J.K. Rowling, creator of "Harry Potter", is now officially the highest paid author in the world, marking a return to the top of the list after a few years of American writer James Patterson leading the rankings. The past years have been phenomenal for Rowling, who saw her multi-media empire grow even further.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rowling earned an estimated $95 million from June 2016 to May 2017. A big chunk of the earnings came from the release of the “Harry Potter” spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and the West End run of the blockbuster play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Rowling had a hand in the production of both creative ventures, with her being the screenwriter behind the spin-off movie.
Rowling is the only billionaire author
Patterson, on the other hand, was close behind Rowling with $87 million. Patterson has a host of book series and novels that he has written over the years. Other writers in the top ten include “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” writer Jeff Kinney, suspense thriller author Dan Brown, iconic novelist Stephen King, romance author Nora Roberts and “Percy Jackson” author Rick Riordan. Perennial favorites John Green, George R.R. Martin and Veronica Roth failed to make a list for this year despite an expanded audience for their published work.
Rowling was, for a time, known to be the only billionaire author in the more than 200 countries where wealth is openly estimated. Due to the massive worldwide success of both the “Harry Potter” books and movies, she became an icon in the publishing world.
She has also published the small town novel “The Casual Vacancy” and the crime novel series “Cormoran Strike” (under the pen name Robert Galbraith).
The Harry Potter author gives a lot to charity
Probably, Patterson ruled for quite some time because Rowling lost her billionaire status due to the high taxes that the United Kingdom charges.
Another reason is the big amounts of money that she gives to various charities. The Guardian reports that since she ascended the financial ladder over the years, she has given out at least $160 million to charity organizations.
Her own charity, Lumos, helps a lot of disadvantaged and institutionalized children in Eastern Europe.
The "Harry Potter" author also gives heavily to One Parent Families, a non-profit organization that specializes in empowering single-parent households. Rowling is also known as a proud supporter of the human rights advocacy group Amnesty International, where she served as a secretary for a time in the London headquarters. She is said to be writing a new book.
