As Jennifer Lopez knows, it’s not enough these days just to be able to sing or act in Hollywood. The top earners are moguls, business men and women and even venture capitalists- take it from Justin Bieber.
Having come a long way since ‘Jenny from the Block’, Jennifer Lopez is the picture-perfect celebrity success story. With $52 million in earnings over the last 12 months not to mention being a household name, Lopez has nabbed the No. 1 spot on the Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list for the first time, beating out hot favourites, Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey.
A few years ago, you wouldn’t be alone if you’d thought JLo was washed up or a ‘has-been’ after releasing a few albums and movies that failed to make a blip on the radar, if not for their underwhelming status.
Then in 2010 the singer, actress and mum of two wisely accepted the coveted gig of a judge on the long running and one of the most successful reality television shows ever – American Idol.
Running the risk of public scrutiny and being labelled a sell-out, Lopez was able to use the job as a platform to promote her music and turn her image around. Becoming immediatley accessible after her split from ex-husband, Marc Anthony, single mother Lopez lapped up the media attention and scored lucrative endorsement deals with companies like L’Oreal and Gillette. And that’s just the beginning.
She now has a line of clothing at Kohl’s, a top-selling fragrance and she was able to secure a nice bump—to $20 million–on her Idol salary for a second season.
With 6.6 million followers on Twitter and 12 million fans on Facebook, she has almost out-done Lady Gaga in the social media stakes, who topped the list last year.
The controversial pop star who has recently been banned form performing in Jakarta, sidles down to fifth place this year with a measly $52 million in earnings, down from $90 million last year, but that is sure to boost with her recent touring. But don’t be fooled, the singer’s most recent album Born This Way, was a smash hit, selling 1 million copies its first week out – not bad for someone who was dumped by their record label.
In second place is Oprah Winfrey. You could say Winfrey had a rough 12 months following the end of her 25-year syndication- but the former talk-show queen still managed to earn more than anyone else on the list ($165 million!) thanks to her empire of spin-off shows, Dr Phil being one of them. Let’s not mention the fact Winfrey doesn’t earn any money from the struggling OWN cable network.
In the number three position – Justin Bieber. Barely legal, 18 year old Bieber makes his second appearance on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list- sure to be the second of many prosperous years to come.
The star earned $55 million in the past year thanks to touring and record sales, but singing sensation is more than just a pop star and pin-up for tweens everywhere. He’s also a budding venture capitalist. Bieber has used his fame and fortune to invest in startup companies like Spotify, Tinychat and Enflick.
Forbes has been publishing the list annually since 1999 and this year, unsurprisingly the Kardashian clan have debuted on the list with Kim and Khloe Kardashian made the cut. Regularly splashed across the tabloids and a camera in every waking moment of their lives, not known for making the best decisions but they do know how to stay famous and earn millions. Kim ranks seventh with $18 million. Khloe, who now has her own successful spin-off show ranks 73rd with $11 million. It just goes to show any publicity is good publicity for the Kardashian sisters.
Another newcomer: Ashton Kutcher. If you hadn’t seen this one coming, the actor, who took over the lead on Two and a Half Men following Charlie Sheen’s very public meltdown, is now one of the highest-paid men on television.
He, like bieber is also a savvy tech investor who managed to get in early on companies like Skype, Spotify and Airbnb, which is now worth a reported $1 billion.
Kutcher, who is a Twitter superstar in his own right, got plenty of press attention this year for his personal life as well as his professional life, following split from his wife of six years, Demi Moore. But this hasn’t hindered his popularity, the actor debuts in 51st place with $24 million.
Note to self: invest in social network sites!