According to SCMP, Hollywood stars are always the richest artists in the world. Returning after 2 years of “freezing” due to the pandemic, many big names in the entertainment industry reappeared strongly, with a bumper crop of awards and achievements.

According to Forbes estimates, the 10 highest paid artists in the world in 2022 bring in an amount of $1.35 billion. This number is only half of the 2021 list.

In 2022, Taylor Swift is the only woman in the top, while director James Cameron returns to the top 10 after a decade of absence. Box office stars faced many difficulties when only Tyler Perry and Brad Pitt were named.

Below is the list of the 10 highest paid stars in the world published by Forbes:

1. Genesis ($230 million)

In September 2022, rock band Genesis sold part of their music copyright for $300 million to record label Concord Music Group, according to Forbes.

The band’s lead vocalist Phil Collins also sold a number of solo albums as part of the above agreement. This record label will hold the publishing rights and profits from streaming on digital music charts.

2. Sting (210 million USD)

Like Genesis, male singer Sting pocketed $300 million after selling all of his music, including solo and products with the group The Police, to Universal Music Group.

Sting is known as a 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist and former leader of The Police. He has hit songs like “Every Breath You Take” or “Roxanne”.

Sting surpassed many young stars and ranked 2nd. Photo: Xinhua

3. Tyler Perry ($175 million)

This is the second year Tyler Perry has been in Forbes’ top 10 highest-paid entertainers. In addition, he is also the only billionaire on the list with an estimated fortune of up to 1 billion USD.

Tyler Perry is an American actor, filmmaker, and businessman. He is the director and producer behind the sitcoms “House of Payne”, “Assisted Living” and “All the Queen’s Men”…

4. Trey Parker & Matt Stone ($160 million)

The directing duo of the animated film “South Park” earned $160 million thanks to a contract signed with Paramount+ in 2021. The exclusive deal will bring them $935 million over a period of 6 years. This partnership also allowed Parker and Stone to release many works on streaming platforms.

5. James L. Brooks and Matt Groening ($105 million)

James L. Brooks and Matt Groening are the creators of the popular animated series “The Simpsons”. They earn more than $100 million by 2022.

Since its debut in 1989, the show has had a total of more than 700 episodes. In 2019, the two authors transferred all 30 seasons from FX to Disney+. This deal helps Brooks and Groening pocket $105 million annually.

After more than 30 years, the Simpsons family is still loved by the audience. Photo: Xinhua

6. Brad Pitt ($100 million)

In December 2022, Brad Pitt sold most of his production company, Plan B Entertainment, to Mediawan. According to Forbes, the 59-year-old actor earned $113 million after fees from this deal.

In 2022, the actor also appeared in the films “Bullet Train”, “Babylon” and “The Lost City”. Income from these films accounts for 1/3 of the salary Brad Pitt receives in 2022.

Brad Pitt continuously appears on this list. Photo: Xinhua

7. The Rolling Stones ($98 million)

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones earned more than $8.5 million per night during their “Sixty” tour across Europe in 2022. The band visited 15 cities across the continent.

After the tour, the British group recorded a total revenue of 136 million USD and a record amount of royalties.

8. James Cameron ($95 million)

Director Cameron earned at least 95 million USD from the box office blockbuster “Avatar : The Way of Water”, according to Forbes. He entered world cinema history when he owned three billion-dollar works, Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).

9. Taylor Swift ($92 million)

According to Forbes, Taylor Swift’s sky-high income comes from physical album sales, streaming, digital downloads and licensed copyrights.

The singer’s 2022 album “Midnights” sold 1.8 million copies in the United States alone, according to Billboard.

To date, Swift has been on the list of highest earners six times, topping the list in 2019 and still being the only woman to make the cut.

Taylor Swift “broke” many records with the album “Midnights”. Photo: Xinhua

10. Bad Bunny ($88 million)

In 2022, Bad Bunny tried his hand as an actor in “Bullet Train”, and signed advertising contracts with big brands such as Corona, Cheetos and Adidas.

Regarding music, the Puerto Rican rapper sold more than 400 million USD in tickets from his two tours, El Último Tour del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour.