Pop singer Madonna is the world's top-earning celebrity, according to a new Forbes list, raking in an estimated $125 million in the past year.
The 55-year-old’s income came mainly from her $305 million-grossing MDNA tour, but was also helped by sales of clothing, fragrance and various investments.
Director Steven Spielberg, who had a big hit last year with ‘Lincoln,’ was a distant second with earnings of $100 million in the year ended June 2013, most of which came from his catalogue of past hits such as ‘ET’ and ‘Jurassic Park,’ which continue to bring in big bucks.
Forbes compiles its annual list of celebrity earnings using input from agents, managers, producers and others to calculate its estimates for each celebrity's entertainment-related earnings.
The figures do not reflect tax deductions, agent fees or "the other expenses of being a celebrity."
Madonna's top spot compares with her previous peak of $110 million in 2009, but falls short of the $165 million taken in by Oprah Winfrey in the previous year, Forbes said.
Talk show queen and media mogul Winfrey took a big pay cut this year according to Forbes, falling to Number 13 on the list with earnings of $77 million.
At number three with earnings of $95 million in the past year was a three-way tie among ‘50 Shades of Grey’ author EL James, American radio shock jock Howard Stern and British music and television producer Simon Cowell.
Others in the top 10 earners included US TV host Glenn Beck, director Michael Bay of the ‘Transformers’ franchise, and thriller novelist James Patterson, who Forbes said was now the best-selling author of all time.
Both Spielberg and Bay also made last year's top 10, though with significantly larger earnings.
Singer Lady Gaga, who is often compared to Madonna, was the tenth highest earner in the past year.
The full list of top-earning celebrities can be viewed at www.forbes.com.
