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http://www.forbes.com/2007/06/13/most-powerful-celebrit..._0614celebintro.html

Celebrity 100
The World's Most Powerful Celebrities
Lea Goldman 06.14.07, 6:00 PM ET

It was a year of conquest in Hollywood. The worldwide box office soared to a record $25.8 billion, buoyed by global blockbusters like Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Sony's Da Vinci Code. Madonna reclaimed her title as the mightiest force in music, thanks to her record-breaking Confessions tour, which drew over a million fans and generated $195 million in ticket sales. And golf ace Tiger Woods banked $100 million, more in a single year than any athlete in history.

Tinseltown's triumphs are reflected in this year's Celebrity 100, Forbes' annual list of the world's most powerful--and best-paid--celebrities. To generate the list, Forbes analyzes celebrity earnings, plus media metrics like Google hits, press mentions as compiled by Lexis/Nexis, TV/radio mentions from Factiva and the number of times an A-lister appears on the cover of 32 major consumer magazines.

Earnings estimates are for June 2006 to June 2007 and consist of dollars earned solely from entertainment-related income. Management, agent and attorney fees have not been deducted.

In Pictures: The World's 100 Most Powerful Celebrities

Tiger Woods wasn't the only one shattering Celebrity 100 records this year.

Thanks to his share in the box office gross of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, actor Johnny Depp made $92 million in the last 12 months, more than most any other actor has ever earned for a film role. (Mel Gibson made $184 million in 2004 from The Passion of the Christ, but as the producer and director.) With their Bigger Bang tour, the Rolling Stones now own bragging rights to the highest-grossing tour in history, with over $400 million in ticket sales.

For the first time ever, Forbes breaks out Hip-Hop Impresarios as a separate category from Musicians. That's because the three biggest big shots in that field--Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Sean "Diddy" Combs--earn most of their income from their business ventures, including apparel lines, record labels and investments.

Following his triumphant comeback from retirement, rapper Jay-Z debuts on the list in the ninth spot, bolstered by the March sale of his Rocawear clothing label to Iconix for $204 million in cash. 50 Cent should enjoy a sizable jump next year. After Forbes went to press, Coca Cola (nyse: KO - news - people ) offered $4.1 billion for Glaceau, the vitamin-infused beverage company in which the former crack dealer owns a minor stake. 50's anticipated take: $100 million.

This year 29 newcomers make the list, including Ben Stiller, whose big-budget special effects farce Night at the Museum grossed $573 million worldwide. His participation in the film's "backend" helped him bank $38 million, more money than Celebrity 100 veterans Adam Sandler ($30 million) and Will Smith ($31 million).

Also new this year is the cast of ABC's hit TV series Grey's Anatomy. It wasn't only the $33 million the entire cast made in its recently concluded third season that earned them a coveted spot on the Celebrity 100. (That figure includes the salary of the recently canned Isaiah Washington.) The show's relentless off-set drama--salary disputes, feuding cast-mates, homophobic slurs--crowned it as one of the most talked about shows on television.

Equally noteworthy are the celebrities who fell off the list this year. Box office duds hurt Jim Carrey, Halle Berry and Cameron Diaz. Last year, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won a spot primarily for his $26 million contract signing bonus, but not a single NFL'er makes the list this year. Tabloid staples Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie have seen their stock tumble on the heels of legal troubles.

The year's biggest gainers include actress-advocate Angelina Jolie, who bounces to the 14th spot this year from 35th last year, thanks in no small measure to the media maelstrom surrounding her relationship with Brad Pitt. Soccer star David Beckham jumps to 15th this year, from 43rd, on the heels of his lucrative new deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Food Network chef turned talk show princess Rachael Ray moves into the 66th spot this year from 81st last year.

In Pictures: The World's 100 Most Powerful Celebrities

The Forbes Celebrity 100 was edited by Lea Goldman, Monte Burke and Kiri Blakeley

Reported by: Kurt Badenhausen, Peter Beller, Alex Davidson, Timothy Doyle, Gail Goldfarb, Evan Hessel, Peter Hoy, Lauren Kerensky, Devon Pendleton, Dorothy Pomerantz, Amanda Schupak, David Serchuk, Lauren Streib and Chaniga Vorasarun.

