Tequila sends George Clooney to top of best-paid actors list

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George Clooney on Wednesday soared to the top of an annual list of the world’s highest-paid actors, thanks largely to the sale of his tequila company.

Clooney, 57, earned an estimated 239 million US dollars between June 2017-June 2018, marking the highest earnings of his 35-year career in film and television, Forbes said.

Clooney, who hasn’t starred in a Hollywood movie since 2016 crime thriller “Money Monster,” sold the Casamigos tequila company he co-founded to British spirits company Diageo in June 2017.

46th AFI Life Achievement Award Recipient George Clooney attends the American Film Institute's 46th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to George Clooney at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, US, June 7, 2018. /VCG Photo

His on-and-off screen earnings eclipsed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who came in at No.2 with an estimated 124 million US dollars thanks to “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and other projects.

The top 10 actors earned some 784 million US dollars collectively, according to Forbes, once again dwarfing the top 10 women who earned a cumulative 186 million US dollars in the same period. Scarlett Johansson topped the annual list released last week with 40.5 million US dollars in pre-tax earnings.

Forbes attributed part of the gender gap to the dominance of superhero and action movies that tend to have more parts for men and earn hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office.

US actor George Clooney attends the 46th American Film Institute Life Achievement Award Gala at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, June 07, 2018. /VCG Photo

Forbes compiled its 2018 list estimating pre-tax earnings from June 2017-June 2018, before deducting fees for managers, based on data from Nielsen, movie database IMDB, and interviews with industry experts and celebrities themselves.

“Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr. was third on the list, with an estimated 81 million US dollars, followed by “Avengers: Infinity War” actor Chris Hemsworth with 64.5 million US dollars.

Source(s): Reuters