Tom Cruise tops Forbes' Celebrity 100 Power List

Tom Cruise makes the top spot in the Forbes' Celebrity 100 Power List pipping last year's No.1 Oprah Winfrey.

16 June 2006
MUMBAI, INDIA

The Forbes' annual Celebrity 100 Power List is out. And Tom Cruise has zoomed to the No.1 slot in the list which ranks celebrities from the worlds of films, television, music and sports based on their earnings and the buzz around them. 

Cruise who had ranked 10th in last year's list has made it to the top not because of his earnings ($67 million) which was lower than that of the top earners but mainly because he was in the news all of last year thanks to his performace at the box office, his romance with Katie Holmes, his verbal skirmishes with Brooke Shields, and the birth of his baby Suri all of which was watched with avid interest.

This is the second time Cruise has bagged the No.1 slot. Cruise was also No.1 on the Forbes' list in 2001.

Cruise dislodged last year's No. 1 Oprah Winfrey who is now No. 3, despite her $ 225 million earnings.

Ranking fifth was Tiger Woods who took home $90 million.

Ranking 6th was top earner, Steven Spielberg who took home $332 million.

Seventh on the list was radio star Howard Stern because of his $ 302 million paycheck.

Snagging the 8th spot was rapper 50 Cent who had never made it to the list before.

Second and fourth on the list were The Rolling Stones and U2 respectively thanks to their money-spinner tours. 

Brad Pitt slid to No. 20 from No. 11 last year. Girlfriend Angelina Jolie and ex-girlfriend Jennifer Aniston tied for the 35th spot.

Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, Lance Armstrong, and Lindsay Lohan were knocked off the list this year. Gibson was No. 3 last year and No.1 in 2004.

Paris Hilton, bringing up the rear, is No. 56 on the list.