Angelina Jolie is now the most powerful celebrity in the world beating out Oprah - yes Oprah.
Jolie has made some serious money and her most recent blockbuster, Wanted, proved that this mother of six can kick butt in action films; the movie earned $340 million at the box office. Jolie raked in $27 million in the past 12 months thanks to a movie schedule that included "Kung Fu Panda," "Wanted" and the not-yet-released spy thriller "Salt." Even more impressive: The publicity she garnered following the birth of her twins, as well as the consistent headlines she grabs for her philanthropic efforts and her relationship with actor Brad Pitt, who ranks No. 9 on the list.
Oprah drops to No. 2 on the list. The media maven has pocketed $275 million in the last year, making her the list's top earner. Though viewership for her daily chat fest, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," continues to erode, her earnings remain unchanged from a year ago. In addition to Winfrey's monthly magazine, she has a three-year, $55 million deal with XM Satellite Radio. Early next year, the self-made billionaire will roll out the lifestyle-themed Oprah Winfrey Network in partnership with Discovery Communications.
In a year filled with humbling bank failures and violent stock market swings, the earning power of the 2009 Celebrity 100 remained remarkably resilient. The cumulative earnings of the 2009 list totaled $4.1 billion, up slightly from last year's $4 billion haul.
The primary reason celebrities are still making big money: Many stars are locked into long-term performance and endorsement contracts. If the economy does not improve, expect the downturn to catch up to the A-list next year.
Rounding out the top five on the list are pop icon Madonna ($110 million), singer Beyonce ($87 million), and golfer Tiger Woods ($110 million).
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