Top 5 Highest Paid Celebrities Under 30
Forbes' highest paid celebrities under 30 include the young and musical.
July 14, 2012 — -- intro:
What's the fastest way to get rich as a young celebrity? Don't be an actor or write fan fiction. Have a hit pop song.
Forbes' list of top-paid celebrities under 30 shows it's good to be a young musician, with five pop artists topping the list.
Taylor Swift takes the prize. She's estimated to have a worth of $57 million from concert and album sales, with royalties from her song-writing.
For the first time, this year's list did not include athletes, said Dorothy Pomerantz, Forbes' Los Angeles bureau chief.
"Athletes tend to peak very young, so they are going to make money young," she said. "When you take athletes out of it, you see that the entertainment career where young people can make money most quickly is pop music."
quicklist:category: $57 Millionmedia: 16771018 title: Taylor Swift, 22text:
Young women rule the world of entertainment when it came to money last year. In Forbes' list of the 10 highest-paid celebrities under 30, women take six spots. Taylor Swift, 22, topped the list after a giant tour that grossed over $1 million per night on more than 65 dates, Forbes reported.
It helps that Swift writes her own songs.
"When you have a hit song, they just throw money at you," Pomerantz said.
quicklist:category: $55 Millionmedia: 16771053title: Justin Bieber, 18text:
The Biebs was the only male in the top five. Only 18 years old, Justin Bieber not only made money from his music sales, and concerts, he also endorsed acne-fighter Proactiv.
While Justin Bieber did have a movie last year, "Never Say Never," acting is not the way to riches for most young celebrities.
"For acting, you really have to build your way up to making $10 million or $12 million," Pomerantz said of non-Bieber budding actors. "In music, it just takes a couple of big hits and you're off to the races."
quicklist:category: $53 Millionmedia: 16771085 title: Rihanna, 24text:
Rihanna is an object of affection for 53 million Facebook fans plus she's had a number of endorsement deals, including coconut water Vita Coco.
The Barbados-born performer also had a touring schedule of more than 85 shows over the past 12 months, Forbes reported.
quicklist:category: $52 Millionmedia: 16771112 title: Lady Gaga, 26text:
If you're surprised that Lady Gaga is only No. 4 on the list, don't be. While sales of "Born This Way" reached over one million in the first week in late May, she wasn't on tour during the period Forbes analyzed, which was May 2011 to May 2012. She is currently on tour, which is sure to boost her net worth for next year's list.
"Concerts tend to be the biggest source of revenue for musicians," Pomerantz said. "Music sales obviously aren't what they used to be. They have to go on the road to make money."
quicklist:category: $45 Millionmedia: 16771530title: Katy Perry, 27 text:
Michael Jackson and Katy Perry are the only two musicians ever to have five No. 1 singles from the same album, Forbes reports. Perry accomplished that with 2010's "Teenage Dream" while her California Dreams Tour grossed almost $60 million.
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