$170 million
With the latest Indiana Jones movie, Lucas continued his streak of poorly reviewed but high-earning sequels to his most famous films from the ’70s and ’80s. Lucas also earns big from a deal with Hasbro that gives him a large royalty on all Star Wars toys.
Steven Spielberg$150 million
The director had a tough time finding a new home for his DreamWorks studio but finally landed at Disney. He did better personally, earning $150 million between June 2008 and June 2009 partially thanks to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Jerry Bruckheimer$100 million
Bruckheimer earns millions producing the Pirates of the Caribbean series for Disney. Even without a pirate movie last year, he still managed to come in third thanks to his hit TV shows like CSI and Cold Case.
Jerry Seinfeld$85 million
The comedian still earns millions from the syndication of Seinfeld more than a decade after the show went off the air. He’s back on the road with a stand-up act, and last year he starred in a Microsoft ad opposite Bill Gates.
Dr. Phil McGraw$80 million
Despite a 25% drop in ratings, Dr. Phil still brings in the big bucks thanks to his syndication fees, books and speeches. A series of shows with octomom Nadya Suleman helped bring his show some extra buzz.
Tyler Perry$75 million
The producer/writer/director star continued his hot streak with two new movies: Madea Goes to Jail and The Family That Preys. His deal with distributor Lionsgate allows Perry to keep much of the money from his films. Perry also had a surprise cameo in this summer’s Star Trek reboot.
Dick Wolf$75 million
Despite being embroiled in a lawsuit with NBC, Wolf still managed to earn millions from his successful Law & Order franchise. The original show is poised to tie Gunsmoke as the longest-running prime-time drama in television history.
Simon Cowell$75 million
Idol’s meanest judge is also its richest. Cowell continues to earn big paydays for his work on the show. He also rakes it in as the creator of both America and Britain’s Got Talent and his record label reps all show winners.
Bruce Springsteen$70 million
At 59 the Boss still rocks. His latest tour earned $166 million from 1.6 million tickets sold. He capped off his tour by playing the halftime show at the Super Bowl. Springsteen has been an outspoken critic of the pending Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, saying the deal will be bad for fans.
Howard Stern$70 million
Stern continues to earn $100 million annually from his Sirius Satellite Radio deal (minus show production costs) despite his protestations that he’ll quit at the end of his five-year contract. Last year the shock jock married his longtime girlfriend Beth Ostrosky.
Harrison Ford$65 million
The actor stepped back into the spotlight last year with the fourth installment of Indiana Jones. Strapping back on the whip might have been tough work for 67-year-old Ford, but he was well compensated with a hefty chunk of the film’s profits.
Kenny Chesney$65 million
Despite lukewarm sales of his latest album, Chesney made the list with a monster tour selling one million tickets in 2008. Endorsements deals with Corona and MasterCard don’t hurt either. Chesney can often be seen tailgating with fans before shows.
James Patterson$60 million
The prolific writer released nine new novels between June 2008 and June 2009 in addition to a videogame based on his Women’s Murder Club series and his first biography, Against Medical Advice, about a man with a mysterious medical condition.
Adam Sandler$55 million
Sandler’s humor may be lowbrow, but he’s one of the few actors in Hollywood who can still command upward of $15 million to appear in a movie. His two most recent films, Bedtime Stories and You Don’t Mess With The Zohan earned a collective $413 million at the worldwide box office.
Larry David$55 million
David has made a name for himself as a curmudgeon through his HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm (heading into its 10th season) and his recent turn in Woody Allen’s Whatever Works. But he still gets the bulk of his money from Seinfeld syndication.
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