Madonna named highest-earning celebrity of 2013 by Forbes

Madonna has been named Forbes highest-earning celebrity of 2013.

As the BBC reports, the singer raked in $125m (£80m) over the past year due to the success of her 'MDNA' tour as well as her clothing and fragrance lines. It is reportedly the most money the pop star has made in a single year since Forbes began calculating earnings in 1999.


She beat film director Steven Spielberg, who had earnings of $100m (£64m), and 50 Shades Of Grey author EL James, The X Factor boss Simon Cowell and US shock jock Howard Stern, who were all tied with sums of $95m (£61m). Her pop rival Lady Gaga, meanwhile, also made the Top 10 with earnings of $80m (£51.4m).

In February of this year, Madonna was also named as the biggest money maker in the music industry by Billboard, after they calculated that the Queen of Pop had taken home $34.6m in 2012. Around $32 million of that sum – more than 90 per cent of her revenue – came from her 88-date 'MDNA' world tour, which was the biggest touring concert of 2012. She was the only woman in the Top 10.

Despite the success of her 'MDNA' tour, Madonna courted controversy throughout the run of shows. Standout incidents including her being booed by disgruntled French fans for delivering a short set, brandishing a gun onstage in Denver shortly after the Colorado shootings in July of this year, and angering Russian fans by handing out pink anti-homophobia wristbands - a stunt that saw charges brought against her in a Russian court, although they were later dismissed.