Photo research: Gail Toivanen.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

#1 Oprah Winfrey
The media queen is poised to conquer prime time this fall with two reality shows for ABC. For those keeping score, the Oprah empire already includes a blockbuster daytime talk show, satellite radio show, magazine and Broadway musical ('The Color Purple'). Oprah also owns stakes in hit talk shows by protégé Dr. Phil McGraw and Rachael Ray. In January, the nation's richest African American, worth an estimated $1.5 billion, realized a long-held dream when she opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

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#2 Tiger Woods
Woods is the first athlete in history to bank $100 million in a year, thanks in part to a raise he finagled out of long-time endorser Nike. (The sneaker giant's Tiger-oriented golf division is now a $600 million-a-year business.) He also signed a new deal with Gillette and upped his usual lucrative overseas playing gigs, where he can command, on average, $3 million a pop. Wife Elin is pregnant with the couple's first child, due this summer.

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#3 Madonna
Madonna crisscrossed the globe last year for her tour, 'Confessions,' which drew over 1 million fans and grossed $194 million, making it the top-earning tour by a female artist in history. NBC cut the Material Girl a hefty check to broadcast the 'Confessions' tour live last November, though ratings proved disappointing. In March, the always-fashion-forward singer linked up with retailer H&M for her own clothing line, M. (Rhinestones a-plenty, but no cone bras.) Generated a maelstrom of negative publicity last year for her adoption of a baby in Malawi.

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#4 Rolling Stones
Still gathering no moss, the Stones had the highest-grossing tour in North America last year, bringing in $139 million. They doubled that abroad. The 'Bigger Bang' tour, which kicked off back in 2005, has grossed $437 million to date, making it the top-generating tour in history. This time around, Keith Richards, not Mick Jagger, dominated headlines thanks to his star turn in the recent Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, in addition to comments made this spring that he once snorted his father's ashes. (He later recanted.)

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#5 Brad Pitt
The hunky actor monopolized headlines for the last year thanks his new role as proud papa with stunning partner Angelina Jolie. She gave birth to their daughter last May; 10 months later, the pair adopted a Vietnamese boy. Earlier this year, the brood relocated to New Orleans"”paparazzi in tow"”where Pitt was filming The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This summer, he stars opposite pal George Clooney in Ocean's 13, followed by this fall's The Assassination of Jesse James, alongside Ocean's co-star Casey Affleck.

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#6 Johnny Depp
Never before has a Keith Richards impersonation proved this lucrative. Last summer's Pirates sequel, Dead Man's Chest, was the third-highest-grossing film ever, with $1.1 billion worldwide at the box office. Depp's payout: over $60 million. Next year should prove equally profitable for the low-key actor. The third Pirates sequel, At World's End, is on its way to at least match its predecessor, having banked $344 million in its opening weekend. Next up: starring role as the blood-thirsty butcher in this winter's film adaptation of Sweeney Todd.

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#7 Elton John
Between performances of his appropriately flamboyant Las Vegas show, 'The Red Piano,' Elton John grossed over $60 million in tickets for worldwide shows. This year, he celebrated his 60th birthday with his 60th concert at Madison Square Garden, a sold-out affair that drew A-listers like Bill Clinton, Jon Bon Jovi and Sharon Stone. Theatergoers still snap up tickets to hear his music in Aida, Billy Elliot and The Lion King. John's latest release, Rocket Man: Number Ones, debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard charts in April, selling 50,000 copies in its first week.

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#8 Tom Cruise
After being dumped by Paramount last summer, Cruise, who topped last year's Celebrity 100, plotted his comeback (with longtime producing partner Paula Wagner) as head of United Artists, the moribund studio under MGM. UA's lineup: Lions for Lambs, directed by Robert Redford, for release this winter; Valkyrie, a World War II thriller, in production now. Cruise stars in both. Word is he'll join comedy kingpin Ben Stiller in Hardy Men, a send-up of the Hardy Boys series. On the personal front, Cruise enjoyed a decidedly quiet year with his wife, actress Katie Holmes, and their toddler Suri.

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#9 Jay-Z
While most of us pine for retirement, the native New Yorker couldn't stand the view from the sidelines following his 2003 farewell Black Album. Despite a busy schedule as chief of Def Jam, his comeback album, Kingdom Come, debuted at the top of Billboard's pop and rap charts. Owns a small stake in the New Jersey Nets, plus two locations of his 40/40 clubhouse. In March, he sold his Rocawear apparel label to Iconix for $204 million. Did we mention Beyonce?

