I don’t know why, but I tend to find rankings like these to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, clicking on one every time I see one. Forbes China has recently published their picks for the top 100 celebrities based on earning power, exposure and overall influence, and Fan Bing Bing being the queen that she is takes the throne for the fifth year in a row.
Luhan may not be the second, third or even fourth highest earner, but his growing fanbase places him firmly in second.
Yang Mi from the hit drama Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms comes in third while her leading man Mark Chao comes in 36th . She’s known for elusively avoiding full frontal shots in most of her social media uploads, so it’s a welcome sight that Fan Bing Bing shared a photo of the two when she greeted Yang Mi for her birthday last September 12.
The whole thing really just seems like a huge popularity contest, but it does put things into perspective with celebrities from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are all vying for a spot. Zhao Liying comes in fourth, which is quite well-deserved given her raging popularity.
The list goes on with Yang Yang in fifth. What’s interesting is that he actually trumps almost everyone in the top five in terms of earning power. In fact, the picture above is an endorsement for the athletic shoe brand Puma. Yang Yang seems to have reached greater heights in his career since Just One Smile is Very Alluring, and his leading lady Zheng Shuang also makes the list in 39th.
Jackie Chan brings home the biggest paycheck out of everyone with approximately $50 million, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from the world-renown action legend. He’ll be taking on his first dramatic role (that I know of), completely devoid of his usual action comedy in The Foreigner, a movie also starring Pierce Brosnan and Liu Tao.
In a multi-faceted industry where singers are actors too, Jay Chou is no different, yet he is still best known for heralding a new age of music that has earned a stronghold in today’s pop culture. He comes in 9th.
Just to take a close look at where the current and former EXO members are, Luhan is in second, Kris Wu is in tenth, Zhang Yixing is in 20th and Huang Zitao is in 25th.
Jin Dong is the man smack the middle of all the stars at 50th. He’s starred in so many dramas this year that I lose count, though I vividly recall The First Half of My Life becoming a surprise hit.
Last but not the least, even those near the end of the list are popular in their own right. From 95th place, we have Ma Tianyu, Zhang Jie, A Mei, Zhang Yimou, Feng Shaofeng and finally, Li Qin in 100th.
The top ten are as follows (in US Dollars):
1. Fan Bingbing, actress, approx $45 million
2. Luhan, actor and singer, $32 million
3. Yang Mi, actress, $30 million
4. Zhao Liying, actress, $29 million
5. Yang Yang, actor, $36 million
6. Liu Tao, actress, $23 million
7. Jackie Chan, actor and director, $50 million
8. Angelababy, actress, $30 million
9. Jay Chou, singer and actor, $39 million
10. Kris Wu, actor and singer, $23 million
See full Forbes list here.
Lady Jaye
I'm really happy to see many of my (admittedly recent) faves (since i only began watching Cdramas last year) on the list.
There's Jin Dong, and Wang Kai, who has really done well for himself, the Liu's: Shishi, Tao, YiFei, .
And of course, Hu Ge, who makes the list even without a movie/drama in this year.