Oprah Tops List of Highest Paid Celebrities, but Not by Much
1,708 
0
After taking a seismic $125 million pay cut Oprah still remains the highest paid celebrity on Forbes' list for 2012. Oprah earned $165 million for the fiscal year, down from $290 million in 2011, but it seems that she may not be on top next year.
"Transformers" director Michael Bay was hot on Oprah's heels, earning a cool $160 million in 2012 thanks to the success of "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" and the sale of the toys from the franchise. Steven Spielberg took the thrid spot, earning $130 million for the year.
Check out the top 20 highest paid celebrities:
1. Oprah Winfrey – $165 million
2. Michael Bay – $160 million
3. Steven Spielberg – $130 million
4. Jerry Bruckheimer – $115 million
5. Dr. Dre – $110 million
6. Tyler Perry – $105 million
7. Howard Stern – $95 million
8. James Patterson – $94 million
9. (tie) Simon Cowell – $90 million
9. (tie) George Lucas – $90 million
11. (tie) Glenn Beck – $80 million
11. (tie) Elton John – $80 million
13. Tom Cruise – $75 million
14. Dick Wolf – $70 million
15. Rush Limbaugh – $69 million
16. Manny Pacquiao – $67 million
17. Dr. Phil McGraw – $64 million
18. Donald Trump – $63 million
19. Ryan Seacrest – $59 million
20. (tie) Britney Spears – $58 million
20. (tie) Tiger Woods – $58 million
