Entertainment's Highest-Earning Women
The ten ladies who top our list of Entertainment's Highest-Earning Women earned a total $739 million between May 2010 and May 2011. To compile our list of estimates we talked to agents, managers, lawyers and other folks in the know. Earning reflect income during the time period. Taxes and things like agent and manager fees were not deducted.
Oprah Winfrey:$290 million
Winfrey beats her closest earning competitor on our list by a whopping $200 million. But with her show ending, how long will the queen of talk be able to maintain those kinds of earnings? Her cable network, OWN, has yet to take off.
Lady Gaga:$90 million
Lady Gaga topped our Celebrity 100 this year (which measures money AND fame) but she earned a full $200 million less than Oprah. Gaga will have to stay relevant if she's going to continue to rank at the top of our lists.
Bethenny Frankel: $55 million
The reality star banked big bucks over the past year with a savvy sale of Skinny Girl drinks to Fortune Brands. Frankel is planning to expand her brand with rumors flying about a possible talk show.
Gisele Bundchen: $45 million
Ellen DeGeneres:$45 million
DeGeneres is more than just a talk show host. She owns part of a pet food company called Halo and she recently started her own record label, Eleveneleven.
DeGeneres is more than just a talk show host. She owns part of a pet food company called Halo and she recently started her own record label, Eleveneleven.
Judge Judy Sheindlin:$45 million
Judge Judy may be more under-the-radar than Oprah Winfrey but her daytime show used to regularly beat the queen of talk in ratings. With Winfrey gone, look for Sheindlin's to be the syndicated show to beat. 
Taylor Swift:$45 million
Swift may only be 21 but she's a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Her latest album, Speak Now, sold five million copies globally.
Swift may only be 21 but she's a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Her latest album, Speak Now, sold five million copies globally.
Katy Perry:$44 million
Perry's second studio album, Teenage Dream, has had four singles hit the Billboard No. 1 spot so far but Perry isn't just earning from her music. She voiced Smurfette in the recent Smurfs movie and she has a best-selling perfume.
Perry's second studio album, Teenage Dream, has had four singles hit the Billboard No. 1 spot so far but Perry isn't just earning from her music. She voiced Smurfette in the recent Smurfs movie and she has a best-selling perfume.
Beyonce Knowles:$35 million
The 30-year-old singer just announced that she is expecting her first baby with husband Jay-Z. Her latest album 4, sold 310,000 copies in its first week.
The 30-year-old singer just announced that she is expecting her first baby with husband Jay-Z. Her latest album 4, sold 310,000 copies in its first week.
