During the past 12 months, Forbes reports, Jay-Z pulled in $37 million–$2 million more than wife Beyonce Knowles. This is the first time Jay has earned more than his wife since they married back in 2008.
While Jay’s 40/40 Club, his stake in the New Jersey Nets, and his bestselling book Decoded all contributed to his earnings this past year, it’s his 10-year, $150 million deal with Live Nation that has been the most lucrative. Beyonce’s deals with Nintendo, L’Oreal, as well her own clothing line House of Dereon, are huge factors in her $35 million earnings in the previous 12 months.
Both artists earned substantially less than they did last year ($63 million and $87 million respectively) due to the fact that both did a smaller amount of touring this year. The pair did not release any albums since the last Forbes cycle, but are expected to later on in the year.
Interestingly enough, Forbes reports, neither made as much as Justin Bieber, who raked in $53 million this year. A full breakdown, is available at the Forbes blog.
