Forbes 10 highest paid Entertainers for 2017 named

The annual list of Forbes highest paid entertainers is usually pretty predictable, but it turns out that lots of celebrities are making a lot more money that we don't know about! 

This is exactly the case for Sean 'Diddy' Combs who has been named as Forbes magazine's Highest-Paid Entertainer of 2017.

The 'Bad Boy for Life' hitmaker has topped the annual list of high-earning showbiz stars after raking in an impressive $130 million ($180.5 million NZ) in a 12 month period, mainly due to him selling a third of his Sean John clothing line for an estimated $70 million ($97 million NZ).

He also partnered with Diageo Ciroc vodka and took part in his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, which also went some way to topping up his bank account.

Beyoncé follows behind with $105 million ($146 million NZ), mainly due to her recent Formation World Tour and the release of her unexpected but critically acclaimed album 'Lemonade'.

JK Rowling - the famed author of the 'Harry Potter' series - re-entered the top 100 after a three year break and took third place with $95 million US whilst 'Hotline Bling' hitmaker Drake and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo completed the top five with $94m US and $93m US respectively.

The Weeknd also rocketed to sixth place with $92m US, followed behind by Howard Stern ($90m US) and Coldplay ($88m US).

Elsewhere on the list, Kylie Jenner also makes her first appearance at the age of just 19, earning money from her brand endorsements, the family's reality TV show 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' and her cosmetics company and clothing line.

Other stars making their debut on the list include Amy Schumer, who is at number 69 with $37.5m US and Chance the Rapper, who squeezes in at number 95 with $33m US.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift's earnings dipped 74% from $170 million US in the previous year to $44 million US this year, mainly due to her successful 1989 World Tour, which took place in the latter half of 2015.

The full list is as follows:

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs – $130m 

Beyonce – $105m 

JK Rowling – $95m 

Drake – $94m 

Cristiano Ronaldo – $93m 

The Weeknd – $92m 

Howard Stern – $90m 

Coldplay – $88m

James Patterson – $87m 

LeBron James – $86m 

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.