Last year, Sean “Diddy” Combs didn’t even crack the top 20 of Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities. But a lot has changed for the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, who was named the highest-earning celebrity of the year on Monday.
He earned $130 million in the past year, jumping 21 spots on Forbes annual ranking of the world’s highest-paid celebs. Beyoncé snagged the No. 2 slot with $105 million in her pocket, and J.K. Rowling came in third with $95 million, according to Forbes. The annual ranking measured pre-tax incomes for the 100 highest-earning celebrities from June 1, 2016 to June 1, 2017.
Diddy’s lucrative earnings came from a sponsorship deal with Ciroc vodka, his Sean John clothing line and from his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour. Diddy earned $70 million when Global Brand Group bought a majority stake in his clothing line, Forbes reported.
He also has large stakes in companies like DeLéon tequila, Aquahydrate alkaline water and Revolt TV — skyrocketing his net worth to about $820 million, according to Forbes.
Like Diddy, Beyoncé also jumped to the top of the list this year, rising from number 34 last year. This year was her second-highest earning of her career, Forbes noted, and can be attributed to her Formation World Tour as well as the release of her album, Lemonade.
Forbes’ list includes a range of celebrities from musicians to authors to athletes to “personalities” like Kim Kardashian West.
Here are this year’s 10 highest-earning celebrities, according to Forbes:
Sean “Diddy” Combs, $130 million
Beyoncé Knowles, $105 million
J.K. Rowling, $95 million
Drake, $94 million
Cristiano Ronaldo, $93 million
The Weeknd, $92 million
Howard Stern, $90 million
Coldplay, $88 million
James Patterson, $87 million
LeBron James, $86 million
Source: Time.com