14 Celebrities Who Have Very Lucrative Sources of Income

Many of the most famous and popular stars on the planet have made more money than they can count from their work in front of and behind cameras. However, show business can’t be that lucrative forever, and these stars have come to this realization. Many of them have decided to either invest their money or use it to build their own brands or businesses. But in some cases, they don’t even need to do anything, as money simply pours in due to past projects that are still proving to be profitable for them.

1. Jennifer Lopez

Back in 2002, the famous star decided to launch her own fragrance, known as Glow. It became a bestseller in the US and since then, she has released over 24 new fragrances. In total, Lopez’s fragrances have generated over $2 billion worldwide. Of course, she isn’t the one receiving all that money, but a good portion of it.

2. Mariah Carey

“All I want for Christmas Is You” is like a holiday season anthem that never stops being listened to each year around Christmas. Between the years 1994 and 2016, Carey made about $60 million from that one song. It is estimated that she makes $3 million each year from all the streams and radio air time. That amount might be even bigger if she makes any appearances, performing the song live.

3. The cast of Friends

When the 6 stars of the beloved sitcom came back together in 2021 for a reunion episode, they earned up to $2.5 million each. However, this is nothing compared to how much money they’ve been earning from reruns every single year. It is estimated that they make between $10-$20 million each annually from syndication rights, while Warner Bros. makes about $1 billion.

4. Kate Hudson

In 2013, the actress partnered up with 2 people and created her company, Fabletics. The company has grown a lot, and during its best year, it earned $500 million in revenue. Since Hudson owns 20% of the company, her annual share is pretty impressive. She also has released a few books and made millions from her endorsement deals.

5. Ariana Grande

The super-talented singer has over 330 million followers on Instagram, and that number keeps growing day by day. That’s why she is one of the highest-paid celebrities on the platform every time she makes a sponsored post. Reportedly, she makes about $853,000 per post, and we can only assume that she’s made a million so far based on that figure.

6. Khloé Kardashian

In 2016, Khloé Kardashian partnered up with entrepreneur Emma Grede to create the brand, Good American, which mainly focused on jeans. On its launch day, the brand made $1 million in revenue and was able to include other items, such as swimwear and activewear. Their yearly revenue is at $13 million, and Kardashian must be taking a good portion of that.

7. Michael Jordan

When Michael Jordan signed a deal with Nike in 1984 to release this technologically advanced shoe, the hope was that they would make $3 million in their first year. They made $126 million instead, and the legendary athlete would get 5% of each pair of shoes sold. He still takes the same percentage to this day, which means that he makes about $150 million per year from this shoe brand.

8. Ellen DeGeneres

When Ellen DeGeneres first started playing her famous game, Heads Up, on her show, everyone loved it. Anyone could purchase the game and play it on their phones, and people really did buy it, since it was listed as #1 for a long time. During the first month, 650,000 people downloaded the app. We don’t know exactly how much money she’s made from the game, but we do know that she was paid $20 million to make a comedy special on Netflix.

9. Francis Ford Coppola

In 2002, the celebrated director bought an 84-acre vineyard in Napa Valley for $31.5 million. The resulting beverage produced on his land would sell for $100 per bottle and was considered one of the best in the area. In 2021, there was talk that Coppola was thinking of selling the vineyard, which was estimated to sell anywhere between $500 million and $1 billion.

10. Anna Kournikova

While the tennis player never won a major tournament, she made her appearance in many grand slams during her career. However, she made most of her money from endorsement deals that, during her peak years, were raking in $10 million per year.

11. Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba may not be dominating the box office these days, but she is making moves in the business world. She created The Honest Company, which went public just in 2021. While that year wasn’t the best for the company, Alba received $6 million in stock, $563,077 in salary, and $1.4 million in bonuses.

12. Drew Barrymore

Apart from hosting her very own talk show, Barrymore has her very own beauty line by the name Flower Beauty. The brand focuses on affordable products that everyone can buy from a store close to their home. It makes about $50 million in revenue.

13. Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow launched her business, Goop, which is a lifestyle brand that offers health advice and sells a variety of products. She owns 30% of the company’s stakes, and in 2019, the company was valued at $250 million. This means that the actress took home $75 million, excluding taxes. And the estimated revenue of the company per year is around $83 million.

14. Kelly Clarkson

Clarkson is known mainly as a singer, but she has spread her wings in multiple arenas. She is currently hosting her own talk show, has many endorsements, has written children’s books, and even has put her name on furniture. From the books alone, she’s said to be making $136,000 per year, and from her talk show, she receives $1 million per month. Also, she makes $14 million per season from The Voice, and so far, her furniture is selling really well.

What would you do if you made millions of dollars from the music or movie industry? Would you make an investment or start a new business?