Forbes reveals the 20 highest-paid European celebrities in 2017. In the past 12 months, these celebrities collectively earned $1.06 billion. The list is primarily composed of musicians and athletes – with athletes accounting for half of the list. Here are the top 5 celebrities in the list.
Roger Federer
The Swiss tennis player who has broken the record and won his eighth Wimbledon title ranks fifth in the list. He is also the highest-paid tennis player for the 12th straight year with $64 million. At 36 years old, the tennis superstar is still going strong.
According to Forbes, Federer has won a total of $108 million prize money in his career. A bulk of his earnings come from his several major endorsement deals including Rolex, Nike, Wilson, and Mercedes-Benz. He also established the Roger Federer Foundation and has raised $15 million to support educational projects in Africa and Switzerland.
Adele
Adele successfully returned with the release of her album “25” in late 2015. Her much-awaited album became the best-selling album of 2015 is a number of countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. The singer earned $69 million in the last 12 months.
The album was certified Diamond by the RIAA and won the 2017 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
“Adele Live 2016” was launched in support of “25” and ran from February 2016 to July 2017. The tour had 4 legs and toured around Europe, North America, and Oceania. On June 30, Adele announced via social media that her last two shows were canceled due to vocal cord injuries.
Coldplay
The release of the band’s seventh studio album “A Head Full of Dreams” was a complete success with the album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2015 – just behind Adele’s “25”.
The band also released “Kaleidoscope (EP)” earlier this year. The band also performed at the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show.
The band’s latest album is their most successful album in terms of chart performance. Coldplay also launched a world tour, “A Head Full of Dreams Tour” in support of the album. The tour began in Argentina in 2016 and is set to conclude at the same venue on November 15, 2017.
The tour consists of 8 legs, across the globe, with the band earning a gross $5 million per city according to Forbes.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Last year’s top placer, the Portuguese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, ranks second on this year’s list, earning $93 million in the last 12 months. Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world, beating LeBron James and Lionel Messi.
Last year, the athlete was named FIFA’s best player in the world for the fourth time. He has also extended his contract with Real Madrid for the next four years and he signed a lifetime deal with Nike. In 2006, Ronaldo opened his own clothing line, CR7, offering shoes, underwear, shirts, and fragrance.
J.K. Rowling
With the continuous success of the “Harry Potter” series and new projects, J.K. Rowling earned $95 million (before taxes and management fees) according to Forbes’ estimate.
The creator of “Harry Potter” tops FORBES’ Highest-Paid European Celebrities this year. Rowling is also the third highest-paid celebrity in the world and she is also the highest-paid author.
She wrote the screenplay for the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (and its upcoming sequel) and served as one of the film’s executive producers. The success of the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” play, and its published script, greatly contributed to Rowling’s financial assets.
