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The Forbes Top 40[1][2][3] was an annual list of 40 highest-paid entertainers compiled and published by Forbes magazine from 1987[4] until 1998. The following year, 1999, it was created the Forbes Celebrity 100. The list was published every September, compiled by using the income of performers over two years to overcome the year-to-year of a performer's income.[5]

Forbes representatives said that those individual are "more than entertainers, they are businesses", declaring: "Not only do they create wealth for the entertainment industry and their business sponsors, they create wealth for the nation in exportable merchandize in the form of TV programming, motion pictures, and videocassette and music recordings".[6]

Forbes Top 40 lists

Below is the top 10 for each year since the list's inception.

1980s

1987[6]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
2 United States Sylvester Stallone Actor
3 United States Bruce Springsteen Musician
4 United States Charles Schulz Cartoonist
5 United States Eddie Murphy Actor
6 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
7 United States Madonna Musician
8 United States Whitney Houston Musician
9 United States Michael Jackson Musician
10 United States Johnny Carson Television personality
Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, perennial individuals in the Top 10, have the most appearances with 12 and 10 respectively. Spielberg topped the list three times and Winfrey two (the first ever woman to do so in Forbes).
1988[5]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Michael Jackson Musician
2 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
3 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
4 United States Sylvester Stallone Actor
5 United States Eddie Murphy Actor
6 United States Charles Schulz Cartoonist
7 United States Bruce Springsteen Musician
8 United States Mike Tyson Sportsperson (Boxing)
9 United States Madonna Musician
10 United States Arnold Schwarzenegger Actor
Michael Jackson and Madonna, were the perennial solo music performers of the Top 10, with 8 and 5 appearances respectively.
1989[7]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Michael Jackson Musician
2 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
3 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
4 United States Mike Tyson Sportsperson (Boxer)
5 United States Charles Schulz Cartoonist
6 United States Eddie Murphy Actor
7 United Kingdom Pink Floyd Musicians
8 United Kingdom The Rolling Stones Musicians
9 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
10 United Kingdom George Michael Musician
The Rolling Stone were the music band with most appearances (7), as well the most for non-American entertainers. The Beatles attained the highest ranks for non-Americans.

1990s

1990[8]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
2 United States Michael Jackson Musician
3 United Kingdom The Rolling Stones Musicians
4 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
5 United States New Kids on the Block Musicians
6 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
7 United States Sylvester Stallone Actor
8 United States Madonna Musician
9 United States Arnold Schwarzenegger Actor
10 United States Charles Schulz Cartoonist
1991[9]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States New Kids on the Block Musician
2 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
3 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
4 United States Madonna Musician
5 United States Michael Jackson Musician
6 United States Kevin Costner Actor
7 United States Johnny Carson Television personality
8 United Kingdom The Rolling Stones Musicians
9 United States Charles Schulz Cartoonist
10 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
Bill Cosby (8), Charles Schulz (7) and David Copperfield (5) composed the rest of perennials Top 10 entertainers.
1992[10]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
2 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
3 United States Kevin Costner Actor
4 United States New Kids on the Block Musicians
5 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
6 United States Michael Jackson Musician
7 United States Charles Schulz Cartoonist
8 United States Madonna Musician
9 Spain Julio Iglesias Musician
10 United States Guns N' Roses Musicians
1993[11]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
2 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
3 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
4 United States Guns N' Roses Musicians
5 United States Prince Musician
6 United States Charles Schulz Cartoonist
7 United States Kevin Costner Actor
8 Republic of Ireland U2 Musicians
9 United States Garth Brooks Musician
10 United States David Copperfield Illusionist
1994[12]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
2 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
3 United States Sheryl Leach Television personality
4 United Kingdom Pink Floyd Musicians
5 United States Bill Cosby Television personality
6 United States Barbra Streisand Musician
7 United States Eagles Musicians
8 United States David Copperfield Illusionist
9 United Kingdom The Rolling Stones Musicians
10 United States Harrison Ford Actor
1995[13]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
2 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
3 United Kingdom The Beatles Musicians
4 United Kingdom The Rolling Stones Musicians
5 United States Eagles Musicians
6 United States David Copperfield Illusionist
7 United Kingdom Pink Floyd Musicians
8 United States Michael Jackson Musician
9 United States Barbra Streisand Musician
10 United States Sylvester Stallone Actor
1996[14][15]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
2 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
3 United Kingdom The Beatles Musicians
4 United States Michael Jackson Musician
5 United Kingdom The Rolling Stones Musicians
6 United States Eagles Musicians
7 United States Arnold Schwarzenegger Actor
8 United States David Copperfield Illusionist
9 Canada Jim Carrey Actor
10 United States Michael Crichton Filmmaker
1997[16]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
2 United States George Lucas Filmmaker
3 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
4 United States Michael Crichton Filmmaker
5 United Kingdom The Beatles Musicians
6 United States Jerry Seinfeld Television personality
7 United States David Copperfield Illusionist
8 United States Stephen King Author
9 United States Tom Cruise Actor
10 United States Arnold Schwarzenegger Actor
1998[17]
No. Recipient Career
1 United States Jerry Seinfeld Television personality
2 United States Larry David Television personality
3 United States Steven Spielberg Filmmaker
4 United States Oprah Winfrey Television personality
5 Canada James Cameron Filmmaker
6 United States Tim Allen Actor
7 United States Michael Crichton Filmmaker
8 United States Harrison Ford Actor
9 United Kingdom The Rolling Stones Musicians
10 United States Master P Musician

