Indian superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar have featured on Forbes' annual list of the highest-earning entertainers in the world. The 'World's Highest-Paid Celebrities of 2017' is topped by American rapper and entrepreneur Sean Combs, famous by his stage name 'Diddy', with an annual earning of $130 million.
Shah Rukh ranked 65th with $38 million, and stands tied with singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. Salman is on the 71st spot with $37 million in earnings, tied with 'Shape of You' singer Ed Sheeran, and Akshay is ranked 80th with earnings of $35.5 million, tied with none other than the legendary Bon Jovi. “King Khan continues to bank big from starring roles in Bollywood movies. He also cashes in on endorsement deals for dozens of brands most Americans have likely never heard of,” Forbes said. About Akshay, it said, “Kumar, a king of the Bollywood box office for over a quarter of a century, mints millions through both starring and ensemble roles.”
The list featured Beyoncé on the second spot with earnings of $105 million, author JK Rowling was at number three with $94 million.
While there are 10 male actors on the ranking, not a single female movie star made the cut, Forbes said, adding that women comprise just 16 per cent of the world’s top-earning celebrities, “an imbalance that reflects the gender pay gap in entertainment and beyond.” The 16 women on this year’s list earned a cumulative $822.5 million.
