While it has never been easier to become famous than it is in the era of social media, it is traditional celebrities – musicians, athletes, actors, authors, radio personalities and Kylie Jenner who dominate the list of the 20 highest-paid celebrities right now. Not surprisingly, Floyd Mayweather (#1) and Conor McGregor (#12) made the list thanks to the hefty paydays both athletes received in their Boxing-UFC crossover match in August 2017.
The three hottest players in soccer made the list with Lionel Messi (#8) edging out Cristiano Ronaldo (#10) and Neymar (#13). George Clooney is the second-highest paid celeb of the year and his impressive $239 million isn't from acting or directing gigs. The bulk of Clooney's earnings over the past year from Casamigos, the tequila company he co-founded. Casamigos sold to liquor conglomerate Diageo. The $239 million haul makes him the highest paid actor by far. The next closest is Dwayne Johnson at #5 with $124 million in earnings. Notably absent from the top 20 list are Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Diddy.
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The world's 100 top earning celebrities made a combined $6.3 billion over the past 12 months. That's up 22% from last year.
#20. Robert Downey Jr. – $81 million
#19. Katy Perry – $83 million
#18. Rush Limbaugh – $84.5 million
#17. LeBron James – $85.5 million
#16. James Patterson – $86 million
#15. Ellen DeGeneres – $87.5 million
#13. Howard Stern – $90 million
#13. Neymar – $90 million
#12. Conor McGregor – $99 million
#11. Bruno Mars – $100 million
#10. Cristiano Ronaldo – $108 million
#9. Ed Sheeran – $110 million
#8. Lionel Messi – $111 million
#7. Coldplay – $115.5 million
#6. U2 – $118 million
#5. Dwayne Johnson – $124 million
#4. Judy Sheindlin – $147 million
#3. Kylie Jenner – $166.5 million
#2. George Clooney – $239 million
#1. Floyd Mayweather – $285 million
