Genesis, Tyler Perry, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny: Forbes’ 2022 highest-paid entertainers list

March 29, 2023
Hollywood

Stones kept Rolling, Taylor Swift released chart topping music and Bad Bunny crushed ticket sales on two tours.

Forbes released its annual list of highest-paid entertainers Wednesday with long-known rockstars taking the lead on the top 10 along with a couple actors, directors and more. Bad Bunny is a first-time addition to the list, per Forbes, and Swift was the only woman who cracked the top 10.

In total, the group earned around $1.35 billion last year, according to Forbes, less than half of what the top 10 combined entertainers made in 2021. Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen were among the stars included on last year’s list.

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Who’s on Forbes’ highest-paid entertainers list?

Here’s the full list:

Genesis ($230 million): The rock group took the No. 1 slot after selling their music rights to the tune of $300 million making a final income of $230 million including tour earnings and royalties.
Sting ($210 million): Police frontman Sting also sold his entire music catalogue for $300 million ahead of fees.
Tyler Perry ($175 million): Perry took in income from various ventures, including his BET shows TV shows and a production lot in Atlanta. It is his second year on Forbes’ list and he is the only billionaire listed for 2022.
Matt Stone and Trey Parker ($160 million): The pair behind “South Park” were on Forbes’ list for the second year in a row with income from a six-year, $935 million Paramount deal, HBO Max legacy deal and their musical “Book of Mormon.”
Matt Groening and James L. Brooks ($105 million): “The Simpsons” has continued to bring Groening and Brooks a solid income, to say the least – in 2022, the two earned $105 million after fees due to the show’s move to Disney+ streaming as part of the company’s Fox acquisition.
Brad Pitt ($100 million): Pitt earned some cash from his movies in 2022 but took the majority of his income from the sale of his production company Plan B. It’s estimated he sold Plan B for $113 million after fees.
Rolling Stones ($98 million): The Rolling Stones took in just shy of $100 million with a year that included a $135 million grossing tour and royalties.
James Cameron ($95 million): Close behind the Stones, the director had a banner year with the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which accounts for his third movie among the highest grossing movies of all time – “Titanic” and “Avatar” account for the other two.
Taylor Swift ($92 million): The reigning queen of pop took in $92 million from streams, physical record sales and digital downloads, among other factors.
Bad Bunny ($88 million): The Puerto Rican powerhouse entered the high earners’ chat with $400 million in ticket sales across two tours and endorsements.