What does it take to be the highest paid celebrity? Just ask Taylor Swift, who topped Forbes' highest-paid celebrity list for 2019. The 29-year-old singer and songwriter, whose controversial single "You Need To Calm Down" ruffled at least a few feathers, raked in $185 million over the past year( pre-tax) — a 131% jump from her $80 million in 2018, Forbes noted.
This year Swift, who also topped Forbes' list in 2016 with $170 million, managed to beat Kylie Jenner for the top spot. The youngest billionaire came in second with $170 million. Her wealth is largely due to her Kylie Cosmetics range, which she owns 100 percent of and which saw an estimated $360 million in sales, Fox Business reported.
Other notable stars who made this year's highest-paid celebrity list include Kanye West, who raked in $240 million in the last year; his wife Kim Kardashian; soccer player Leonel Messi, who earned $127 million; and Ed Sheeran, who brought in $110 million.
Here are the top 15 highest paid celebrities according to Forbes:
15. Dwayne Johnson: $89.4 million
14. Russell Wilson: $89.5 million
13. J.K. Rowling: $92 million
12. Howard Stern: $93 million
11. Roger Federer: $93.4 million
10. Canelo Alvarez: $94 million
9. Dr. Phil McGraw-: $95 million
8. The Eagles: $100 million
7. Neymar: $105 million
6. Cristiano Ronaldo: $109 million
5. Ed Sheeran: $110 million
4. Lionel Messi: $127 million
3. Kanye West: $240 million
2. Kylie Jenner: Real-time net worth: $1 billion. 2019 celebrity 1019 earnings: $170 million
1. Taylor Swift: $185 million
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