Forbes Releases The Highest-Paid Entertainers List

Forbes magazine has released its annual Celebrity 100 list of the world’s highest-paid entertainers of 2019. Many of music’s biggest names earned spots on the list, including Drake, Diddy, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé.

Following his rival Taylor Swift at No. 1 ($185M) and sister-in-law Kylie Jenner at No. 2 ($170M), Kanye West places third on this year’s list. The 42-year-old rapper earned $150 million, the majority of which comes from his adidas partnership. His Yeezy brand is expected to top $1.5 billion in sales this year, while he outright owns his Yeezy apparel line.

Hip-hop’s first billionaire, Jay-Z, lands at No. 20 with $81 million in earnings. In addition to stakes in Armand de Brignac champagne and D’USSÉ cognac, his “On the Run II” tour with Beyoncé grossed over $250 million. Hov has also invested in companies like Uber and owns TIDAL and Roc Nation.

Queen Bey ties Hov with $81 million, thanks to their lucrative stadium tour and her Homecoming Netflix special and live album. In April, Beyoncé also announced a new partnership with adidas to relaunch her activewear line Ivy Park.

Drake holds down the 25th spot with $75 million. The 6 God amassed a fortune with his chart-topping album Scorpion and his “Aubrey and the Three Migos Tour,” which grossed $79 million on its 43-date run, as well as a residency at Wynn’s XS Nightclub.

The Highest-Paid Entertainers of 2019 (Gross Earnings)
1. Taylor Swift — $185 million USD
2. Kylie Jenner — $170 million USD
3. Kanye West — $150 million USD
4. Lionel Messi — $127 million USD
5. Ed Sheeran — $110 million USD
6. Cristiano Ronaldo — $109 million USD
7. Neymar — $105 million USD
8. The Eagles — $100 million USD
9. Dr. Phil — $95 million USD
10. Canelo Alvarez — $94 million USD

Other big names on the list include Diddy (No. 28, $70M), Rihanna (No. 36, $62M), Travis Scott (No. 39, $58M), Bruno Mars (No. 54, $51.5M), Eminem (No. 57, $50M), Ariana Grande (No. 62, $48M), Jennifer Lopez (No. 76, $43M), DJ Khaled (No. 87, $40M), The Weeknd (No. 87, $40M), and Kendrick Lamar (No. 95, $38.5M).

See the full Celebrity 100 here.