The wheel of celebrity turns, and fame comes and passes, leaving stars that become legends.
Yes, it’s that time again: Forbes has released its annual Celebrity 100 Power List, detailing the relative clout of our favorite big-name money-makers. Rankings balance overall media saturation with individual net worth earned over the past 12 months.
Chicago media baron Oprah Winfrey claims the top spot this year with a 12-month windfall of $315 million, having wrested control of the hill from last year’s No. 1, Angelina Jolie. (Jolie dropped 17 spots to No. 18, boasting a paltry $20 million.)
Lady Gaga stormed onto the list for the first time at fourth place, beating out such traditional musical heavyweights as U2 (No. 7) and Madonna (No. 10). Gaga, currently in the midst of the 106-date, global Monster Ball Tour, brought home $62 million this Power List season.
Also new to the Forbes top 100 this year is America’s favorite blood-sucker, the smoky-eyed, sickly-looking Robert Pattinson, star of the vampire film craze “Twilight.” At 24 years old, the British actor landed midway at No. 50, having earned an estimated $17 million in the past year.
