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Top-Earning Celebs Over 50

Successful franchises pay out for their creators in 2008

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 13, 2009 5:13 PM CDT

(Newser) Forbes ranks the entertainment industry’s top earners age 50 and older in the last year:

  1. Oprah, 55, $275 million. Viewership for her show may be waning, but Winfrey’s diverse enterprises, from a magazine to satellite radio to her Harpo production company, remain wildly profitable.
  2. George Lucas, 65, $170 million. The Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises continue to pay their creator handsomely.

  1. Steven Spielberg, 62, $150 million. Dreamworks and the new Indiana Jones film made 2008 a strong year for Spielberg.
  2. Madonna, 50, $110 million. The pop singer’s Hard Candy tour grossed more than any other tour in 2008.
  3. Jerry Bruckheimer, 63, $100 million. Syndication of the CSI shows and royalties from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies keep Bruckheimer in the top 10.
  4. Jerry Seinfeld, 55, $85 million. Syndication also works out well for Seinfeld, who also made out on stand-up and received $10 million for an appearance with Bill Gates in a bizarre set of Microsoft ads.
Click the link for the complete list.

In this March 3, 2009, file photo, George Lucas attends the New York City Police Foundations 31st Annual Gala in New York.
In this March 3, 2009, file photo, George Lucas attends the New York City Police Foundations 31st Annual Gala in New York.   (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
Oprah Winfrey in April.
Oprah Winfrey in April.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
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Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld star in this Microsoft commercial.   (YouTube)

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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
diltsduo
Aug 16, 2009 2:47 AM CDT
$890 million! for the top 6 earners...are you kidding me?! stick THAT money into our falling economy. give me a break!
The_Pinkston
Aug 14, 2009 5:45 AM CDT
Oprah makes way too much money.

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