FX.co ★ World's highest-paid entertainers

1. Genesis

British rock band Genesis tops the Forbes list. Founded more than 50 years ago, it earned a whopping $230 million in 2022. The majority came from a major music rights sale deal with American company CMG. The Britons sold not only the rights to many of their hits but also to vocalist Phil Collins’ solo compositions. An additional source of income for Genesis in 2022 was the royalties from their live concerts. The rock band continues to be an active sell-out on-stage performer.

2. Sting

The legendary 17-time Grammy winner made a jaw-dropping $210 million last year. Like Genesis, Sting arranged a major deal. Last winter, he sold his entire musical output, including his solo hits and with The Police. He performed in the band between 1976 and 1984. Universal Music Group, an American media holding, became the rightful owner of Sting’s music catalog.

3. Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry is the possessor of various talents. He is an actor, director, writer, and studio mogul. He owns a film studio where he produces both full-length films and TV series. Last year was a lucrative one for his company, which expanded Perry’s personal wealth by more than $170 million. His fortune is now estimated at over $1 billion.

4. Trey Parker & Matt Stone

The creators of South Park continue expanding their fortunes thanks to earnings from the deal with Paramount, the biggest in television history. Trey Parker and Matt Stone stroke it 2 years ago when they sold the streaming rights to 6 seasons of the South Park TV show and 14 movies. Thanks to this deal, the combined capital of the showrunners increased by $160 million last year.

5. James L. Brooks & Matt Groening

The Simpsons co-creators Brooks and Groening made over $100 million in 2022. The majority comes from the deal with the Walt Disney Company. The deal giving Disney+ the streaming rights to all 30 seasons of The Simpsons was signed 4 years ago. Meanwhile, the duo of creators keeps profiting from it 4 years after.