Nearly half of the 25 highest-paid celebrities of 2022 according to Forbes Rankings, including Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and rocker Bruce Springsteen, secured their places on the list by ditching all or part of their studies. or music catalogues.
The ‘Lord of the Rings’ director sold part of his visual effects firm Weta Digital to Unity Software for $1.6 billion in November, making him the third person in history to become a billionaire (after Steven Spielberg and George Lucas) making movies.
Kanye West
The billionaire rapper and producer now makes most of his money from a multi-year contract to design Yeezy sneakers for Adidas. His first Gap-designed Yeezys (a hoodie and jacket) arrived last year and sold out quickly. But the 52-year-old brand wants more and is reportedly frustrated with the slow release.
bruce springsteen
In December, Bruce Springsteen sold the master copies and publishing rights to all of his recorded music and compositions, including 11 multi-platinum albums and five gold singles, for what sources say was nearly $500 million. Thanks to that, he guaranteed himself the second place of the 25 highest paid celebrities of 2022 according to the Forbes Ranking.
Hiphop’s first billionaire showcased his business chops in 2021 when he cashed in stakes in music streamer Tidal and champagne brand Armand de Brignac.
paul simon
The folk rock musician has sold hundreds of song compositions, including “Mrs. Robinson,” “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” and “The Sound of Silence” to Sony Music Publishing for about $250 million in March.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Shocking. Funny. And cheap to make. The creators of South Park, and their offshoots, oversee a cottage industry that now brings in more than $80 million a year and, in August, signed a six-year, $900 million deal with Paramount+.
One of the few actors to make the ranking this year, ‘The Rock’ made only about a quarter of his earnings from roles in movies like Jungle Cruise and Red Notice, and most of his payday-sized Jumanji. comes from their Teremana brand of tequila.
Bob Dylan
The 80-year-old Nobel laureate transferred his recorded music and some future recordings to Sony in July for $150 million. That was on the heels of a $400 million mega-deal in 2020 to sell its publishing catalog to Universal.
ryan tedder
In addition to the more than 500 songs he’s written for his own band, the OneRepublic frontman has penned hits for Beyoncé, Adele and Ed Sheeran. He sold a part of the catalog to investment firm KKR in January.
Tyler Perry
The billionaire creator and actor is bringing back the Madea franchise that made him famous, but it’s everything he’s built around him that generates the lion’s share of his earnings, from a multi-year production deal with BET to his 330 acres. production studio where he works in Atlanta.
