Forbe's Celebrity 100 Power List 2006

Tuesday 19th June 2006

Tom Cruises His Way Back To #1 on Forbes' Annual Celebrity 100 Power List

New York, NY (June 15, 2006) - Love him or hate him, you can't deny his blockbuster appeal, or the public's thirst for tabloid news of Cruise. In a weak year for Hollywood, Tom Cruise is the only actor to make it into the Top 10 of Forbes' Celebrity 100 ranking. His $67-million, back-end earnings for 'War Of The Worlds', and not his couch-jumping antics, propelled this leading man to the top of the list, and he is the only celebrity to earn the #1 spot twice on Forbes' annual ranking - with his last appearance in 2001. With $332 million, director Steven Spielberg at #6 was the top money-earner. The only other solo actor to make the Top 20 was Brad Pitt (#20), who also had his fair share of coverage this year. Coincidentally, Brad's former wife, Jennifer Aniston (2004's #1), and his current partner, Angelina Jolie, are tied at #35.

Self proclaimed "King Of All Media" Howard Stern jumps to #7 with a whopping $302 million in earnings, surpassing 2005 list-topper Oprah Winfrey's $225 million, who was knocked down to #3. The ensemble cast of 'The Sopranos', with salaries totaling $52 million, along with their long-awaited return to the air, landed the four principal actors at #9. Sold-out tours and plenty of headlines led the way for The Rolling Stones (#2) and U2 (#4) to rock into the Top 10. In a big year for golf, Tiger Woods made $90 million, including $58 million in career winnings plus major endorsement deals, placing this respected athlete at #5. Rapper-turned-businessman 50 Cent, had the best-selling ring-tones of 2005, along with a chart-topping CD, combined with licensing deals for Reebok sneakers, hip-hop apparel and more, firmly placing him at #8. Finally, 'Da Vinci Code' author Dan Brown at #10 continues to reap the benefits of his controversial book's success.

* Drop-offs: Mel Gibson (#1 in '04, #3 in '05), Madonna (#8 in '05), Lance Armstrong, Will Ferrell, Julia Roberts and Lindsay Lohan.

* Notable newcomers: Dr Phil McGraw (#22), Simon Cowell (#29), Ryan Seacrest (#88) and Kiefer Sutherland (#68)

* Both dropping 35 places but remaining on the list: Jennifer Lopez (#59) and Will Smith (#49)

The Celebrity 100

1. Tom Cruise
2. Rolling Stones
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. U2
5. Tiger Woods
6. Steven Spielberg
7. Howard Stern
8. 50 Cent
9. Cast of The Sopranos
10. Dan Brown
11. Bruce Springsteen
12. Donald Trump
13. Muhammad Ali
14. Paul McCartney
15. George Lucas
16. Elton John
17. David Letterman
18. Phil Mickelson
19. J.K. Rowling
20. Brad Pitt
21. Peter Jackson
22. Dr. Phil McGraw
23. Jay Leno
24. Celine Dion
25. Kobe Bryant
26. Michael Jordan
27. Johnny Depp
28. Jerry Seinfeld
29. Simon Cowell
30. Michael Schumacher
31. Tom Hanks
32. Rush Limbaugh
33. Denzel Washington
34. Cast of Desperate Housewives
35. Jennifer Aniston
35. Angelina Jolie
37. The Olsen Twins
38. Nicole Kidman
39. The Eagles
40. Rod Stewart
41. Shaquille O'Neal
42. Jerry Bruckheimer
43. David Beckham
44. Jessica Simpson
45. Andrew Lloyd Webber
46. LeBron James
47. Neil Diamond
48. Alex Rodriguez
49. Will Smith
50. Dick Wolf
51. Dave Matthews Band
52. Tom Brady
53. Ronaldinho
54. Jodie Foster
55. Ray Romano
56. Paris Hilton
57. Adam Sandler
58. Derek Jeter
59. Jennifer Lopez
60. Rick Warren
61. Scarlett Johansson
62. Katie Couric
63. Maria Sharapova
64. Valentino Rossi
65. Halle Berry
66. James Patterson
67. Leonardo DiCaprio
68. Kiefer Sutherland
69. Jim Carrey
70. Cameron Diaz
71. Gisele Bundchen
72. Renee Zellweger
73. Carson Palmer
74. Michelle Wie
75. Reese Witherspoon
76. Bill O'Reilly
77. Kate Moss
78. Diane Sawyer
79. Sean (Diddy) Combs
80. John Grisham
81. Rachael Ray
82. Dave Chappelle
83. Larry the Cable Guy
84. Tyra Banks
85. George Lopez
86. Regis Philbin
87. Serena Williams
88. Ryan Seacrest
89. Wolfgang Puck
90. Venus Williams
91. Annika Sorenstam
92. Matthew Broderick/Nathan Lane
93. Mel Brooks
94. Emeril Lagasse
95. Nicole Richie
96. Heidi Klum
97. Mario Batali
98. Eric Idle/Mike Nichols
99. Adriana Lima
100. Ty Pennington