LOS ANGELES • Reality television star Kylie Jenner and rapper Kanye West on Thursday topped the annual Forbes list of the highest-paid celebrities, but sports stars, including Roger Federer and Lionel Messi, dominated the top 10.
Forbes estimated that Jenner earned US$590 million (S$821 million) in the last 12 months, mostly from the sale of a 51 per cent stake in her Kylie Cosmetics line to Coty last year.
Jenner, 22, the half-sister of media personality Kim Kardashian, made headlines a week ago when Forbes said after reviewing data from the Coty sale, it no longer believed she was a billionaire as it had declared a year ago.
Jenner responded by saying the original Forbes estimate was based on "a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions".
West, who is married to Kardashian, followed with an estimated US$170 million in earnings, much of it from his deal with Adidas for his Yeezy sneaker brand.
West was also the top-earning musician, followed by English singer Elton John, who raked in most of his estimated US$81 million from a lengthy farewell tour.
Forbes said the Celebrity Top 100 earned a combined US$6.1 billion before taxes and fees, a US$200 million drop from last year, after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered stadiums and sports arenas.
Tennis champion Federer took third place with an estimated US$106.3 million, mostly from endorsement deals with the likes of Japanese clothing company Uniqlo and watch maker Rolex. He was followed by soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.
Forbes compiled the list by estimating pre-tax earnings from June last year to June this year, before deducting fees for managers, based on data from Nielsen, touring trade publication Pollstar, movie database IMDB, as well as interviews with industry experts and many of the celebrities themselves.
Newcomers this year included Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda (US$45.5 million) and musician Billie Eilish (US$53 million), who at age 18, was the youngest of the Celebrity 100.
American singer Taylor Swift, who took the top spot a year ago, slid to 25th place after the conclusion of her Reputation world tour.
REUTERS
