The 2017 top includes 100 celebrities from 21 countries with over a staggering $5.1 billion combined income.
The Celebrity 100 ranking has been compiled by Forbes magazine since 1999. Estimates are based on figures from Nielsen, NPD Bookscan, Pollstar, Box Office Mojo, Songkick, D'Marie and IMDB, as well as interviews with industry insiders and sometimes the stars themselves.
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© AP Photo / Charles Sykes
Better known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and Diddy, music mogul Sean John Combs topped the Forbes’ rich list. The American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur earned $130 million from June 2016 to June 2017, thanks to the 20th anniversary reunion tour of the biggest names of his own label, Bad Boy Records, as well as to a partnership with Diageo's Ciroc vodka and his clothing line Sean John’s sells.
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© AP Photo / Daniela Vesco
American pop diva Beyoncé became the highest paid female celebrity of 2017 when her $105 million Queen Bey’s Formation World Tour, which wrapped up in late 2016, earned her a quarter of a billion dollars and the second place on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list.
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© AP Photo / Joel Ryan
Famed British author J. K. Rowling, the creator of the fictional universe of Harry Potter series ranked third. The majority of her $95 million income is estimated to have come from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which was the bestselling book of 2016 with over 4.5 million domestic copies. Its West End production is sold out into 2018. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a prequel and a spin-off film to the Harry Potter series produced and written by Rowling.
Canadian rapper Drake, the most-streamed artist on the planet over the past 12 months, claimed the fourth place on the list with an estimated income of $94 million. During the scoring period, Aubrey Drake Graham embarked on two tours and earned a fortune from endorsement deals with Apple, Nike and Sprite.
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© AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth
Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo rounded up the top five with the $93 million he received. Named FIFA's best player for the fourth time in January, Ronaldo secured a contract with Real Madrid for more than $50 million per year and inked a lifetime deal with Nike worth upward of $1 billion.
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© AP Photo / Invision/ Robb Cohen
With a $92 million income, Canadian “starboy” Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weekend reached the sixth spot on the list. The 27-year-old singer, songwriter and record producer also made the cover of this year's Forbes Celebrity 100 issue.
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© AP Photo / Invision/Charles Sykes
American radio and television personality Howard Stern placed seventh with his $90 million.
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© AP Photo / Marcio Jose Sanchez
Playing arenas and stadiums around the globe, British pop-rock band Coldplay earned $88 million and eighth place in the richest entertainers’ list.
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© AP Photo / Invision/ Taylor Jewell
America's richest author and philanthropist James Patterson, who sold 9.5 million books in the US alone last year and has several of his works being adapted for the small screen, reached ninth pace with his $87 million.
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© AP Photo / Ben Margot
Number 23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers, American professional basketball star LeBron James earned $86 million to round up the top ten. According to Forbes, the four-time MVP returned to Cleveland in 2014 and led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016. He re-signed for three more years in a deal worth $100 million. His $31 million salary in 2016-17 made him the third NBA player to earn $30 million in a season after Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
