Forbes magazine has been publishing the Celebrity 100 list annually since 1999, succeeding the Forbes Top 40 entertainers list. Prior to 2014, the rankings were determined using a combination of intricate metrics, such as earnings, social media presence, magazine covers, and qualitative factors, with the objective of evaluating “power”. Starting in 2015, Forbes has exclusively considered pre-tax earnings (from the previous June to the June of the publishing year) for the rankings, prior to any deductions for manager, lawyer, and agent fees.
Table of Contents
1990s
1999
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jordan | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
| 2 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 3 | Leonardo DiCaprio | Actor |
| 4 | Jerry Seinfeld | Comedian |
| 5 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 6 | Spice Girls | Musicians |
| 7 | Harrison Ford | Actor |
| 8 | Robin Williams | Comedian |
| 9 | Celine Dion | Musician |
| 10 | The Rolling Stones | Musicians |
2000s
2000
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julia Roberts | Actress |
| 2 | George Lucas | Filmmaker |
| 3 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 4 | Tom Hanks | Actor |
| 5 | Michael Jordan | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
| 6 | The Rolling Stones | Musicians |
| 7 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 8 | Backstreet Boys | Musicians |
| 9 | Cher | Musician |
| 10 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
2001
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Cruise | Actor |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 3 | The Beatles | Musicians |
| 4 | Britney Spears | Musician |
| 5 | Bruce Willis | Actor |
| 6 | Michael Jordan | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
| 7 | Backstreet Boys | Musicians |
| 8 | NSYNC | Musicians |
| 9 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 10 | Mel Gibson | Actor |
2002
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Britney Spears | Musician |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 3 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 4 | Madonna | Musician |
| 5 | U2 | Musicians |
| 6 | NSYNC | Musicians |
| 7 | Mariah Carey | Musicians |
| 8 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 9 | Michael Jordan | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
| 10 | Tom Hanks | Actor |
2003
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer Aniston | Actress |
| 2 | Eminem/ Dr. Dre | Musicians |
| 3 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 4 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 5 | Jennifer Lopez | Musician / Actress |
| 6 | Paul McCartney | Musician |
| 7 | Ben Affleck | Actor |
| 8 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 9 | Tom Hanks | Actor |
| 10 | The Rolling Stones | Musicians |
2004
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mel Gibson | Actor |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 3 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 4 | Tom Cruise | Actor |
| 5 | The Rolling Stones | Musicians |
| 6 | J.K. Rowling | Writer |
| 7 | Michael Jordan | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
| 8 | Bruce Springsteen | Musician |
| 9 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 10 | Johnny Depp | Actor |
2005
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 3 | Mel Gibson | Actor |
| 4 | George Lucas | Filmmaker |
| 5 | Shaquille O’Neal | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
| 6 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 7 | Johnny Depp | Actor |
| 8 | Madonna | Musician |
| 9 | Elton John | Musician |
| 10 | Tom Cruise | Actor |
2006
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Cruise | Actor |
| 2 | The Rolling Stones | Musicians |
| 3 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 4 | U2 | Musicians |
| 5 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 6 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 7 | Howard Stern | Radio personality |
| 8 | 50 Cent | Musician |
| 9 | James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Jamie-Lynn Sigler | Actors |
| 10 | Dan Brown | Writer |
2007
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 3 | Madonna | Musician |
| 4 | The Rolling Stones | Musicians |
| 5 | Brad Pitt | Actor |
| 6 | Johnny Depp | Actor |
| 7 | Elton John | Musician |
| 8 | Tom Cruise | Actor |
| 9 | Jay-Z | Musician |
| 10 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
2008
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 2 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 3 | Angelina Jolie | Actress |
| 4 | Beyoncé | Musician |
| 5 | David Beckham | Sportsperson (Association football) |
| 6 | Johnny Depp | Actor |
| 7 | Jay-Z | Musician |
| 8 | The Police | Musicians |
| 9 | J.K. Rowling | Writer |
| 10 | Brad Pitt/ Paula Deen | Actor/Television personality |
