SRK, Salman, Akshay among Forbes' top-earning stars

New York: Indian superstars Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar are among Forbes' annual list of the highest-earning entertainers in the world.

The Forbes list of the 'World's Highest-Paid Celebrities of 2017' has been topped by American rapper and entrepreneur Sean Combs, known by his more famous stage name 'Diddy', with earnings of 130 million dollars.

SRK, 51, ranks 65th on the list, with earnings of USD 38 million, tied with singer and actress Jennifer Lopez."King Khan continues to bank big from starring roles in Bollywood movies. He also cashes in on endorsement deals for dozens of brands most Americans have likely never heard of," Forbes said. Salman is on the 71st spot with USD 37 million in earnings, tied with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. Forbes said Salman continues to produce and star in films, which earn well at the box office. Akshay, 49 is ranked 80th on the list with earnings of USD 35.5 million, tied with musician Bon Jovi. "Kumar, a king of the Bollywood box office for over a quarter of a century, mints millions through both starring and ensemble roles," Forbes said.

The list also includes American singer and icon Beyonce on the second spot with earnings of USD 105 million. Author J K Rowling, with USD 95 million, is at number three. R&B musician Drake is at the number four spot with USD 94 million. Football star Cristiano Ronaldo (USD 93 million) rounded out the top five.

Forbes said together, the world's 100 highest-paid celebrities banked a cumulative USD 5.15 billion during the June 2016 to June 2017 scoring period. “While there are 10 male actors on the ranking, not a single female movie star made the cut,” Forbes said adding that women comprise just 16 per cent of the world's top-earning celebrities, "an imbalance that reflects the gender pay gap in entertainment and beyond." The 16 women on this year's list earned a cumulative USD 822.5 million.