PHOTOSForbes Highest-Paid Celebs Of 2020! Ellen & Kanye Making Bank Amid Controversial Behavior
Rewarded for bad behavior? Ellen DeGeneres was one of the highest paid celebs of 2020 - with the talk show host bringing in $84 million - according to Forbes.
The magazine published its annual Top 100 list on Monday, August 31. No surprise that reality TV star and makeup mogul Kylie Jenner and her estranged brother-in-law, Kanye West, topped the list, bringing in $590 million and $170 million, respectively.
The 23-year-old Kylie Cosmetics founder feuded with Forbes earlier this year when they revoked her billionaire status. In a story titled “Inside Kylie Jenner’s Web of Lies - and Why She’s No Longer a Billionaire,” the magazine alleged that Jenner lied about her earnings and forged tax returns to ‘look even richer.’
The mogul fired back with: “What am I even waking up to. I thought this was a reputable site…” Jenner tweeted. “All I see are a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions lol. I’ve never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period.”
DeGeneres, has been under attack for accusations of a “toxic” work environment, racism and sexual misconduct made by staffers of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Prompting the 62-year-old daytime talker to issue an apology to her staff.
“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect.” she said.
“As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or - worse - disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me.”
AXED: ELLEN REMOVED FROM THE AIR, REPLACED WITH DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES RERUNS
As a result, three senior producers - executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman - were all ousted from the Warner Bros. distributed talk show. In an email to staff obtained by BuzzFeed News, David McGuire, executive vice president of programming at Warner Bros., said, “We promised you change and a new culture, and we are absolutely committed to that.”
Besides her talk show, DeGeneres’ A Very Good Production company produces hit shows such as Ellen’s Game of Games, Little Big Shots and more.
According to Forbes, the world’s highest-paid celebrities earned a combined $6.1 billion before taxes and fees - a combined $200 million less in 2020 than in 2019 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic - and marked the first time a podcaster made the list with Bill Simmons, coming in at No. 13 earning $82.5 million.
Scroll through to see the Top 12 highest-paid celebs of 2020!
Kylie Jenner – $590M
The reality TV star sold 51% of Kylie Cosmetics to makeup brand Coty and pocketed a cool $540 million, pretax.
Rush Limbaugh – $85M
The conservative talk radio host continues to dominate the airwaves despite being diagnosed with lung cancer. In January, he renewed his contract with Premiere Radio Networks that pays him $70 million annually.
Howard Stern – $90M
The shock jock is the world’s highest paid radio personality thanks to an eight-figure annual salary deal with satellite talker SiriusXM.
Ellen DeGeneres – $84M
The controversial talk show host pulls in an eight-figure check from hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and also earns millions producing shows such as Little Big Shots and Ellen’s Game of Games. She also receives licensing fees from her lines at PetSmart and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Kanye West – $170M
The music mogul made a bulk of his money with his new deal with Adidas for sneaker brand Yeezy, as well as music sales.
Roger Federer – $106.3M
Federer is the world’s highest-paid athlete for the first time, thanks to some lucrative endorsement deals. His biggest earnings coming from apparel brand Uniqlo, which locked him into a 10-year, $300 million deal.
Cristiano Ronaldo – $105M
Ronaldo is the most followed athlete on social media, amassing over 200 million Instagram followers in 2020. The Portuguese soccer player joined Juventus in 2018 after nine years with Real Madrid at a value of $64 million annually.
Lionel Messi – $104M
Another professional athlete to make the list. Messi has been awarded both FIFA’s Player of the Year and European Golden Shoe for top scorer a record six times.
Tyler Perry – $97M
Media mogul Perry best known for his Madea franchise, which has grossed over $660 Million. Perry owns 100% of the content he’s created.
Neymar – $95.5M
Neymar is on a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 worth $350 million. His transfer from Barcelona to PSG was the most expensive in the world at $263 million.
Lebron James – $88.2M
Four-time NBA MVP James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 with a reported four-year, $153 million contract.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – $87.5M
Johnson is the world’s highest paid actor thanks to big paydays from upcoming film’s Black Adam and Red Notice. The Rock also produces and hosts the hit NBC show The Titan Games.
