The business of entertainment sure is a lucrative one.

Between June 2016 to June 2017 (yes, we’re already in June), the top 100 highest paid entertainers earned a cumulative $5,15 billion (R66 billion) pretax.

Not too shabby.

The methodology used by Forbes to create the list includes evaluating front-of-camera talent, estimating figures from Nielsen, NPD Bookscan, Pollstar, Box Office Mojo, Songkick, D’Marie and IMDB, as well as interviews with industry insiders and sometimes the stars themselves.

So who are they? From the sports field to the stage, here are the top 10 entertainers from the past year:

10. LeBron James, $86 million

The four-time MVP returned to Cleveland in 2014 and led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016. He re-signed for three more years in a deal worth $100 million. His $31 million salary in 2016-17 made him the third NBA player to earn $30 million in a season after Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

9. James Patterson, $87 million

America’s richest author sold 9.5 million domestic copies in a year and several of his works are being adapted for the small screen. The prolific Patterson also scored an estimated seven-figure signing payment for co-writing an upcoming thriller novel with former President Bill Clinton.

8. Coldplay, $88 million

The British pop-rockers embarked upon their Head Full of Dreams Tour this spring, playing arenas and stadiums around the globe at a gross north of $5 million per city, en route to the biggest payday of their career.

7. Howard Stern, $90 million

The controversial radio host makes his fortune from his eight-figure contract with SiriusXM, but his upcoming digital ventures, including a mobile app and video streaming, could pay off in the future.

6. The Weeknd, $92 million

He clocked 5.5 billion streaming spins in the past two years and more than $1.1 million per stop on his Starboy: Legend of the Fall World Tour. “Artists don’t really make the money off the music like we did in the Golden Age,” the Weeknd tells FORBES. “It’s not really coming in until you hit the stage.”

5. Cristiano Ronaldo, $93 million

This past year Ronaldo was named FIFA’s best player for the fourth time, secured a contract with Real Madrid for more than $50 million for each of the next four years and inked a lifetime deal with Nike worth upward of $1 billion. His CR7 products includes shoes, underwear, fragrance, jeans and hotels.

4. Drake, $94 million

The most-streamed artist on the planet over the past 12 months, Drake made the bulk of his bucks on the road during his recently-completed Boy Meets World Tour. He also collects checks from Apple, Sprite and Nike.

3. J.K. Rowling, $95 million

The British novelist’s co-written play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was the bestselling book of 2016 with over 4.5 million domestic copies and its West End production is sold out into 2018. Rowling also conjured cash from Universal Studios attractions and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

2. Beyoncé, $105 million

Queen B pulled in nine figures thanks largely to her Formation World Tour, which wrapped up in late 2016 and grossed a quarter of a billion dollars. She’s now taking a break from touring as she and husband Jay Z welcome twins to their family.

1. Diddy, $130 million

Nearly two decades after appearing on the cover of the first-ever Celebrity 100 issue, Diddy tops the list thanks to his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, a partnership with Diageo’s Ciroc vodka and selling one-third of his Sean John clothing line for an estimated $70 million.

And there I thought Diddy was taking it easy.

You can see the full list here – I bet you won’t be able to guess who is sitting at number 11.

Tough life, hey.

[source:forbes]