They don’t call her Queen B for nothing. Beyoncé has proved her worth this year by topping Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list. Having made her first appearance on the list in 2004 when she ranked fifth place, she has slowly but surely made her way to the top and looks set to stay there. This year alone has seen Beyoncé play 95 shows earning an average of Dhs8.8million ($2.4m) each as well as releasing her self titled ‘visual album’ where every of the 14 songs had a music video. Not only that but her endorsements included the likes of H&M and Pepsi and she has also dabbled in fashion where she has created a small empire including her own company House of Deréon.
Beyoncé earned an estimated $115m (Dhs422million) last year, while her powerhouse husband, rapper Jay-Z, also followed in at number six after making a considerably smaller $60m (Dhs220million). It comes as no surprise that the couple were also named the world’s highest earning couple for the second time in a row. The pair – currently receiving rave reviews while on tour together in the US – are aiming for a hat-trick this year.
Now in its 15th year, the Forbes Celebrity 100 takes into consideration the celebrity’s fame in terms of the amount of mention in print, TV and radio. Social media also plays a massive role with celebrity power being counted across 11 different platforms including, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Other celebrities to feature on the list this year are NBA’s top player LeBron James in second place, followed by Dr. Dre who has earned more in the past 12 months than any other celebrity to ever grace the Forbes Celebrity 100 list with a whopping $620m. Falling from last year’s top spot, Oprah Winfrey finds herself in fourth place, with much loved talk show host Ellen DeGeneres finishing up the top five.
For more information visit forbes.com
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