Beyonce and Jay-Z are both big recording stars in their own rights. But together, they’re a financial juggernaut.
In fact, in the parlance of our times, they may be too big to fail.
According to Forbes.com, the pop star and the rap singer brought in a combined $162 million last year from their records, movie roles and endorsement deals for products like Budweiser and American Express.
That’s good enough to earn them the top spot on the website’s list of the 15 top earning Tinseltown couples.
When it comes to celebrities duos, Beyonce and Jay-Z tower over the competition.
Sliding into the second spot are Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart with $69 million in combined earnings.
Unlike the two singers, however, that famous May-December romance is heavily slated towards Ford’s side of the ledger. He brought in $65 million last year for his film roles, while Flockhart earned $4 million for her starring role on ABC’s "Brothers and Sisters." In contrast, Beyonce brought in a staggering $87 million and Jay Z netted a still formidable $35 million.
Other top-earning couples include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ($55 million), Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith ($48 million), David and Victoria Beckham ($46 million), and Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi ($36 million).
Oddly, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes don’t show up until #9, below Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy. And Cruise’s ex, Nicole Kidman, lands at #15 with hubby Keith Urban.
To come up with its list, Forbes talked to agents, managers, producers and lawyers to determine what celebrities earned from movies, touring, album sales, professional sports contracts, and endorsements.
The complete list:
1. Beyonce & Jay-Z: $162M
2. Harrison Ford & Calista Flockhart: $69M
3. Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie: $55M
4. Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith: $48M
5. David & Victoria Beckham: $46M
6. Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi: $36M
7. Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson: $35.5M
8. Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy: $34M
9. Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes: $33.5M
10. Chris Martin & Gwyneth Paltrow: $32M
11. Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick: $29M
12. Tim McGraw & Faith Hill: $28M
13. Eva Longoria Parker & Tony Parker: $22M
14. Katherine Heigl & Josh Kelley: $20M
15. Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban: $17M
