Oprah Tops Celebrity 100 List 2005

Forbes Magazine released its annual ranking of the 100 most powerful celebrities. For the first time Oprah Winfrey tops that list. She is accompanied by 14 other black celebrities who earned a combines $628 million last year.

• Oprah Winfrey, who always ranks near the top of the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, takes the No. 1 spot this year for the first time. She earned $225 million last year from books, magazines and movies in addition to the her talk show.
• Tiger Woods who won his fourth Masters title, got married and earned $80 million from endorsements and appearance fees is No. 2.
• Shaquille O'Neal takes the No. 5 spot with earnings of $33.4 millions.
• Coming in a No. 13 is Will Smith who earns $20 million a picture with each of his last two movies earning over $350 million at the box office, had personal earning of $35 millions.
• Michael Jordan ranked No. 16 earned $33 million in endorsement income, fueled largely by Nike, is second highest among athletes to Tiger Woods.
• Kobe Bryant and his Lakers missed the playeroffs for the first time in ten years but Kobe ranked No.19 earned $28.8 million in salary and endorsement income form Nike, Coca-Cola, Spalding, Upper Deck and Carl's Jr.
• Sean Combs sold a 50% stake in his record company to Warner Music for a cool $30 million and who had personal earnings of $36 million ranked No. 20.
• Denzel Washington who like Will Smith also earns $20 million a picture ranked at No. 31. His earnings last year was $30 million dollars.
• Prince who is ranked at No. 40 sold 1.4 million tickets for his Musicology tour, more than any other touring act in 2004 earned $49.7million.
• Ranked No.53 is LeBron James who earned $22.9 million in salary and endorsements.
• Serena Williams who earned $12.7 million last year is ranked at No.62.
• Dave Chappelle whose first two seasons of Chappelle's Show on cable channel Comedy Central, has became a huge hit due to a bestselling DVD, ranked at No 78 with earnings of $12 million.
• Venus Williams ranked No.81, but her earning were down by 50% from the previous year to $6.5 million.
• Kimora Lee Simmons ranked at No. 91 and earned $17 million.
• Tyra Banks came in at No.95 and had earnings of $6 million.