Beyonce, Jay Z are top-earning couple; Gisele, Tom Brady follow
Jay Z and Beyonce can flaunt all they want -- the husband and wife have been named Forbes’ highest-earning celebrity couple for the second year in a row.
The music moguls, who married in 2008, locked in an estimated $95 million in earnings in the past year, the mag said.
The magazine compiled the list by talking to managers, agents, producers and other “in-the-know folks†to get the estimates between June 2012 and June 2013. However, the earnings do not take into account taxes, agents fees and other celebrity-releated expenses.
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Jay Z and Beyonce are up in the double digits from last year, when they reportedly earned $78 million between them but still held the No. 1 spot.
Music, obviously, was their main source of income. The Grammy-winning musicians saw success in the industry with the 43-year-old rapper’s “Watch the Throne†album going platinum and his world tour raking in $1.4 million a night in the U.S.
As for Mrs. Carter, 32, she hasn’t released new music in years, but her powerhouse Super Bowl performance sparked even more interest in her wildly successful world tour, “The Mrs. Carter Show,†which is said to have grossed an average of $2 million a night. The mag said she out-earned her husband by $11 million. All this after taking time off in early 2012 to give birth to their baby girl Blue Ivy Carter.
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Their business dealings certainly helped too. Hova, the hyphen-dropping rapper, was part owner of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn but recently sold off his stake to start his own agency, Roc Nation Sports. Bey, ever the fashionista, has her own clothing line, House of Dereon, and an accompanying fragrance.
Their little girl, Blue Ivy, who was born in January 2012, is already on track to be a top earner too. Her parents are have petitioned to trademark her unique name for use on baby clothes, toys, etc. and are making headway.
Football player Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen come in as the No. 2 top-earning couple at a combined $80 million. The pretty pair, who married in 2009, was No. 2 last year and No. 1 the year before that.
Brady, 36, earned a $30-million signing bonus after extending his contract with the New England Patriots until he’s 40. He also has endorsement deals wtih footwear giant Ugg and underwear brand Under Armour. The Brazilian beauty, 33, is the world’s top-earning model with an reported income of $42 million. She also has a stake in Grendene, a Brazilian footwear company.
The affianced Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie come in at No. 3 earning a combined $50 million to support themselves and brood of six. They’re up from $45 million last year, and the actors’ incomes come primarily from film pay, not their accompanying business dealings, though the two have branched out from being listed only as talent.
Pitt produced nearly every film he worked on this latest year including “Killing Them Softly†and “World War Z.†Jolie, also a UN Goodwill Ambassador and ultimate spokeswoman for preventative double mastectomies, is currently directing her next film in Australia and will star in Disney’s big budget film “Maleficient.†The pair did launch their own wine this year, and Pitt earned a $7 million paycheck from Chanel for his moody Chanel No. 5 fragrance commercial.
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“That ‘70s Show†costars Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher came in at No. 4, earning a combined $35 million. Kunis, of “Ted†fame, was named this year’s sexiest woman in the world by FHM magazine and had a starring role in Disney’s “Wizard of Oz†prequel, “Oz the Great and Powerful.†Kutcher, who is the highest paid actor in television thanks to a fat paycheck from “Two and a Half Men,†most recently starred in the Steve Jobs biopic “Jobs.†He also dabbles in several start-up tech companies.
And in fifth place, comes “Kimye.†The notorious pairing of reality star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West earned a combined $30 million. Kardashian, who gave birth to their daughter North West in June, earned an estimated $10 millon a year and is squarely placed in TV’s highest paid actressses list with sisters Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian thanks to ther reality series “Keeping Up With the Kardashians†and its many spin-offs.
However, the former Mrs. Kris Humphries and her siblings have several fashion and beauty dealings that include their successful Kardashian Kollection for Sears clothing line and newly renamed Kardashian Cosmetics. The tabloid-ready couple likely could have been higher on the list, but West released his album “Yeezus†just after the magazine’s cut-off period. So we’ll be looking out for a Kimye comeback next year.
Dropping off the list this year are British power couple David and Victoria Beckham, who earned $54 million last year, and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who earned $40 million last year from acting.
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