JK is top earner

24 July 2008 02:22pm

JK Rowling raked in a total of 300 million dollars (£150 million) last year, a study by US business magazine Forbes has shown.

The Harry Potter author earned more than anyone else on any of Forbes' lists.

Her books about the boy wizard have sold 375 million copies worldwide and the final instalment, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, has sold 44 million since it came out last July, according to the magazine.

JK even earned more than US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who took home 275 million dollars (£137.5 million) last year.

Elsewhere in the Forbes round-up, Will Smith was the highest earning Hollywood actor with 80 million dollars (£40 million), while Cameron Diaz topped the list of actresses with 50 million dollars (£25 million).

David Beckham came second in the top 10 list of highest-paid male athletes with 50 million dollars (£25 million).

But he was beaten convincingly to the top spot by America's golf star Tiger Woods, who earned 115 million dollars (£57.5 million) last year.

© The Press Association