Taylor Swift is world's biggest earning artist

Taylor Swift is the top-earning entertainer in the world, according to Forbes' annual celebrity 100 list.  The  pop star, whose last album 1989 sold more than five million copies in the US alone, raked in $170m from June 2015 to June 2016, to put her at the top of the list.

Her new ranking puts her higher than last year's highest-paid musician, Katy Perry, who banked $135m in 2015, according to Forbes. Perry reached the top last year on the strength of a world tour, a string of hit songs and lucrative product endorsements.

Swift's rise this year is a direct result of the success of her 1989 world tour, which surpassed The Rolling Stones' North American touring record – grossing $200m. Her overall total was boosted by promotional tie-ins with Keds, Diet Coke and Apple.

Swift’s 2016 take more than doubles her previous best: she reportedly earned $80m in 2015.  Her 2016 tally ranks lower than last year’s list topper, the boxer Floyd Mayweather, who pulled in $300m in 2015 after taking part in “the fight of the century” with Manny Pacquiao.

- WireGuardian