Forbes Top 40

Forbes Top 40

Company type	Annual ranking
Industry	Entertainment, Media
Founded	1987
Defunct	1998
Fate	Replaced by Forbes Celebrity 100 in 1999
Area served	Worldwide
Parent	Forbes magazine

The Forbes Top 40 was a yearly ranking of the 40 highest-earning entertainers, released by Forbes magazine between 1987 and 1998. This list was replaced in 1999 by the Forbes Celebrity 100. Issued each September, the rankings considered entertainers' earnings over a two-year period to mitigate the impact of yearly income variations.

Forbes characterized these figures as "not just entertainers, but enterprises," emphasizing their significant contribution to wealth creation within the entertainment sector and the broader economy through exportable products such as television shows, movies, and music albums.

Forbes Top 40 rankings

Presented below are the leading 10 entertainers for every year since the list’s establishment.

1980s

1987

No.	Recipient	Profession
1	Bill Cosby	Television personality
2	Sylvester Stallone	Actor
3	Bruce Springsteen	Musician
4	Charles Schulz	Cartoonist
5	Eddie Murphy	Actor
6	Steven Spielberg	Filmmaker
7	Madonna	Musician
8	Whitney Houston	Musician
9	Michael Jackson	Musician
10	Johnny Carson	Television personality

1988

No.	Recipient	Profession
1	Michael Jackson	Musician
2	Bill Cosby	Television personality
3	Steven Spielberg	Filmmaker
4	Sylvester Stallone	Actor
5	Eddie Murphy	Actor
6	Charles Schulz	Cartoonist
7	Bruce Springsteen	Musician
8	Mike Tyson	Boxer
9	Madonna	Musician
10	Arnold Schwarzenegger	Actor

1989

No.	Recipient	Profession
1	Michael Jackson	Musician
2	Steven Spielberg	Filmmaker
3	Bill Cosby	Television personality
4	Mike Tyson	Boxer
5	Charles Schulz	Cartoonist
6	Eddie Murphy	Actor
7	Template:Country data UKTemplate:Namespace detect showall Pink Floyd	Musicians
8	Template:Country data UKTemplate:Namespace detect showall The Rolling Stones	Musicians
9	Oprah Winfrey	Television personality
10	Template:Country data UKTemplate:Namespace detect showall George Michael	Musician

1990s

1990

Statistics

Top 10 Entries by Entertainer

Number of Entries	Name	Country	Primary Occupation
12	Steven Spielberg	United States	Filmmaker
10	Oprah Winfrey		Television personality
8	Michael Jackson		Musician
	Bill Cosby		Television personality
7	The Rolling Stones	United Kingdom	Musicians
	Charles Schulz	United States	Cartoonist
5	Madonna		Musician
	David Copperfield		Illusionist

Forbes Earnings Overview

During the 20th century, Forbes celebrity income rankings were predominantly occupied by men. In the 1996 list, only four women were featured: Oprah Winfrey at number 1, Roseanne Barr at 25, Mariah Carey at 33, and Sandra Bullock at 40. Winfrey consistently outperformed many of her contemporaries regardless of gender, a pattern that persisted with the introduction of the Forbes Celebrity 100 in 1999. Musicians often secured top positions, although female performers rarely reached the highest tiers; Madonna stood out as a significant exception.

The rankings were largely dominated by American figures, with The Beatles representing the highest-ranking non-American group. By the time the list marked its eleventh year, Steven Spielberg and Bill Cosby had each appeared in the top ranks three times—the most frequent appearances among all celebrities.

See also

• Forbes Celebrity 100 (1999–2020)
• Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40
• Forbes list of highest-earning musicians