Forbes rich list: the top five highest-earning celebrities

    By
    Miranda Wadham
    -
    forbes rich list
    Beyonce Knowles took second place on the Forbes rich list after earning $105 million over the past year

    Forbes have released their annual celebrity rich list for 2017, with Sean “Diddy” Combs taking the top spot after earning $130 million over the year.

    Forbes assesses talent from across the entertainment industry to compile the annual list, with its top 100 earning a cumulative $5.15 billion before tax between June 2016 and June 2017.

    One of this year’s biggest fallers was Taylor Swift, who fell from first place last year after a successful world tour, to 49th place this year after her earnings dropped by $126 million during the year.
    Singer Taylor Swift dropped from 1st place in 2016 to 49th place this year
    She was replaced at the top spot by Sean “Diddy” Combs, who successful business ventures took him up 22 places over the year. Beyonce took second place, earning $105 million after profits from her Formation tour and her most recent album, the critically-acclaimed Lemonade, pushed her up from 34th place last year.
    Harry Potter author JK Rowling took third place this year, boosted by profits from the publication of the two-part play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the film release of Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Rowling also earns a substantial amount from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions at Universal Studios, making her one of just two British entries in the top ten.
    JK Rowling
    Author JK Rowling took second place
    Fourth place went to rapper Drake, who leapt from 68th place last year enter the top five. He doubled his fortune over the year to $94 million, after touring and endorsements from several major brands. In fifth place is Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who has fallen just one place since last year, earning $93 million as the current Fifa world player of the year.