J.K. Rowling joins Beyonce on the Forbes 100 list of highest paid celebrities

Who run the world? Girls...and Diddy.
J.K. Rowling joins Beyonce on the Forbes 100 list of highest paid celebrities
Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Forbes annual list of the highest-paid celebrities didn't bring many surprises, except for one magical addition.

Once again, Forbes' list is mostly dominated by musicians, actors, and athletes — but author J.K. Rowling managed to land the third spot, right behind Sean "Diddy" Combs and Queen Beyoncé, who clocked in at number one and two, respectively.

Forbes estimated that Rowling's pretax income was about $95 million, due in part to the success of the 2016 play and book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Thriller writer James Patterson, who came in at number nine, is the only other author to make the list.

The success of Beyoncé's visual album Lemonade and subsequent tour earned her an estimated $105 million, while Diddy's many deals — including with luxury vodka brand Cîroc —have placed him at the top with $130 million.

You can see the full list here, and check out the top 10 earners below:

1. Diddy, $130 million (Musician, U.S.)

2. Beyoncé, $105 million (Musician, U.S.)

3. J.K. Rowling, $95 million (Author, U.K.)

4. Drake, $94 million (Musician, U.S.)

5. Cristiano Ronaldo, $93 million (Athlete, Portugal)

6. The Weeknd, $92 million (Musician, Canada)

7. Howard Stern, $90 million (Personality, U.S.)

8. Coldplay, $88 million (Musicians, U.K.)

9. James Patterson, $87 million (Author, U.S.)

10. LeBron James, $86 million (Athlete, U.S.)

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
3 AdultFriendFinder features exclusive to paid users
By Jack Dawes
Plus signs coming out of treasure chest

J.K. Rowling controversy explained
J.K. Rowling with a broken heart behind her in the colors of the trans pride flag. Behind her is a collage of her transphobic posts.


Bose joins the spring sale party, finally: Get QuietComfort headphones for $100 off
Bose headphones and earbuds on composite background

Amazon has curated its top 100 Valentine's Day gifts. Here are our 10 favorites from the list.
LEGO flower bouquet and box, burgundy Keurig, Kindle Paperwhite with pink case, red heart-shaped Le Creuset cast iron dish, pink Bose wireless earbuds, and red wireless Xbox controller arranged on pink, orange, yellow, and white backdrop

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!