If you’re a superstar with the rights to decades’ worth of hits, there has never been a better time to sell out.
The blockbuster deal lands the 20-time Grammy winner at No. 2 on the Forbes list of Highest-Paid Entertainers of 2021, behind Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, who collected $600 million in cash after selling part of his visual-effects company for $1.6 billion in November. That deal made Jackson a billionaire.
Not all rock stars are as wealthy as The Boss. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Neil Young are three more legendary artists whose profitable music portfolios were sold in the previous year. These artists brought in a combined $500 million before fees, good for a spot in this year’s rankings of them. Springsteen’s longtime manager Jon Landau notes, “These deals haven’t been hand-to-hand fighting.” Everyone is receiving what is best for them.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Manchester United, who also happens to be the person with the most Instagram followers, tops the list for 2022 just as he did for 2021. Lionel Messi, a Paris Saint-Germain standout and Argentine legend, is currently in third place after moving up four spots from seventh in 2021.
The highest-paid female star on the list, Kylie Jenner, comes in at number two, sandwiched between the footballing gods. Thus, Kylie, who was in fourth place in 2021, replaces Ariana Grande, who fell to seventh place in 2022. It is significant that Kylie has over 365 million followers, making her the most popular female user on the social networking site.
Interestingly, as Hopper HQ notes, this is the first time that four Kardashian-Jenner sisters finished in the top 10 of the list. Kim Kardashian, who continues to be in the news for her recent appearances for Balenciaga, is 6th, followed by Khloé Kardashian in 9th position and Kendall Jenner taking the 10th spot.
Dwayne Johnson fell three spots from second in 2021 to fifth in 2022 after joining the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) with the signing of Black Adam (2022). On the other side, Selena Gomez rose from fifth position last year to fourth this time around.
The highest-paid Asian on the list is Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, who is now in position 14 on the list.
Here is the list;
1. Cristiano Ronaldo — USD 2,397,000
2. Kylie Jenner — USD 1,835,000
3. Lionel Messi — USD 1,777,000
4. Selena Gomez — USD 1,735,000
5. Dwayne Johnson — USD 1,713,000
6. Kim Kardashian — USD 1,689,000
7. Ariana Grande — USD 1,687,000
8. Beyoncé — USD 1,393,000
9. Khloe Kardashian — USD 1,320,000
10. Kendall Jenner — USD 1,290,000
11. Justin Bieber — USD 1,281,000
12. Taylor Swift — USD 1,142,000
13. Jennifer Lopez — USD 1,130,000
14. Virat Kohli — USD 1,088,000
15. Nicki Minaj — USD 1,031,000
16. Katy Perry — USD 1,029,000
17. Kourtney Kardashian — USD 964,000
18. Neymar — USD 945,000
19. Miley Cyrus — USD 928,000
20. Kevin Hart — USD 780,000