2009
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angelina Jolie | Actress |
| 2 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 3 | Madonna | Musician |
| 4 | Beyoncé | Musician |
| 5 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 6 | Bruce Springsteen | Musician |
| 7 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 8 | Jennifer Aniston | Actress |
| 9 | Brad Pitt | Actor |
| 10 | Kobe Bryant | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
2010s
2010
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 2 | Beyoncé | Musician |
| 3 | James Cameron | Filmmaker |
| 4 | Lady Gaga | Musician |
| 5 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 6 | Britney Spears | Musician |
| 7 | U2 | Musicians |
| 8 | Sandra Bullock | Actress |
| 9 | Johnny Depp | Actor |
| 10 | Madonna | Musician |
2011
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lady Gaga | Musician |
| 2 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 3 | Justin Bieber | Musician |
| 4 | U2 | Musicians |
| 5 | Elton John | Musician |
| 6 | Tiger Woods | Sportsperson (Golf) |
| 7 | Taylor Swift | Musician |
| 8 | Bon Jovi | Musician |
| 9 | Simon Cowell | Television personality |
| 10 | LeBron James | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
2012
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer Lopez | Musician / Actress |
| 2 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 3 | Justin Bieber | Musician |
| 4 | Rihanna | Musician |
| 5 | Lady Gaga | Musician |
| 6 | Britney Spears | Musician |
| 7 | Kim Kardashian | Television personality |
| 8 | Katy Perry | Musician |
| 9 | Tom Cruise | Actor |
| 10 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
2013
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 2 | Lady Gaga | Musician |
| 3 | Steven Spielberg | Filmmaker |
| 4 | Beyoncé | Musician |
| 5 | Madonna | Musician |
| 6 | Taylor Swift | Musician |
| 7 | Bon Jovi | Musicians |
| 8 | Roger Federer | Sportsperson (Tennis) |
| 9 | Justin Bieber | Musician |
| 10 | Ellen DeGeneres | Television personality |
2014
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beyoncé | Musician |
| 2 | LeBron James | Sportsperson (Basketball) |
| 3 | Dr. Dre | Musician |
| 4 | Oprah Winfrey | Television personality |
| 5 | Ellen DeGeneres | Television personality |
| 6 | Jay-Z | Musician |
| 7 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Sportsperson (Boxing) |
| 8 | Rihanna | Musician |
| 9 | Katy Perry | Musician |
| 10 | Robert Downey Jr. | Actor |
2015
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Sportsperson (Boxing) |
| 2 | Manny Pacquiao | Sportsperson (Boxing) |
| 3 | Katy Perry | Musician |
| 4 | / One Direction | Musicians |
| 5 | Howard Stern | Television personality |
| 6 | Garth Brooks | Musician |
| 7 | James Patterson | Author |
| 8 | Robert Downey Jr. | Actor |
| 8 | Taylor Swift | Musician |
| 10 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Sportsperson (Association football) |
2016
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor Swift | Musician |
| 2 | / One Direction | Musicians |
| 3 | James Patterson | Author |
| 4 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Sportsman (Association Football) |
| 4 | Dr. Phil McGraw | Television Personality |
| 6 | Kevin Hart | Comedian |
| 7 | Howard Stern | Radio Personality |
| 8 | Lionel Messi | Sportsman (Association Football) |
| 9 | Adele | Musician |
| 10 | Rush Limbaugh | Radio Personality |
2017
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs | Musician |
| 2 | Beyoncé | Musician |
| 3 | J. K. Rowling | Author |
| 4 | Drake | Musician |
| 5 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Athlete (Association Football) |
| 6 | The Weeknd | Musician |
| 7 | Howard Stern | Radio Personality |
| 8 | Coldplay | Musicians |
| 9 | James Patterson | Author |
| 10 | LeBron James | Athlete (Basketball) |
2018
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather | Athlete (Boxing) |
| 2 | George Clooney | Actor |
| 3 | Kylie Jenner | Personality |
| 4 | Judge Judy Sheindlin | Television Personality |
| 5 | Dwayne Johnson | Actor |
| 6 | U2 | Musicians |
| 7 | Coldplay | Musicians |
| 8 | Lionel Messi | Athlete (Association football) |
| 9 | Ed Sheeran | Musician |
| 10 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Athlete (Association football) |
2019
2020s
2020
| No. | Recipient | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylie Jenner | Media Personality |
| 2 | Kanye West | Rapper |
| 3 | Roger Federer | Athlete (Tennis) |
| 4 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Athlete (Association football) |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Athlete (Association football) |
| 6 | Tyler Perry | Actor |
| 7 | Neymar | Athlete (Association football) |
| 8 | Howard Stern | Radio personality |
| 9 | LeBron James | Athlete (Basketball) |
| 10 | Dwayne Johnson | Actor |