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#10 Steven Spielberg
Produced Clint Eastwood's World War II epics last year, Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers. The critical hits performed only modestly at the box office, grossing a combined $173 million worldwide. Spielberg's big take on movie grosses (reportedly up to 50%) insures success with nearly every project he works on. Not that he shouldn't make a mint off his next films"”sequels to Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. He's also developing three games for Electronic Arts, and co-produced On the Lot, a reality filmmaking show, with Mark Burnett (Survivor).

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#11 Tom Hanks
Despite deadly reviews, The Da Vinci Code nonetheless took in $758 million worldwide at the box office, crowning it the year's second-highest-grossing film. With wife Rita Wilson, runs Playtone, a production outfit responsible for the HBO series Big Love, and the upcoming The Great Buck Howard, starring son Colin. Look for Hanks in this winter's Mike Nichols drama, Charlie Wilson's War, with Julia Roberts. Word is he's in talks to reprise his role as Dr. Robert Langdon in a Da Vinci sequel.

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#12 Grey's Anatomy Cast
Several members of ABC's medical mega-hit renegotiated their contracts, securing the ensemble a combined $33 million for the third season. (Salary talks for some of the stars will continue over the summer.) But the off-set drama eclipsed the show's storyline: Katherine Heigl, now a bona fide movie star with Knocked Up, griped to the press about her salary; Kate Walsh jockeyed for a spinoff (and won); Isaiah Washington scuffled with co-star Patrick Dempsey, then reportedly called castmate T.R. Knight a homophobic slur. The scandal eventually resulted in Washington's dismissal in June.

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#13 Howard Stern
The satellite radio shock job reasserted his clout by masterminding the 'Save Sanjaya' campaign to undermine American Idol. (It worked, sort of.) Debuted Howard TV, the On Demand uncensored version of his radio show. His deal with Sirius Satellite Radio continues to pay him $100 million annually (less the production costs for the show, which comes straight out of Stern's pocket), plus handsome stock options. Still, Sirius' stock languishes under $3 per share. Howard got engaged this year to model Beth Ostrosky.

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#14 Angelina Jolie
In between giving birth, adopting another son with partner Brad Pitt and visiting refugees in Chad, Jolie actually found time to do some acting. She cozied up to Matt Damon in The Good Shepherd, and this summer she'll appear as the widow of slain reporter Daniel Pearl in A Mighty Heart. But next year might be less lucrative for Jolie: She's announced her intention to take a year off from making movies to raise her brood.

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#15 David Beckham
The international soccer star is coming to America. Reports that his five-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy was worth $250 million turned out to be overenthusiastic. His annual base salary from the Galaxy is only $5.5 million"”however, the crowd pleaser will pocket a percentage of tickets, merchandising and sponsorship revenues, doubling his base. Posh Spice's hubby has sponsorship deals with Adidas, PepsiCo, Gillette, Motorola and the Walt Disney Co. Including royalties, his Adidas deal is one of the most lucrative in sports.

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#16 Phil Mickelson
It's been a rocky year for the world's second-ranked golfer. Going for his third straight major at the 2006 U.S. Open, he double-bogeyed the last hole to finish in second by a single stroke. ('I am such an idiot,' he blurted afterward.) In April, after a stretch of uneven playing, Mickelson dropped his long-time swing coach, Rick Smith. He rebounded with a win at Players Championship and pocketed $1.6 million, the richest purse in the history of the PGA Tour. Biggest endorsement deals are with Callaway, Ford, Bearing Point and Exxon Mobil.

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#17 David Letterman
CBS's veteran schmoozer is still one of the network's biggest stars. His late-night show remains a popular pit stop for stars and politicos. A newly svelte Britney Spears dropped by last year, a day before filing for divorce; in March, Sen. John McCain announced his candidacy for president on the program; and in June, heir-head Nicole Richie confessed to Letterman she feared a jail sentence for a DUI charge. Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, co-produced Everybody Loves Raymond, now reaping millions in syndication.

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#18 Bon Jovi
Only a couple of years away from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame eligibility, Bon Jovi is still selling albums and cleaning up at the box office. Mega-tour promoter AEG won a publicized bidding war for the band's 'Have A Nice Day' tour, which brought in $110 million last year in ticket sales. Bon Jovi sold 3 million records worldwide last year. Their new album hit stores in June. Guitarist Richie Sambora earned the band additional press for his controversial relationship with his ex-wife's former close friend Denise Richards.

