“I’m here to inspire other females.” So said our Woman of the Week Katy Perry as she was named the highest earning celebrity of 2015 by Forbes. The star’s global tour has seen her amass US$135million this year alone – or, as Forbes puts it: “more than Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus combined”. Katy, consider us inspired.
She’s one of the feistiest women in pop, but Katy Perry has been a little quiet of late. Perhaps after a certain Taylor Swift threw all kinds of shade with her hit Bad Blood (widely acknowledged to have been inspired by her rival), Katy decided to keep a low profile.
But the 30-year-old star, who was recently revealed as a face of Moschino, must have allowed herself an air punch this week, after she was revealed as the highest earning female celebrity of 2015 by Forbes. Perry’s earnings of US$135million left Beyonce, Rihanna, and yes, even the mighty Swift trailing in her wake. Perry is third overall on the list of highest earning entertainers, male or female. Only boxers Manny Pacquiao (no. 2) and Floyd Mayweather (no. 1) have had a more lucrative year than the singer – and that’s after they faced one another in what was billed as the richest fight in boxing history back in May.
Perry, who appeared on the front cover of the magazine wearing a black suit embellished with gold dollar signs (naturally), is said to have taken in an average US$20 per head per night in merchandise revenue while on tour. Describing herself as an “entrepreneur”, the singer said: “I am proud of my position as a boss… as a person that runs my own company.”
Swift, who was at number eight on the overall list, can take comfort in the fact that she and boyfriend Calvin Harris (the DJ is at 17 on the list thanks to an income of US$66million this year) have usurped Beyonce and Jay-Z as music’s power couple du jour. Plus, Taylor’s personal income of US$80million is not to be sniffed at.
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