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Oprah Highest Earning Woman; Lady Gaga Second In Command

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Oprah Winfrey may have ended her 25-year run as the Queen of Daytime but she reigns supreme on Forbes “Entertainment’s Highest-Earning Women” list. Winfrey who’s complete net worth is just over $2 billion sits comfortably atop her throne by amassing $290 million between May 2010 and May 2011. But Oprah is no longer that queen of daytime, does this mean her wealth will take a significant dive? Let’s put it this way, Lady Gaga may be second in command but she’s a full $200 million away from Oprah! Here’s the top five according to Forbes:

Oprah Winfrey – $290 million
Winfrey beats her closest earning competitor on our list by a whopping $200 million. But with her show ending, how long will the queen of talk be able to maintain those kinds of earnings? Her cable network, OWN, has yet to take off.

Lady Gaga -$90 million
Lady Gaga topped our Celebrity 100 this year (which measures money AND fame) but she earned a full $200 million less than Oprah. Gaga will have to stay relevant if she’s going to continue to rank at the top of our lists.

Bethenny Frankel – $55 million
The reality star banked big bucks over the past year with a savvy sale of Skinny Girl drinks to Fortune Brands. Frankel is planning to expand her brand with rumors flying about a possible talk show. (We heard they’re working on softening Bethenny’s fast mouth and tough exterior – isn’t that why viewers fell in love with her in the first place??)

Gisele Bundchen – $45 million
The supermodel went back to work just weeks after giving birth to her first son with husband Tom Brady. In addition to her modeling fees, Bundchen earns big from endorsement deals and Gisele for Ipanema. (Gisele is also included on our Baller Wives list – and yes, she’s the breadwinner of the house!)

Ellen DeGeneres – $45 million
DeGeneres is more than just a talk show host. She owns part of a pet food company called Halo and she recently started her own record label, Eleveneleven.

While it’s likely Oprah’s wealth will fall over the next year, it’s highly unlikely anyone from this list will catch up to her anytime soon. What do you think?

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