The 20 richest celebrities in the world
Samantha Lee/Business Insider
Between endorsement deals, royalty payments, fat salaries, and a multitude of side hustles, celebrities' net worths can skyrocket into the hundreds of millions.
Wealth-X, a firm that conducts research on the super-wealthy, culled its data to compile a list of the 20 richest celebrities, considering only actors, musicians, and professional athletes who are still working today. That means billionaires like Oprah and Michael Jordan — who are in more managerial roles rather than performance roles — weren't considered for this list, and neither were people who work primarily behind the scenes, like directors and producers.
Though no one on this list cracked billionaire status, the top two names — pop star Madonna and professional golfer Tiger Woods — are close, with $910 million and $900 million in the bank, respectively. Jerry Seinfeld came in at No. 3, with a net worth of $860 million, making him the wealthiest comedian and actor in the world.
From Academy Award-winning actors to rappers-turned-producers, here are the wealthiest celebrities still in the game:
20. Gloria Estefan
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty ImagesAge: 59
Net worth: $380 million
Profession: Musician
Country: US
Listeners across the US first took notice of Gloria Estefan in the mid-1980s as the face of Miami Sound Machine, the pop-disco-salsa fusion band started by her husband, Emilio Estefan.
The Estefans turned the Latin pop group, originally a Spanish wedding band, into a mainstream hit machine. Gloria eventually went solo, Emilio started a record label, and the pair earned a combined 26 Grammys throughout their careers.
Gloria and Emilio reside in a four-bedroom home in Miami complete with a library, gym, and separate guest villa — but it wasn't always that way. Both Estefans emigrated from Cuba as children during Fidel Castro's reign in the 1950s and '60s and grew up with nothing.
Their music careers brought the pair affluence, and other ventures have padded their net worth further, including their multimedia entertainment company Estefan Enterprises, a stake in the Miami Dolphins, and ownership of a string of hotels and restaurants across Florida.
In 2013, the Estefans' story also became permanently preserved in "On Your Feet!" — a Broadway musical the couple produced themselves.
19. Tyler Perry
Kevin Winter/GettyAge: 46
Net worth: $390 million
Profession: Actor
Country: US
Playwright-turned-Hollywood-producer Tyler Perry is the creator of a popular stage play series he later adapted for film.
Perry has portrayed the frequent title character, Madea, an outspoken elderly black woman, in nearly two dozen plays and films since the late 1990s. To date, 16 Perry-branded films have grossed more than $765 million at the box office on budgets as low as $10 million.
Perry, who is based in Atlanta, established Tyler Perry Studios 10 years ago and is the creator of seven TV shows, four of which currently air on the Oprah Winfrey Network, including the hit drama "The Haves and the Have Nots" and the sitcom "Love Thy Neighbor."
18. Mel Gibson
Yves Herman/ReutersAge: 60
Net worth: $400 million
Profession: Actor
Country: Australia
Born in New York but raised in Australia, Mel Gibson got his start acting when he attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.
After graduating in 1977, Gibson landed his first film role in "Summer City," a job that only paid him $400. He went on to act in a number of Australian plays and movies, including the "Mad Max" trilogy, before making a name for himself in the states.
A versatile actor, Gibson early on starred in films including "Hamlet" and the "Lethal Weapon" series, in which he received a $30 million paycheck for the fourth film.
In 1989, he expanded his résumé to include producer and director when he cofounded Icon Productions. He produced, directed, and acted in "Braveheart," which landed him two Academy Awards, for best picture and best director.
Gibson's biggest financial hit to date is "The Passion of the Christ," the 2004 religious epic he produced and directed. Though the film stirred some controversy, it only cost about $30 million to make and raked in nearly $612 million worldwide.
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