Taylor Swift & Bad Bunny Among the World’s Highest-Paid Entertainers

Forbes revealed this week its list of the world’s 10 highest-paid entertainers, who, combined, made more than $1.3 billion last year.

Topping the list are Genesis and Sting, who made $230 million and $210 million, respectively, thanks to selling their music. Genesis topped 2022 with a $300 million music rights sale to Concord Music Group in September, while Sting also made $300 million before fees by selling his entire musical catalog, both solo and with The Police, to Universal Music Group in February.

Among the other major artists on the list was Taylor Swift, who came in at No. 9 with $92 million. According to Forbes, income streams from physical record sales, streaming, digital downloads, licensing and sync were the primary source of the superstar’s major income last year.

Bad Bunny came in at No. 10 with $88 million, and the Puerto Rican rapper can attribute much of his financial success to his massive Último Tour Del Mundo and The World’s Hottest Tour, plus endorsements from Corona, Cheetos and Adidas.

In December 2022, Swift was named in Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most powerful women, ranking at No. 79. The success of Midnights and her re-recorded albums Red (Taylor’s Version) and Fearless (Taylor’s Version) were highlighted, along with her political influence and November’s Eras Tour ticket sale meltdown.

Swift was also a star on Billboard’s annual Money Makers ranking of music’s top royalty and box-office earners in 2021, topping the global list, which you can check out here.

See the full list of the world’s highest-paid entertainers here.