Women claimed three of the top five spots in Forbes magazine’s celebrity power list, with singer Lady Gaga making her first entry and Oprah Winfrey retaking her No. 1 position.
Talk show host Winfrey earned an estimated US$315 million, putting her atop the annual Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list for the fourth time. Winfrey reclaimed the No. 1 spot from last year’s winner Angelina Jolie, who fell to 18th in the latest rankings.
Grammy-winning R&B singer Beyonce rose to second with an estimated US$87 million from a tour and album sales, together with deals in fashion, fragrance and other endorsements.
Despite the worldwide recession, Forbes said celebrity earnings remain “remarkably resilient, with this year’s stars having earned a collective US$4.7 billion during the past year, up from US$4.1 billion in 2009.”
Forbes’ ranking is a measurement of entertainment-related earnings over the past 12 months as well as exposure in print, television, radio, online and social media.
Avatar director James Cameron jumped back onto the Forbes list for the first time since 1999, landing at No. 3 after his movie earned a record US$2.7 billion at worldwide box offices.
Glam pop star Lady Gaga made the list for the first time, taking fourth place with estimated earnings of US$62 million.
Golfer Tiger Woods is the world’s fifth most powerful celebrity, despite a sex scandal that took him out of golf for five months and lost him several lucrative endorsements.
“He managed to earn US$105 million during the past year, even as his revenue streams have diminished and his golf course design business struggles in the global economy,” Forbes said.
The top five on this year’s Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list are:
1. Oprah Winfrey, US$315 million
2. Beyonce Knowles, US$87 million
3. James Cameron, US$210 million
4. Lady Gaga, US$62 million
5. Tiger Woods, US$105 million.
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