Celebrities

The earning power of the Forbes 2009 Celebrity 100 remained remarkably resilient in the face of bank failures and violent stock market swings.

The cumulative earnings of the 2009 list totalled a massive US$4.1 billion, up slightly from last year’s US$4 billion haul.

The primary reason celebrities are still making big money is that many of them are locked into long-term performance and endorsement contracts. But if the economy does not improve, expect the downturn to catch up to the A-list next year.

10. Kobe Bryant

Basketball star Kobe Bryant’s popularity soared last year after winning his first Most Valuable Player award and leading Team USA to a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. His No. 24 jersey is the top seller in the U.S., Europe and China.

Bryant’s US$21 million Los Angeles Lakers salary is further complemented byendorsement deals with Nike, Upper Deck, Activision and VitaminWater.

9. Brad Pitt

This year, Brad Pitt earned his second Academy Award nomination for his performance as a man ageing backward in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He also earned plenty of tabloid attention after the birth of his twins with partner Angelina Jolie.

Like Jolie, Pitt tries to divert the seemingly endless media attention on the couple towards causes close to his heart, including rebuilding New Orleans.

8. Jennifer Aniston

Even five years after the multi-award-winning sitcom Friends went off the air, fans still love to see Aniston in romantic comedies. This year’s Marley & Me and He’s Just Not That Into You helped the actress earn US$25 million.

Her on-again, off-again romance with singer-songwriter John Mayer has ensured she’s been kept in the papers too.

7. Steven Spielberg

Award-winning director Steven Spielberg had a tough time finding a home for his DreamWorks studio after its divorce from parent company, Viacom, in October 2008. He finally landed at Disney four months later.

The struggle didn’t hurt his own earnings, though. And, thanks in part to the latest Indiana Jones movie, of which he split a large portion of the back-end receipts with executive producer George Lucas and actor Harrison Ford, Spielberg brought home US$150 million this year.

6. Bruce Springsteen

New Jersey idol and working class hero Bruce Springsteen had the fourth-highest-grossing tour in 2008, bringing in US$166 million on sales of 1.6 million tickets worldwide. Springsteen capped off the tour by headlining the Super Bowl halftime show.

Springsteen also signed an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart to sell his great