Richest Celebrities

Mark Zuckerberg

The world has a new richest man, according to Forbes. But chances are you wouldn't know if Carlos Slim, valued at $53.5 billion, stepped into the room. He doesn't have his own television show, fashion line or personal sneaker. He does have a stranglehold on Mexico's telecommunications industry. For that, we give him a sarcastic "hooray!" After the jump are the billionaires you do know. They're not quite as rich as Slim, but they're a whole lot more sexy (yeah, we're looking at you Mark Zuckerberg)...
Mark Zuckerberg - $4 Billion

Mark, 25, is the youngest billionaire in the world. He's the face behind Facebook, and the undisputed champ of social networking. Speaking of which, he'll be portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg in 'The Social Network,' due in theaters this fall. No word on who will play MySpace's 'Tom.'

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey - $2.7 Billion

Oprah is arguably the most powerful person in entertainment. She turns authors into instant celebs, down home chefs into chain restauranteurs and doctors into blockbuster gurus. She's turned us into believers, and you know we'll tune in when the Oprah Winfrey Network launches later this year

Mikhail Prokhorov

 

Mikhail Prokhorov - $13.4 Billion

If this galavanting Russian industrialist isn't quite a celebrity yet, he will be shortly. The 6'7" 44-year-old recently bought a controlling stake in the NBA's New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets. He's notoriously single -- see his arrest on "pimping" charges in 2007, for which France recently apologized. Basically, he's about to be the King of New York.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump - $1.6 Billion

The Donald might be one of the most famous faces on this list. He's certainly got the most famous head of hair. According to Forbes, Trump thinks his "brand alone is worth $5 billion." It's that kind of arro-cough confidence that has helped him accumulate one of the richest real estate holdings in the world.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs – $3.4 Billion

OK, Steve's not all that sexy, but his sleek little machines sure are. If you don't have an Apple device in your pocket, well, you're kinda fakin' the funk. Thanks to Jobs, it's no longer cool to be different -- we're looking at you Zune users. Just, y'know, Think Different.

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling - $1 Billion

Behold, the purchasing power of kids. And moms. And teens. OK, everybody loves 'Harry Potter.' The richest chick in Britain deserves every Galleon she's put in the bank. Don't expect to see Rowling on welfare again any time soon.

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg - $3 Billion

Spielberg is the king of the big screen, even if Steven Seagal is the first celeb that pops up when typing "Steven S" into Google. Don't take our word for it. Count his ticket stubs. Films directed by Spielberg haul in an average of $157 million at the box office. He's so guffaw-ing at Kathryn Bigelow right now.

Michel Bloomberg

 

Michel Bloomberg - $16 Billion

We thought we read somewhere -- maybe it was the Magna Carta... or the Constitution... or Microsoft Encarta -- that democratic leaders aren't supposed to be billionaires. Nobody told Mayor Bloomberg, who spent $90 million on his last campaign.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren - $2.8 Billion

Humans need only four things: air, food, clothes and sex. Ralph sells two of those. Pop the collar on a pink Polo polo shirt in springtime and watch your sexual fitness skyrocket. Popped collar Gap polos do not induce the same effect. We've tried.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson - $4 Billion

As if the 212th richest man in the world wasn't everywhere already, Sir Richard Branson is aiming for the stars with his private space agency Virgin Galactic. The inaugural launch is slated to take place some time next year. We always thought the man in the moon looked more like John Lennon. This billionaire Brit will have to do.

Michael Jackson Ranks As Richest Dead Celebrity

Late pop icon's estate brought in more than $275 million in 12 months, according to Forbes.

Michael Jackson

In life, Michael Jackson was forever dogged by rumors of financial struggles. But in death, the late pop icon has vaulted to the top of the list of celebrities whose estates generate millions. In fact, according to a new Forbes magazine list, Jackson is by far the richest dead celebrity, with an estate that brought in more than $275 million over the past 12 months.

Jackson's music and "This Is It" documentary have been so lucrative that he outearned the combined hauls of megastars Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Madonna and Jay-Z. Not only that, but Jackson also outpaced the combined earnings of all of the other late celebs on the list.How did he do it? A combination of smart licensing deals cut by the executors of his estate, a huge spike in sales of the singer's catalog since his June 2009 death and, most important, the $250 million worldwide box-office receipts of the tour rehearsal film "This Is It," including a $60 million advance from Sony Pictures. Music sales alone brought in $50 million thanks to heavy radio play and album sales, along with receipts from a Jackson-themed video game and the re-release of his autobiography, "Moon Walk," which added another $50 million to the pile. "The cash flow on an annual basis is tremendous," Donald David, an estate lawyer who handled the finances of rapper Tupac Shakur after his death, told the magazine. "Sure, it's going to decline eventually, but it's going to be a huge amount in the foreseeable future. [Jackson's] kids are going to have grandkids before that money's gone."

The unprecedented numbers could continue, as a deal with Sony Music to issue unreleased recordings — the first album is due in November — is worth another $200 million to $250 million over the next seven years. Money will also keep flowing in as a result of Jackson's ownership of half of the Sony/ATV catalog, which contains a half a million songs by a stunning array of artists, including Lady Gaga, Elvis Presley, Eminem, Bob Dylan and Beyoncé. That deal alone could rake in $25 million to $50 million a year.

Coming in at #2 on the list is perennial top deceased earner Presley, whose receipts shot up $5 million to give him $60 million in the past year thanks to the newly launched Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show featuring his music as well as the boost in licensed products and merchandise in honor of what would have been his 75th birthday.

The estate of "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien banked $50 million, mostly due to the sales of 500,000 books over the past year, followed by the estate of "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz ($33 million) and, rounding out the top 5, late Beatle John Lennon ($17 million), whose earnings ballooned 30 years after his murder as a result of the re-release of his solo catalog, licensing deals with Cisco and Mont Blanc and receipts from "Beatles Rock Band."

The rest of the top 10: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" author Stieg Larsson ($15 million), Dr. Seuss (born Theodor Geisel) ($11 million), Albert Einstein ($10 million), New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner ($8 million) and "My Funny Valentine" songwriter Richard Rodgers ($7 million).

Read More:MTV