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The world's best-paid young celebrities: Forbes
(forbes.com)
Updated: 2006-01-16 16:45
Sure, Mary-Kate Olsen struggled with an eating disorder. And yeah, Lindsay
Lohan has dipped into a drug or two. But not all young stars are
troubled--despite what the tabloids would have you believe.
Paris Hilton
[forbes.com] | But all young superstars do have one thing in common: money, and lots of it.
In fact, according to Forbes' annual listing of the World's Most Powerful
Celebrities, the 11 youngsters on our list earned some $127 million in just one
year. And not one of them has even cracked the quarter-century mark yet.
But perhaps this shouldn't surprise us. After all, age is no barrier to
starring in a hit movie, cutting a chart-topping album or winning a Grand Slam
tennis title. Indeed, in some endeavors, younger bodies are much preferable to
older ones.
Take 21-year-old NBA phenom LeBron James. In less than three seasons in the
league, the Cleveland Cavaliers' forward, who skipped college to go pro in 2003,
has proved himself to be one of the league's premier players. Thanks to his
remarkable stats and a laundry list of endorsements, which include Nike, Upper
Deck and Coca Cola, the 6-foot-8 All-Star earned some $23 million. And he may do
even better--and move to another team--when he renews his contract next year.
While it's been mostly smooth sailing for James, its been a pretty turbulent
year for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The darling duo underwent a high-profile
split with their manager, and Mary-Kate had a public struggle with an eating
disorder before abruptly departing New York University. But despite the
drama--and no new movies since 2004--the twins manage to keep their pocketbooks
padded with royalties and income from their own production company and retail
outfit. In all, the various ventures added up to $21 million for the Olsens.
LeBron James | And then there are the young and beautiful. Looks alone have done it for
Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima. With a pretty face--and a body to match--the
leggy brunette has cat-walked her way into deals with Victoria's Secret,
Maybelline and Telecom Italia Mobile. It all added up to $4.5 million for the
24-year-old stunner.
Then there are the celebrities who cash in on being, well, celebrities. Case
in point: Paris Hilton. Daddy isn't the only one making the big bucks anymore;
the dippy heiress pulled in $6.5 million, mostly for just being herself. The
24-year-old makes headlines for her flashy wardrobe, exotic--nay, illegal--pets
and high-profile feuds. But she makes her money as a "reality"-TV star and
best-selling author, as well as by plugging her perfume. And that's when she's
not making appearances at the trendiest nightclubs (oh yes, this diva gets paid
to party).
To come up with our list of the world's best-paid young celebrities, we
relied on the 2005 edition of Forbes' The Celebrity 100. That list ranks the
most powerful actors, athletes, chefs and directors based on their media
exposure (magazine covers, TV and radio mentions), Web presence (number of
Google hits) and earnings.
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