sister has sold over 50 million records worldwide and landed 10 No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100. Her latest album, 20 Y.O., hardly made a blip on the charts, but don't count Miss Jackson out. Tours have proven a substantial cash cow for the seasoned performer, and she hits the road again in March


Julia Roberts
Rank: 8
Net Worth (in $ millions): 140
Age: 39
Marital Status: married
Kids: 2
Source: movies
The highest-paid female actress in history, this Academy Award winner grew up in Smyrna, Ga., and, after high school, followed her older brother, actor Eric Roberts, to New York. After her breakout role as a hooker with a heart of gold in Pretty Woman (1990), Roberts went on to become the first actress to break the $20 million salary mark for a movie, which had become standard for Hollywood's male superstars. Roberts still holds the world record for highest payday ever earned by an actress: She pocketed $25 million for the 2003 flick Mona Lisa Smiles, which amounted to nearly 40% of what the film grossed stateside.


Jennifer Lopez
Rank: 9
Net Worth (in $ millions): 110
Age: 38
Marital Status: married
Kids: 0
Source: movies/ music
The former backup dancer from the Bronx has gone on to become a multimedia powerhouse in both movies and music. She commands upwards of $15 million per movie, but she's lately taken far less to focus on pet projects. While her albums once sold millions, her last, Rebirth, released in 2005, suffered from disappointing sales. Lopez is a well-rounded businesswoman with several other revenue streams, including a clothing line, an incredibly successful perfume line, a Pasadena, Calif.-based Cuban restaurant called Madre's, and a new reality show on MTV.

Jennifer Aniston
Rank: 10
Net Worth (in $ millions): 110
Age: 37
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: TV
The daughter of a soap star (John Aniston of Days of Our Lives), Aniston eclipsed her father's TV fame with her turn as Rachel Green on the eternally popular sitcom Friends. In the show's final years (it ran 10 seasons), Aniston and her castmates struck what was then a record deal: $1 million each per episode. Her film career has been hit or miss: Bombs like Rumor Has It and Derailed have been offset by box-office bonanzas like Bruce Almighty and The Breakup. The press-averse Aniston is magazine cover gold, which has kept her divorce from Brad Pitt in the headlines for some two years and counting.


Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen
Rank: 11
Net Worth (in $ millions): 100
Age: 20
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: Dualstar


Britney Spears
Rank: 12
Net Worth (in $ millions): 100
Age: 25
Marital Status: married
Kids: 2
Source: music


Judith "Judge Judy" Sheindlin
Rank: 13
Net Worth (in $ millions): 95
Age: 64
Marital Status: married
Kids: 5
Source: TV


Sandra Bullock
Rank: 14
Net Worth (in $ millions): 85
Age: 42
Marital Status: married
Kids: 0
Source: movies


Cameron Diaz
Rank: 15
Net Worth (in $ millions): 75
Age: 34
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: movies


Gisele Bundchen
Rank: 16
Net Worth (in $ millions): 70
Age: 26
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: modeling


Ellen DeGeneres
Rank: 17
Net Worth (in $ millions): 65
Age: 48
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: TV


Nicole Kidman
Rank: 18
Net Worth (in $ millions): 60
Age: 39
Marital Status: married
Kids: 2
Source: movies


Christina Aguilera
Rank: 19
Net Worth (in $ millions): 60
Age: 26
Marital Status: married
Kids: 0
Source: music


Renee Zellweger
Rank: 20
Net Worth (in $ millions): 45
Age: 37
Marital Status: single
Kids: 0
Source: movies

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