White men dominate the Forbes highest-paid entertainers list

In 2022, the top 10 highest-earning actors, musicians, and creators made an eye-watering $1.3 billion, according to a list by Forbes. And despite the momentum behind racial and gender equality movements, the lists are still dominated by older white men.

While 2022 was marked by a string of successful females, only one woman made it onto the list of the celebs who cashed in the most last year. The list also includes groups… but only groups of men. At least it’s more equitable than in 2021, when the list was 100% dominated by men.

Pictured: Peter Jackson, who was #1 in 2021

Of all the individuals and groups on 2022 the Forbes list, just one Black man made it onto the list. One entertainer comes from Puerto Rico, and while he is Latino, he identifies as white.

Pictured: Bruce Springsteen, who was #2 in 2021

As this list shows, long careers tend to pay off. Just two people on the latest list are under 50 years old, and they ranked as the two lowest earners on the list.

Pictured: Paul Simon, who was #7 in 2021

Although actors may often seem like Hollywood’s most glamorous, only two actors made it on the list. However, neither made the list for cashing in on their acting chops, but instead because they were also involved in Hollywood productions. Musicians, on the other hand, got paid.

Pictured: Bob Dylan, who was #10 in 2021

Only one of the names on this list is a billionaire, but the others are all doing pretty well financially, especially thanks to massive paydays last year. Ok, last hint! Let’s see how many you can get right.

Pictured: Ryan Tedder, who was #10 in 2021

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper who has helped bring reggaeton to the masses earned a cool $88 million in 2022 thanks to two massive tours where he played in stadiums to the biggest possible audiences. Sponsorships from brands like Corona, Cheetos and Adidas didn’t hurt either.

The only female on the list raked in the dough last year thanks to all sorts of income streams: massive record sales, streaming royalties, and licensing. In 2023, she’s embarking on her World Tour that crashed Ticketmaster, so don’t be surprised if she’s on the list again next year.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ made Cameron the director of Hollywood’s three highest-grossing movies ever (alongside the first ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’). The ‘Avatar’ sequel alone helped him rake in $95 million last year.

Forbes estimates that the aging rockstars raked in $8.5 million per night on a 15-city tour across Europe last summer. Not bad for a few weeks on the road.

The actor sold a majority stake in his production company Plan B to a French media conglomerate for a juicy price tag. Plan B has produced critical hits like ‘The Departed,’ ‘12 Years A Slave’ and ‘Moonlight’ — all Oscar winners. Pitt’s role in three movies last year also helped line his pockets.

The creators of ‘The Simpsons’ reportedly struck a deal for $105 million per year from having migrated all 30 seasons of the show from FX to Disney+. 'The Simpsons' has also been renewed through 2025, ensuring it will pass the 800-episode mark.

This duo shows it can pay to be controversial, as they made it on the list two years in a row. The creators of ‘South Park’ and the musical comedy ‘Book of Mormon’ are getting the bulk of their cash from a $935 million deal to make new episodes of ‘South Park’ for Paramount, which is to be paid out over six years.

Tyler Perry does a little bit of everything in the world of Hollywood. He acts, directs, writes, produces and owns a little empire of his own. Most of his money in 2022 came from his BET shows and his production company in Atlanta. He is the only billionaire on the list, with a fortune estimated at $1 billion, after also making the same Forbes list last year.

Last year, Sting sold his entire musical output, including both solo hits and songs with the Police, to Universal Music Group for $300 million before fees. After winning 17 Grammies, the record executives thought it was a fair price to pay.

The prog rock pioneers sold music rights of Genesis and Phil Collins’ solo hits to the Concord Music Group in September for $300 million. Although that was the same as Sting, their touring and music royalties pushed them to the number one spot.