NEW YORK • Taylor Swift is the world's highest-paid celebrity, pulling in US$170 million (S$229 million) over the past year, Forbes magazine said on Monday.
The pop diva's take from June last year till last month is the highest total of her career, it said, more than doubling her previous record of US$80 million last year.
Swift, 26, out-earned Adele (No. 9, with US$80.5 million), Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Madonna and rival Katy Perry, who last year took in more than US$135 million compared with Swift's US$80 million, according to Forbes magazine's list of 100 highest-paid celebrities.
Forbes said Swift's earnings were largely from her 1989 World Tour, during which she smashed the Rolling Stones' North American record, grossing US$200 million on the continent en route to a quarter of a billion worldwide.
Boyband One Direction (US$110 million) were at No. 2 this year, followed by author James Patterson (US$95 million).
Also on the list: actor Jackie Chan (No. 23, US$61 million); K-pop band BigBang (No. 54, US$44 million), the top-earning Korean-pop act ever; and Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen (No. 99, US$30.5 million).
Swift's former beau, musician Calvin Harris, came in at No. 21 (US$63 million).
Magazine editor Zack O'Malley Greenberg said: "The world's 100 highest-paid celebrities pulled in US$5.1 billion pre-tax over the past 12 months, more than the gross domestic products of Belize, Gambia and Bhutan combined."
He added that live entertainment continues to be a major cash draw.
"From soccer games in Spain to concerts in China, fans are willing to shell out to see big names - and this is driving the celebrity economy to greater heights," he said in a statement.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
