The Highest-Paid Celebrities and Their Earnings According to Forbes

The New Zealand film director, Peter Jackson, creator of the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, topped the list of the world’s highest-earning stars for 2021, as published by Forbes magazine.

Jackson earned a record-breaking $580 million in a year. Most of his income came from the sale of his special effects studio, Weta Digital. This deal made Jackson the third billionaire director, following Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

In second place is American performer Bruce Springsteen, who earned $435 million over the past 12 months. According to reports, the singer also benefited from a deal, as he sold the rights to his entire catalog of songs to Sony for half a billion dollars.

American rap artist Jay-Z came in third with an annual income of $340 million. Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ranked fourth with $270 million, while American singer Kanye West placed fifth with $235 million.

Among representatives of show business, the highest-paid woman became American actress Reese Witherspoon, who earned $115 million in one year, securing the 12th position on the list.