Forbes Magazine recently released their list of the top 10 highest paid celebrities in Hollywood for the past year. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey topped the list by earning $165 million from May 2011 through May 2012.
Oprah earned the majority of her money through O: The Oprah Magazine, spin-off shows like Dr. Phil and her Sirius radio deal. Due to her struggling cable network OWN and the final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the billionaire media mogul made $125 million less than the previous year.
Director Michael Bay came in second place earning $160 million thanks to his 3-D $1.1 billion blockbuster film Transformers:Dark of the Moon, Transformers merchandise, and even a Transformers thrill ride at Universal Studios.
Forbes Highest Paid Hollywood Celebrities Full List:
- Oprah Winfrey (OWN, O: The Oprah Magazine) -$165 million
- Michael Bay (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) – $160 million
- Steven Spielberg (DreamWorks) – $130 million
- Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) – $115 million
- Dr. Dre (Beats by Dr. Dre) – $110 million
- Tyler Perry (Tyler Perry Studios) – $105 million
- Howard Stern (Sirius Radio) – $95 million
- James Patterson (Novelist) – $94 million
- George Lucas (Star Wars/Industrial Light and Magic) – $90 million
- Simon Cowell (X-Factor/Syco Records) – $90 million
- Glenn Beck (GBTV/The Glenn Beck Program) – $80 million
- Elton John (Concerts/Gnomeo & Juliet) – $80 million
- Tom Cruise (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) – $75 million
- Dick Wolf (Law & Order franchise) – $70 million
- Rush Limbaugh (The Rush Limbaugh show) – $69 million
- Manny Pacquiao (Boxing/Endorsements) -$67 million
- Dr. Phil McGraw (Dr.Phil) – $64 million
- Donald Trump (The Apprentice) – $63 million
- Ryan Seacrest (American Idol/Keeping up with the Kardashians) – $59 million
- Britney Spears (Concerts/Femme Fatale) – $58 million
