Did you ever have the feeling you’ve chosen the wrong line of work? I feel that way every time I look at the Forbes Magazine list of the world’s billionaires. I think I should have been a computer guy and invented a web app the world adores. Or I should take a product that’s already being sold and figure out how to make it more efficient and less costly. Or I should try to be an heir. Some of the richest people in the world are Waltons.
One other possibility: I need to become a celebrity. Most celebrities are paid pretty well, but some are paid astronomically well. Forbes has a new list of top celebrity moneymakers from the past year, and at the top of the list is boxer Floyd Mayweather, who cleared 300 million dollars. He earned most of that by fighting Manny Pacquiao, who was paid 160 million dollars. And it was a fairly boring fight.
Third on the list is singer Katy Perry. She made 135 million dollars. Fourth is singing group One Direction with 130 million dollars.
Here are some others: Garth Brooks made 90 million dollars between licensing his old albums and performing frequently in Las Vegas. James Patterson, the author who puts out three or four novels every year including some written by or with other people, made 89 million. Robert Downey, Jr., who once took drugs the way other people eat snacks, was paid 80 million dollars.
Taylor Swift, another singer, took home 80 million also. My wife and I took Taylor and her mother out to dinner once when Taylor was 16 and just releasing her first single. Next time we go out, I’m not picking up the check. By the way, Taylor’s boyfriend, music producer Calvin Harris, made 66 million bucks. And if I were him, I wouldn’t feel the least bit emasculated by the fact that my girlfriend makes 14 million dollars more than I do. In fact, I’d probably just sit around and smile. And take really long vacations.
Those who made at least 70 million include soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, TV hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Dr. Phil and the band The Eagles. And the group of celebrities who made more than 60 million includes tennis player Roger Federer, basketball’s LeBron James, singer/actor/SNL host Justin Timberlake and magician David Copperfield.
And I take back my opening question about feeling as if you’re in the wrong line of work. Howard Stern made 95 million dollars last year, while Rush Limbaugh took home 79 million. It’s apparently not the line of work you choose. It’s how well you do at it.
For some reason, I’m reminded of an old line from one of the first ten seasons of the Simpsons.
Marge: “Did you get the job, Homer?”
Homer: “No. They wanted somebody good.”