Statistics

Most entries by entertainer at the top 10
Entries Individual Country of origin Main profession
12 Steven Spielberg United States Filmmaker
10 Oprah Winfrey Television personality
8 Michael Jackson Musician
Bill Cosby Television personality
7 The Rolling Stones United Kingdom Musicians
Charles Schulz United States Cartoonist
5 Madonna Musician
David Copperfield Illusionist

Forbes reports and summarize

Forbes 20th-century lists were predominantly dominated by male figures. In 1996 alone, only four female celebrities made appearances at the list (Oprah Winfrey ranked 1, Roseanne Barr at 25, Mariah Carey at 33, and Sandra Bullock at 40). Winfrey, however, often appeared even above many individuals regardless of gender, which has been maintained with the inception of Forbes Celebrity 100 in 1999. Various musicians often dominated the list, although high ranks were not usually attained by female artists. Like Winfrey, Madonna was an almost premier exception.[18]

On the other hand, lists were dominated by American personalities rather than foreigners.[19] The Beatles attained the highest ranked for non-Americans.[19] According to Forbes, after list' 11th anniversary, Steven Spielberg and Bill Cosby were the individuals with the most appearances at the top, with three each.[19]

See also

References

  1. "The Forbes TOP 40". Forbes. September 22, 1997. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  2. "Hollywood's idea moguls". Forbes. September 21, 1998. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  3. "The Forbes Top 40". Forbes. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  4. Bibisi, Suzan (December 2, 1991). "Michael Jackson vs Madonna". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Michael Jackson tops list of best-paid entertainers". United Press International (UPI). September 18, 1988. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Winship, Frederick M. (September 6, 1987). "Bill Cosby tops list of highest paid entertainers". United Press International (UPI). Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  7. "Michael Jackson tops Forbes's 'richest stars' list again". United Press International (UPI). September 16, 1989. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  8. "Forbes Magazine's Highest-Paid Entertainers With PM-Richest Entertainers". Associated Press News. September 17, 1990. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  9. "Forbes Magazine's Highest-Paid Entertainers With AM-Richest Entertainers". Associated Press News. September 15, 1991. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  10. "Forbes Magazine's 40 Richest Entertainers With AM-Richest Entertainers". Associated Press News. September 13, 1992. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  11. "Oprah Tops Forbes List of Highest Grossing Celebs: CELEBRITIES (List Top 25)". Jet. September 27, 1993. p. 13. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  12. "Spielberg Is Top-Paid Entertaier; Syrupy Barney Rings in at No. 3". Deseret News. September 12, 1994. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  13. "Beatles In The Money Again, Forbes Says Band Earned Third Most Money, Behind Steven Spielberg, Oprah". The Spokesman-Review. September 11, 1995. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  14. Gerhart, Ann; Groer, Annie (September 9, 1996). "Yoga Teacher Makes Peace in Cleveland Park". Washington Post. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  15. "TOP 40 (money makers for 95-96)". Racine Journal Times. September 9, 1996. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  16. "In the money". Tampa Bay Times. September 9, 1997. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  17. "Forbes list of entertainers". Associated Press News. September 7, 1998. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  18. "Let's get "Serious," The Attack on Madonna Scholarship". On the Issues. 1993. Archived from the original on January 2, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 "Little known facts about the Forbes 40". Forbes. September 12, 1997. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
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