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#19 Donald Trump
The brazen billionaire's day job is building and selling skyscrapers, but most know him from his other gig, co-hosting The Apprentice, NBC's reality TV show. Trump inked a sweet deal with producer Mark Burnett, guaranteeing him a per-episode salary along with a cut of product placement deals. Ratings slumped in the sixth season, in which Trump (estimated net worth: $2.9 billion) moved the competition to Los Angeles. At press time, NBC was still deciding whether to renew the show. Meanwhile, Trump, who has a toddler son, became a grandpa this year.

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#20 Celine Dion
Celine fans have six more months to shell out up to $350 apiece for tickets to her blockbuster Las Vegas show, 'A New Day...,' at Caesar's Palace. The Canadian songbird has been selling out the 4,000-seat Coliseum"”a $95 million custom-made venue"”since 2003, and last year pulled in $78 million. The show's extended run ends Dec. 15. Not to worry: Her new album from Sony drops in October.

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#21 Simon Cowell
Americans know him as American Idol's resident brute. But Idol is only the tip of his reality show empire, which spans the U.S. and U.K. and includes a half-dozen hit shows, including American Inventor, America's Got Talent and Celebrity Duets. He's also a Sony BMG music executive, responsible for signing acts like Il Divo, the company's biggest act last year. Cowell handled this season's Sanjaya debacle on Idol with relative aplomb, though his favorite contestant, Melinda Doolittle, lost out.

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#22 U2
These guys barely even have to try. U2's 'Vertigo' tour was cut short last spring. The super-band rescheduled 10 dates in Australia, Japan and South America that were played last November. Even these leftovers grossed more money than most bands could ever dream of seeing: $113 million in ticket sales. U2 frontman Bono still generates headlines for his crusading work on behalf of debt relief in Africa.

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#23 Kobe Bryant
This year, Bryant became the second player in history to score at least 50 points in four straight games. (The first? Michael Jordan.) In February, he nabbed his second MVP title for an All-Star game. Sony signed him to be the cover athlete for its 'NBA '07' videogame, and his jersey was the best seller in China this season.

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#24 Michael Schumacher
The greatest driver in the history of Formula One retired after the 2006 season. Schumacher's legacy includes seven championship titles, 91 race victories, 154 top-three finishes and 15 consecutive years with a win. Over his career, he earned $650 million in salary and endorsements deals, putting him on par with superstar athletes Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Last year, he provided the voice of a Ferrari in the Disney-Pixar movie Cars.

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#25 Shaquille O'Neal
Last summer, Shaq led the Miami Heat to its first NBA championship. He followed that up with a five-year sneaker deal with Chinese sportswear maker Li Ning. In the fall, he announced the formation of The O'Neal Group, which will develop residential and commercial properties. Injuries kept him sidelined for half of the games during the 2006-2007 season, and he averaged career lows in rebounds and points per game. Next up: This summer's Shaq's Big Challenge on ABC, a reality show in which the 7-foot-1 center helps six obese kids slim down.

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quote:
Originally posted by André:
#22 U2
These guys barely even have to try. U2's 'Vertigo' tour was cut short last spring. The super-band rescheduled 10 dates in Australia, Japan and South America that were played last November. Even these leftovers grossed more money than most bands could ever dream of seeing: $113 million in ticket sales. U2 frontman Bono still generates headlines for his crusading work on behalf of debt relief in Africa.


Oh Bono baby!!!
A
quote:
Originally posted by André:
#24 Michael Schumacher
The greatest driver in the history of Formula One retired after the 2006 season. Schumacher's legacy includes seven championship titles, 91 race victories, 154 top-three finishes and 15 consecutive years with a win. Over his career, he earned $650 million in salary and endorsements deals, putting him on par with superstar athletes Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Last year, he provided the voice of a Ferrari in the Disney-Pixar movie Cars.


Pls a favour on this one ...thanks...
A
quote:
Originally posted by André:
#8 Tom Cruise
After being dumped by Paramount last summer, Cruise, who topped last year's Celebrity 100, plotted his comeback (with longtime producing partner Paula Wagner) as head of United Artists, the moribund studio under MGM. UA's lineup: Lions for Lambs, directed by Robert Redford, for release this winter; Valkyrie, a World War II thriller, in production now. Cruise stars in both. Word is he'll join comedy kingpin Ben Stiller in Hardy Men, a send-up of the Hardy Boys series. On the personal front, Cruise enjoyed a decidedly quiet year with his wife, actress Katie Holmes, and their toddler Suri.



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A breath of fresh air !!!! Big Grin
FM

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