Ever wonder how much your favorite celebrities make each year? We sure do! Honestly, we've spent an inordinate amount of time Googling such things just out of sheer curiosity. But as evidenced by the Forbes annual list of highest-paid celebrities, we're not the only ones interested in all the facts and figures for the big names we see on TV, in movies, and, of course, on social media.
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From the most obvious filthy-rich celebrities and influencers to others who are a bit more unexpected, here's a list of the 15 highest-paid celebrities in 2020. Altogether they earned $6.1 billion. Keep in mind, this ranking doesn't necessarily reflect overall net worth—it's based on how much each of these celebs raked in this year alone (technically from June 2019 to June 2020).
15. James Patterson
We told you there are some unexpected names here! Like he does each and every year, American fiction author James Patterson has earned a pretty penny in 2020. The creator of the Alex Cross franchise, James Patterson is the highest-paid author in the country. He sold nearly 5 million books between June 2019 and June 2020, making $80 million.
14. Elton John
The Rocket Man has made a massive amount of money this year. Thanks to the incredibly successful Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour that the British singer started in 2019 but hit pause on due to the health crisis, Elton John made $81 million in 2020.
13. Bill Simmons
Bill Simmons is a sports analyst, author, and podcaster who has had a big year in 2020. He is the founder and CEO of The Ringer, a sports and pop culture website, and he hosts The Bill Simmons Podcast. He made bank when he sold the site to Spotify in the spring of 2020, helping him bring in $82.5 million this year.
12. Ellen DeGeneres
Despite having a really rough year after reports of misconduct on the set of her talk show, Ellen DeGeneres was still one of the best-paid celebrities in 2021. Coming in at No. 12, she apparently made $84 million—more money than celebs like Ariana Grande, Gordon Ramsay, and the Jonas Brothers.
11. Rush Limbaugh
Controversial conservative talk show host and political analyst Rush Limbaugh may have battled with advanced lung cancer this year, but his finances appear to be in tip-top shape. In a year bursting with opportunities for political discourse, he brought in $85 million.
10. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
We all know Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a money maker, so it doesn't come as a surprise that he managed to crack the Top 10 on the Forbes list. While he made plenty of business moves in 2020, including launching his own brand of tequila and purchasing a professional football league, he made the bulk of the $87.5 million he earned in 2020 as the world's highest-paid actor.
9. LeBron James
Superstar NBA player LeBron James is unsurprisingly one of the highest-paid celebrities in the world. He brought in $88.2 million in 2020 thanks to the four-year deal he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Considering he helped bring them a championship this year, they're likely pretty happy with their deal.
8. Howard Stern
Once known as the "shock jock," radio show host Howard Stern—yes, he's still on the air—is perhaps surprisingly the eighth-highest-paid celebrity of 2020. Thanks to a massive multiyear contract with SiriusXM radio, he made $90 million this year.
7. Neymar
Yup, that's right. The Brazilian soccer star is one of the most-well-paid celebrities of 2020. Neymar has a five-year contract with Paris Saint-German plus endorsement deals, which has all earned him $95.5 million this year alone.
6. Tyler Perry
Filmmaker Tyler Perry is definitely winning. He's made $97 million in the past year thanks to the many movies and television programs he's created and produced. He owns 100% of the content he's created, and in 2019 he opened his own film studio and locked in a deal with Viacom that dictates he receive a 25% share of the BET+ streaming service.
5. Lionel Messi
As captain of both the Barcelona Futbol Club and the Argentine national team, footballer Lionel Messi is making the big bucks. He made a whopping $104 million in 2020, making him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world (we'll get to that).
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
That's right, another soccer player. As the most-followed athlete on social media and one of the most famous athletes in the entire world, Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese national team captain, brought in $105 million in 2020.
3. Roger Federer
While Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer recently admitted that his near 40-year-old body isn't what it used to be, it didn't seem to slow him down in 2020. He became the world's highest-paid athlete this year, bringing in $106.3 million, thanks to some massive endorsement deals.
2. Kanye West
Kanye West has become an athletic wear maverick with his Yeezy line of sneakers, shoes, and apparel. In 2020, the musician and designer made $170 million, putting him second to only one of his famous in-laws on the list of highest-paid celebrities in 2020, cementing his status as a billionaire.
1. Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner is absolutely, filthy rich, and there's no denying that. The businesswoman, influencer, and reality TV star made an insane $590 million in 2020, far overshadowing anyone else on the list. Most of that income came from the sale of the majority share in her company, Kylie Cosmetics, to cosmetics giant Coty, Inc. That said, Forbes actually stripped her of her billionaire title this year, making Kanye the only billionaire in the Kardashian-Jenner fam.
