These celebrities are millionaires in their own rights, but when you throw two together, you get an unstoppable - not to mention super rich - force.
Coming first in the ranking - and somewhat suprisingly - is the powerful duo formed by supermodel Gisele Bundchen and NFL superstar Tom Brady. Gisele is well on the road to becoming the world’s first billionaire supermodel, as she recently pocketed a massive $45 million over a 12-month period. Not to be overshadowed by his more famous wife, Tom – who signed a four-year, $72 million contract extension in September with the New England Patriots, NFL’s richest deal on an annual basis – brought home another $31 million, putting the couple’s combined annual earnings at $76 million.
Music’s most powerful couple, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z hauled in some $72 million over the past year, making them number 2 on the list. Beyonce earned an estimated $35 million in a twelve month period, thanks mostly to business-focused deals such as a clothing line with Dereon and endorsement deals with L’Oreal, DirecTV, General Mills and others. As for Jay-Z, his earnings come from the 10-year $150 million Live Nation deal that he signed in 2008, and the cash he collects as a shareholder in New Jersey Nets, 40/40 Club chain and ad firm Translation.
Hollywood royalty Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came in third place on our list, but the first appearance of an acting duo, with a combined $50 million annual income. The highest-paid actress in the world is the only woman making bank for playing action heroes in Tinseltown these days: Salt, which was originally written for Tom Cruise, earned $300 million at the box office. Her other movie from last year, The Tourist, made another $280 million worldwide. As a result, Angelina pocketed around $30 million last year, while her soon-to-be husband, Brad Pitt, cashed in some $20 million. With his Plan B production company, Brad has become as active a producer as he is an actor.
Apart from the fact that he is yet to popularize soccer in America, David Beckham, along with his former Spice Girl wife Victoria, are the world’s fourth Highest-Paid Celebrity couple, with combined earnings of $45 million between May 2010 and May 2011. David’s pitch prowess has declined in recent years as the 36-year-old’s career winds down, but he still collects big endorsement checks from companies like Adidas and, more recently, Samsung, for which he will be the global brand ambassador during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. His pay check last year: $40 million. Victoria is responsible for the other $5 million from the couple’s annual income, thanks to the percentage of sales that she collects from her fashion lines, a figure which is set to soar this year.
Coming last, but not least, is Twilight’s Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who have both earned $20 million last year thanks to the franchise’s global success, making their combined annual salary $40 million. With the end of the Twilight franchise in sight, they both are preparing for a post-vampire career. Robert has taken the lead in more “serious” projects, like Remember Me, which earned $56 million on a budget of $16 million. In the meantime, Kristens’s non-Twilight career hasn’t been as promising as her co-star and real-life boyfriend’s so far. Her 2010 film The Runaways grossed only $4.6 million at the box office. But there’s still hope for Kristen as she can soon be seen in cinemas playing the leading role in the film Snow White and the Huntsman.
Music’s most powerful couple, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z hauled in some $72 million over the past year, making them number 2 on the list. Beyonce earned an estimated $35 million in a twelve month period, thanks mostly to business-focused deals such as a clothing line with Dereon and endorsement deals with L’Oreal, DirecTV, General Mills and others. As for Jay-Z, his earnings come from the 10-year $150 million Live Nation deal that he signed in 2008, and the cash he collects as a shareholder in New Jersey Nets, 40/40 Club chain and ad firm Translation.
Hollywood royalty Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came in third place on our list, but the first appearance of an acting duo, with a combined $50 million annual income. The highest-paid actress in the world is the only woman making bank for playing action heroes in Tinseltown these days: Salt, which was originally written for Tom Cruise, earned $300 million at the box office. Her other movie from last year, The Tourist, made another $280 million worldwide. As a result, Angelina pocketed around $30 million last year, while her soon-to-be husband, Brad Pitt, cashed in some $20 million. With his Plan B production company, Brad has become as active a producer as he is an actor.
Apart from the fact that he is yet to popularize soccer in America, David Beckham, along with his former Spice Girl wife Victoria, are the world’s fourth Highest-Paid Celebrity couple, with combined earnings of $45 million between May 2010 and May 2011. David’s pitch prowess has declined in recent years as the 36-year-old’s career winds down, but he still collects big endorsement checks from companies like Adidas and, more recently, Samsung, for which he will be the global brand ambassador during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. His pay check last year: $40 million. Victoria is responsible for the other $5 million from the couple’s annual income, thanks to the percentage of sales that she collects from her fashion lines, a figure which is set to soar this year.
Coming last, but not least, is Twilight’s Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who have both earned $20 million last year thanks to the franchise’s global success, making their combined annual salary $40 million. With the end of the Twilight franchise in sight, they both are preparing for a post-vampire career. Robert has taken the lead in more “serious” projects, like Remember Me, which earned $56 million on a budget of $16 million. In the meantime, Kristens’s non-Twilight career hasn’t been as promising as her co-star and real-life boyfriend’s so far. Her 2010 film The Runaways grossed only $4.6 million at the box office. But there’s still hope for Kristen as she can soon be seen in cinemas playing the leading role in the film Snow White and the Huntsman.
